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Fire-Proofing

Fire-proofing your home and landscaping is one of the best preventative safety measures for homeowners. Here are some tips. 

Fire is a wonderful thing, but it must be enjoyed safely. Outdoor fireplaces, and indoor stoves, inserts, and flames can add that perfect touch to a home, but without proper precaution they can cost money and even endanger your life. Luckily, fire-proofing is not that hard, but does require some thought. A little investment of time upfront can help you avoid fire-related issues, and keep your friends and family safe. 

Consider the following fire-proofing techniques and ideas in order to keep fire in it's place:

• Schedule a chimney inspection. Our chimney inspection services ensure that your chimney is in proper operating condition. The inspection will catch any issues, and allow us to help make fixes to preserve the safety of your chimney, fireplace, and home. 
• Only burn seasoned firewood. Seasoned firewood leaves the least amount of deposits (creosote) in your chimney, which reduces the chances of a chimney fire. 
• Only burn wood. Never burn non-wood materials in your chimney. In addition to toxic gases and cocktails of chemicals these can kick into the air, burning non-seasoned wood can rapidly coat the inside of your chimney with creosote and buildup. 
• Keep a fire extinguisher or water source nearby. In the event of an out-of-control fire, keep a fire extinguisher accessible.
• Keep fires a reasonable size. For both fires in your fireplace, and fires outside, keep the size reasonable. Sure, massive bonfires are fun, but these increase the chances of an issue. Large fires can quickly grow out of control, and are challenging to put out quickly, if required. 
• Install a caps. Chimney caps are useful in that they keep foreign objects out of your chimney. But they can also help keep sparks from escaping and igniting nearby vegetation and tinder. Consider a high quality chimney cap to minimize the risks associated with sparks. 
• Store wood away from your home. Wood, and other flammable materials (include chemicals and paint) should be stored well away from your home, and other structures. Yes, having a giant wood pile under your deck adjacent to your home is convenient - but if this catches fire, it could burn your entire home down. Stack wood well away from your house to  minimize this risk. 
• Clean your yard. In addition to making your yard look better, clean yards are less likely to contain fuel that can catch fire. Every month, or during a routine gardening or landscaping sweep, clean excess twigs, branches, and fuel off the ground. This is especially important for outdoor fires, and can save hassles. Plus, it makes your yard look nice!
• Keep trees and branches away from your chimney, and outside fires. They could ignite, and create a big problem - really fast.