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How We Respond to Winter’s Wrath

If you live in Ohio, you know what it’s like to live in the winter! It gets cold, it gets snowy, and it gets icy! An Ohio winter isn’t forhouse in winter everyone, but if you’re one of the tough people that love nothing more than getting outside in the cold weather, then Ohio is the greatest place to be. We get through the winter in many different ways. Let’s look at a few ways we can respond to winter’s wrath!

There are basically two ways to get through an Ohio winter. You can embrace it or you can get through it. Let’s look at embracing it. If you’re one of those people that can’t wait to see the snow fall, that lives for cold temperatures so you can bundle up and go outside and play, then that’s exactly what you should do! Find a ski resort or hit some of Ohio’s cross country ski trails, then finish out your day by taking a hike to make sure your muscles stay warmed up. Or grab a sled or a tube and hit the hills. Whether it’s in your backyard or at a recreation center, there’s not much that makes you feel like a kid again like zooming down a hill, the cold wind in your face. Never mind the long trudge back up that hill, the thrill of speeding down makes it all worthwhile. Maybe you like ice fishing, sitting on the lake on a peaceful day, sipping on a cup of coffee while you wait for the fish to bite. No matter what the outdoor activity you prefer, as long as you are outdoors enjoying nature, it’s going to be a great day.

Maybe you aren’t as much of an embracer as an endurer. Well, winter is great for that, too. If when the weather gets cold, you snuggle in, then you know that nothing feels quite as good as looking out the window and seeing the snow fall, knowing that you are warm and safe in your house. Grab a book and enjoy a long read, turn on the tv and watch that movie you’ve been wanting to see, or do a marathon session of a series on Netflix. Maybe you can’t wait for the cold weather to hit so you have a reason to bake, using the oven to heat up your kitchen while filling the house with the sweet aroma of cookies or cake. Put the kids in their warm jammies and watch a kids’ movie on television. You’ll never feel as comfy and cozy as that feeling you get when you’re snug and warm inside while it’s cold outside.

Cuddle Up In Front of the Fireplace

No matter what type of person you are, embracer or endurer, there’s one thing everyone can agree on, and that’s that cuddling up in front of a beautiful, crackling fire is a great way to spend a winter’s evening. Now is the perfect time to enjoy your fireplace, but winter can also be very hard on a chimney and fireplace. The almost continual use can cause your chimney to become dirty, filled with soot and creosote, and that creosote, if it builds up too much, can catch a spark and cause a fire. Many chimney fires are undetected, which means there may be damage to your chimney liner. If your chimney liner is cracked or chipped, this means that the smoke isn’t able to make as smooth an exit out of your chimney and that your fire won’t burn as efficiently. It can also mean that dangerous gases that should be getting released through the chimney are instead leaking back into your home, causing illness for your family.

The outdoor elements can be very hard on your chimney, as well. Precipitation can get into the pores of the bricks and mortar that make up your chimney, and when the temperatures drop below freezing, that moisture freezes and expands, causing the pores to get bigger. As this happens, cracks can form. This also makes it difficult for smoke to leave your chimney in the manner in which it was intended. There’s another problem, as well. These cracks could also cause instability in the structure of your chimney.

Call Chim Cheroo Chimney Service Inc

If your chimney or fireplace is showing some negative effects from the harsh weather conditions that an Ohio winter can throw its way, then now is the perfect time to give Chim Cheroo Chimney Service a call. If we find your chimney or fireplace has been damaged, we can set you up on a repair schedule and start as soon as the weather allows. Our team of professional chimney servicemen are CSIA certified and highly qualified to take care of the problems discussed earlier in this article, but also any other problems that can happen when your chimney goes through a long, cold winter. Whether you have chimney problems or not, give us a call and let us come in and we’ll inspect and clean your chimney, look for any trouble spots, and get things fixed up so you have no worries going into the next burning season.

By Don Rhine on February 28th, 2020 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , , | Comments Off on How We Respond to Winter’s Wrath

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