The days are turning chilly, and nothing is quite as cozy as a roaring fire in the hearth. Stay warm and safe by following these quick tips:
- Reduce smokiness by burning a few newspapers first, to warm up the chimney.
- Crack a nearby window a couple inches to reduce smokiness. The extra cold air will go right out the chimney.
- Use well-seasoned wood with low moisture content.
- Make sure the damper is open.
- Keep the glass doors open, but the screen curtain closed.
- Only use the fireplace for 5 hours at a time.
- Have your chimney checked by a professional at least once a year. This is cheap insurance against a potentially damaging chimney fire.