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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

Preparing Your Fireplace System For Winter

Labor Day is over, and many people see this as the official last weekend of summer. Time to put the camper away, can fruits, freeze veggies, and clean the windows. It’s important to make sure your fireplace is ready for winter as well. This way you’ll be able to stay warm in front of a crackling fire, with no worries that something is not quite right. There are some important steps you can take to make sure that this happens.

Firewood

One of the important components of a fire is the wood you burn. There’s nothing quite so satisfying as knowing that you have a good store of cured firewood stacked and ready to go. If you’re lucky enough to have access to trees that need to be cut down, you’ll want to start this process early on. Why? In order to burn easily and cleanly, firewood needs to dry out for a period of at least six months. The wood you cut can easily have a 50% moisture content. So, if you want a fire that starts easily and burns without much smoke, you’ll want that moisture content to get down to at least 20%. If you didn’t get to this as early as you should have, you can buy dried firewood. Simply check your local home improvement store.

Inspect

You’ll also want to inspect some key components of your chimney system: the damper, the door’s gasket material, and, if it has one, the blower. Make sure that these systems are working properly and that the seals are tight. In addition, make sure that the blower is cleaned properly. If these parts aren’t working as they should, it will affect the quality of the fire!

Check

While you’re at it, check your smoke and fire detectors. Make sure the batteries are working! This is something that should be done on a monthly basis. However, sometimes during the busy times of summer, this can be overlooked. Start the fireplace season out right by making sure the batteries are working and change out any that need it.

Call in the Professionals

The most important thing that you can do to make sure that your fireplace is ready for winter? Call in the professionals! The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) recommends that this takes place annually; and that you hire a CSIA certified professional to make sure that the job is done right. Your chimney inspector will be looking for creosote buildup, for obstructions, and for general areas of disrepair or wear and tear. Although some of these things might be obvious even to the untrained eye, you’ll want to call in someone who has experience and training. Just like the chimney sweeps at Chim Cheroo Chimney Service!

By Don Rhine on September 6th, 2017 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , | Comments Off on Preparing Your Fireplace System For Winter