Its wintertime! Get that fireplace running!
Nothing compares to the overall awesomeness of a fireplace. The odor, the
crackle, the trance-inducing fire, all of it adds up to you and yours
frequently sitting around the fireplace to enjoy family time.
The fireplace is not all roses,
sunshine and warmth. Your chimney offers potential hazards if not properly cared
for. As public insurance adjusters
in the Twin Cities, so many
of your acquaintances, colleagues, family and friends have been assisted in the event of their home falling prey to the unkempt
whims of a chimney that from year to year is put into action without proper
care.
The fireplace is something that gets an
annual shut down only to be reawakened at a later date. You, at a minimum and
preferably once a year, right before or right after winter, should have that chimney
professionally inspected and cleaned. When a standard house-warming fire burns
in your fireplace, creosote begins to form. It accumulates and builds up with
each subsequent fire. This black and sticky flammable substance should be
cleaned regularly to prevent it from igniting and causing a fire at a place
with your chimney that you do not want it to be.
Utilize dried and cured wood in your
chimney operations (the logs need to be split, dried for 8 to 12 months). Stack
your logs so that they have a cover over them, leaving ample openings on the
sides to accomplish proper air flow. Do not utilize lumber scraps, construction
scraps, painted wood or other pieces of treated wood. These types of wood could
release harmful chemicals into your home, and it could affect the indoor air
quality at your house. You can use starter logs to start the fire if you need
to, but just be sure to use only one of them at a time since they burn very hot.
When not using the fireplace, always use
the damper. The damper will help keep the warm air currently in your home from
getting out. When actively burning a fire in the fireplace, make sure you keep
the doors of the fireplace open to allow the heat of the fire to get into the
room.
We hope that our tips will help you eliminate
a worst case scenario from occurring within your home. Not running into a
disaster equals not having to call on your insurance company. If you do find
yourself in the undesirable position of having to deal with your insurance
company alone, hire some public insurance adjusters in the Twin Cities area. Call
Norcia Insurance Consultants at 866-512-LOSS (5677), or you can contact us to
set up your Free Consultation.
