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Holiday Chimney and Fireplace Safety Tips

It’s the happiest time of year, that time when family and friends get together to spread the joy of the season. You get to buy, wrap,Proper chimney maintenance - Mansfield OH - Chim Cheroo and best of all, open presents, make cookies and candies and all your family’s favorites, clean and decorate to your heart’s content. For many people, this is the best time of year, but it can also be a time of stress. It can seem like there’s not enough time to get everything done or the perfect time to get everyone together. It’s important to find time to enjoy yourself and do things for yourself so that you can alleviate some of that stress and strain, and one way to do that is to delegate! Let someone else bring some of the goodies and let someone else host one of the parties! You’ll feel more relaxed and that will make it a happier holiday for everyone! One job that you should definitely let someone else handle is cleaning your fireplace and chimney. That’s a job that’s perfect for Chim Cheroo Chimney Service Inc to handle. The chimney sweeps at Chim Cheroo are Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified, which means that we have access to all the top training and education services in the industry. We take great pride in staying up to date and on top of all the latest techniques and technologies so that we can keep all the great people of Mansfield and North Central Ohio safe and comfortable during the holiday season and all winter long! But there are some other ways to keep your family safe as well.

Scope Out Your Room

Moving furniture around can be a cheap, easy way to make your home look fresh and new. But before you start moving things around too much, take a look at where you are positioning things in regards to your fireplace. Remember that the heat from your fire can cause combustibles to, well, combust. You don’t want to have anything that is easily ignitable too close to the fire. Also, even if you are very careful, sometimes sparks or embers can pop out of your fire, so you want to make sure that pillows, blankets and throws, magazines and books, or even rugs, furniture, or drapes aren’t too close to the fireplace. Kids like to play in front of the fireplace, but make sure that their toys don’t get too close, and make sure that all children are trained in what to do if a fire occurs. Have a working fire extinguisher and smoke detector in the room as well.Safety Tools

You should also have fire extinguishers in other rooms in your home. It is recommended that you have a fire extinguisher on every floor of the house, as well as in the kitchen and in the garage and shop area. Check your fire extinguisher every month or two to make sure that the pressure is at the proper level, that the nozzle isn’t obstructed, and that the pin and tamper seal is still intact. Every couple of years, it’s wise to have a professional check your fire extinguisher to make sure it is in good working condition.

Another important tool for fire safety is your smoke detector. You should have a smoke detector on every floor of your home as well. Having smoke detectors installed outside of bedroom doors can be life-saving, and you can purchase smoke detectors with lights so that an escape route is lit up. Check out the batteries on a monthly basis and make sure to change them every six months, whether you think they need to be changed or not.

Escape Routes

It is especially important that your family knows how to get out of the house in case there is a fire. Plan escape routes from every room of the home, and make sure every family member is aware of those routes. Practice these on a routine basis and plan unannounced practices until you know that every family member will be able to get away to safety in case of a home fire.

Have a Safe, Happy Holiday Season

At Chim Cheroo Chimney Service Inc, our employees are family-oriented. We have families of our own, so we know how important it is to keep those family members safe. We care about each and every member of our community, and that’s why we are so proud of the part we can play in keeping your family safe and healthy during the holidays and all year round. Fireplace and chimney safety is of the utmost importance to us, so give us a call soon and let us come in and inspect and clean your chimney. We’ll look for any areas that have the potential for harm, and we will also offer tips for keeping your family safe and sound in this most joyous of seasons. Give us a call today!

By Don Rhine on December 23rd, 2019 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , | Comments Off on Holiday Chimney and Fireplace Safety Tips

National Fire Prevention Week – October 8-14

When it comes to home ownership, one thing that all owners fear is a fire. A destructive fire can cause the loss of valued possessions, loss of pets, or, as the very worst case scenario, loss of life. It almost doesn’t bear thinking about. However, to not think about it is to not be prepared for such a devastating event. In this case, preparation is your best friend. That’s why October 8-14 is such an important week. It’s National Fire Prevention Week!

Tips to Prevent a House Fire

Although no one is completely safe from a house fire, there are things that you can do to help prevent it. What is the most important? Well, if you have any kind of fire burning appliance, having your chimney inspected and cleaned on a regular basis is vital! What’s just an important? Using a Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified chimney sweep, like the ones that work at Chim Cheroo Chimney Service. They have the knowledge and experience to make sure that the creosote level in your chimney is at a low level. In doing this, it helps ensure that no fire risk exists. They’ll also remove all obstructions that could catch a spark and cause a chimney fire. These include things like bird’s nests, dried twigs or leaves, or garbage that may have blown into your chimney.

There are other things that you can do to help prevent fire spreading if you have a fireplace. Some things are fairly obvious! Keep all flammable items like cushions, blankets, toys, books, and magazines away from the immediate area of the fireplace. Even still, there are other things that you can do. One of these is to make sure to clean out the ashes from your fires on a regular basis. Ash levels should be kept to a level of an inch or less. Additionally, using dryer firewood will cause a cleaner burn, and that means less creosote buildup in your chimney.

Make sure you have a working fire extinguisher next to your fireplace; fire extinguishers should also be kept on every level of your home, outside of bedrooms, and in the kitchen. Also, make sure that the batteries are good in your smoke and fire detectors. You can do this by checking them every month and changing them at least once a year.

Plan an Escape Route

Even if you do all these things, there’s no 100% guarantee that you can avoid a house fire. Therefore, make a plan for your family to follow in case there is a fire! This is so everyone is aware of escape routes from every room in the house. Practice getting out of the house if there were a fire on a regular basis. Most importantly, set a place to meet so that you can be sure that everyone is out of the house if there was an actual fire.

Plan to Set Your Mind at Ease

Set a goal to use National Fire Prevention Week as a date to make sure that your house is as safe as you can make it. You’ll rest easy knowing that your family will be kept safe if the worst happens. There’s nothing better than being prepared!

By Don Rhine on October 6th, 2017 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , | Comments Off on National Fire Prevention Week – October 8-14