According to chimney contractors, fireplaces not only provide you with a heat source, they also improve the look of your house. Are you looking to install a fireplace in your home? One of the fireplaces you should go for is a wooden fireplace.
Advantages of a wooden fireplace
There are plenty of benefits that come with installing a wooden fireplace in your home. Some of these advantages include:
Low energy costs: Wood is one of the most affordable fuel sources. This is because trees are easily available. The cost is even lower if you have your own trees.
When you take good care of the fireplace and the unit is highly energy efficient, you end up spending very little fuel thus saving yourself a lot of money in the long run.
You have energy independence: Unlike electric furnaces and other sources of heat that rely on a given company, when you install a wooden fireplace, you are in full control of your source of heat. As long as you have wood, you will be set and ready to go.
You preserve the environment: Wood is a renewable and sustainable resource. As long as you cut the trees and plant new ones, you will always have more trees to produce the heat you are looking for.
Wooden fireplace tips
When you are using the wooden unit you need to be cautious and consider a set of tips for you to keep the unit running properly. Some of the tips to consider include:
Have a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm in place. This is to notify you in the event the carbon monoxide levels rise above normal.
Keep the combustible materials such as drapes, carpets, and furniture as far away from the fireplace as much as possible. This is to keep them from burning. Do you have small children? Have a guard in front of the fireplace that will prevent the children and pets from reaching the fire.
The wood that you burn is of great importance. For ideal results, only burn seasoned wood. This is wood that has been cut and dried for at least six months. In addition to the wood burning with a lot of heat, it also doesn’t produce a lot of smoke thus you don’t have to keep on cleaning the chimney.
When choosing the best-seasoned wood to use in your chimney, always use hardwood. Avoid softwood as it burns with a lot of smoke. Go for hardwoods such as ash, maple, and oak. The wood is denser and heavier thus delivering more heat than lighter woods.
Chimney cleaning
One of the things you should do to keep your chimney in good shape is to clean it regularly. At least once a year, hire a certified chimney professional to inspect the fireplace. If the creosote levels are more 1/8 inch, you should think about cleaning the unit.
You should never ignore the amount of creosote in your chimney. You should note that the higher the creosote, the higher the risk of fire coming about in your chimney. High creosote levels also give your chimney a bad smell making your home uncomfortable to live in.
When it comes to cleaning of the fireplace, don’t hire just any person. Just like with the inspection, hire a certified professional to help you with the cleaning. Some people try to cut the costs by cleaning the fireplaces by themselves. Don’t do this.
While you will save some money by cleaning the unit by yourself, you stand to make plenty of mistakes. In addition to failing to clean the fireplace as properly as you are supposed to, you also risk damaging the unit during the cleaning. This is because you might not be having the right cleaning tools.
For ideal results, let certified chimney cleaning services Columbia MD providers handle the cleaning for you. While they will charge you some money, they will leave your chimney looking spectacular. They also will protect your chimney from damage as they have the necessary cleaning tools.
For you to hire the right contractor, take time to research and interview a few contractors. Only work with reputable and highly experienced professionals. While they will charge a little bit more, the extra cost will be worth it.
