There’s no good time of year to have problems with your chimney and fireplace, but the busy holiday season might be the worst. Anderson’s Chimney Sweeps & Masonry Services of New Cumberland, PA, would like to share some helpful tips for holiday chimney and fireplace safety.

Clean the chimney

A chimney that’s full of built-up creosote and debris can lead to two big disasters.

A chimney fire

Creosote, which forms when smoke condenses in the chimney flue, causes the majority of reported chimney fires in Pennsylvania each year. Even an eighth of an inch of creosote buildup can ignite and start a devastating fire.

Be aware of the signs of a chimney fire:

• Strange tapping or clicking noises
• A rumbling sound
• Excess smoke leaving either end of your chimney

If you notice any of these signs, call 911 immediately and evacuate the home.

Smoke and carbon monoxide backups

A debris-packed chimney can send smoke and deadly carbon monoxide into your room. Smoke is bad, but the carbon monoxide in the smoke is a lot worse. Invisible and odorless, carbon monoxide can be fatal when inhaled.

Before the busy holiday season starts, schedule chimney sweeping service to remove creosote and debris.

Check your alarms

Make sure your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms are working. It’s a good practice to add fresh batteries once a year, whether the devices need them or not. The Christmas season is a good time to do this.

Schedule a chimney inspection

Annual chimney inspections have saved countless lives and homes. By having your chimney checked out by a professional technician, you’ll be able to learn of early signs of damage and malfunction and get them resolved quickly.

Schedule chimney and fireplace repairs

These signs tell you that repair work is needed:

• Cracks in the walls of the firebox
• Water dripping into the firebox
• A squeaky, hard-to-operate fireplace damper
• Smoke backing up into your room
• Damp sections or water stains on the walls or ceiling near the fireplace
• The sounds of small animals in your chimney
• Strong musty odors coming from the fireplace
• Crumbling or cracked chimney masonry
• White stains on the exterior chimney bricks

These are all signs that something is wrong and needs to be addressed before it becomes worse.

What not to burn in your fireplace

Fireplaces are designed to burn only real wood logs. Never burn the following:

• Gift wrapping paper
• Gift boxes
• Anything made of plastic or metal
• Treated wood or scrap wood
• Clothing, furnishings or other cloth materials

The right kind of firewood

The wood you burn in your fireplace should be dry. To create less smoke during a fire, use hardwoods like hickory, oak and maple. Softwoods contain a lot of resin and excess moisture and tend to be quite smoky. Avoid burning juniper, pine, redwood and other softwoods that will add to the creosote buildup in your flue.

Fireplace safety

Prevent accidents and serious problems with these fireplace safety tips:

• Add a fireplace safety screen
• Teach children not to play near the fireplace
• Never use lighter fluid or other accelerants to start a fire
• Don’t overload your fireplace with logs
• Keep flammable materials a safe distance from an active fireplace
• Make sure you have a working fire extinguisher in the vicinity of the fireplace

Holiday chimney service

Anderson’s is here to help with all your fireplace and chimney needs during the holidays and all year long. Call us first for chimney inspections, fireplace inspections, chimney sweeping and complete repair work for all types of fireplaces and chimneys.

Call one of our professionals today, or get in touch with our simple contact form.