Winter in Colorado is right around the corner, and that means it’s soon going to be cold and snowy! Colorado is so beautiful, whether you live in the mountains or not. As the winter weather gets closer and the days get shorter and cooler, you know you’re going to be using your fireplace more and more often. There’s nothing quite as relaxing and comforting as cozying up in front of a crackling, snapping fire, so if you haven’t had your chimney cleaned and inspected yet, it’s time to get to it! Chimney Doctors of Colorado is ready to get you scheduled, give us a call at 303-838-3009. We’ll be there to do a complete inspection and cleaning as soon as we can get you on our calendar. But that’s not the only thing you can do to keep your family safe all winter long. It’s also important to know how to build a proper, safe fire!
Tips for Building a Safe Fire
Safety comes first when it comes it comes to building a fire in your fireplace. After you’ve had your chimney cleaned, make sure that the damper is open. The purpose of the damper is twofold first, to keep the warm air in your house when you’re not burning a fire, and second, to let the smoke out when you are burning a fire. So make sure that the damper is open all the way when you start your fire to make sure that there’s adequate airflow to get the fire going well and to get the smoke directed out of the house.
Although it’s a good idea to keep your hearth clean, you do want to keep an ash bed of around 1 or 2 inches in the box in order to insulate the fire. This will make your fire burn hotter. If it’s the first burn of the season, you might want to use ashes from the outdoor grill. You don’t have too many ashes, however, so it is a good idea to make sure to clean your fireplace from time to time. One or two inches is ideal.
There are several different methods of building a fire. One way is to use the log cabin method. Take two thin, barkless logs and place them parallel to the back of the fireplace around six inches apart. Using newspaper or small twigs as kindling, place a pile between the logs. Place two more logs perpendicular to the first two, making a log-cabin looking structure. You can add another layer if you’d like to, and then light the kindling.
Call Chimney Doctors of Colorado
Knowing how to lay a safe fire is very important, and it’s also important to make sure that your chimney is clean and clear of obstructions. That’s why it’s so important to call Chimney Doctors of Colorado and set up an appointment to have your chimney inspected and cleaned soon.