A real fire can bring so much to a home, providing ambiance and practical heating benefits, but it is important to maintain your fireplace and use it safely. There’s no better feeling than cosying up in front of the fire with a blanket and a glass of wine or hot chocolate, so make sure that you keep yours in tip top condition to ensure that you can enjoy it for many years to come in your Oxford home.
Mantel Maintenance
Although it’s easy to maintain the areas of your fireplace and chimney that you can see, it is tricky to ensure that every aspect of your woodburning stoves have had a thorough once over. Have your chimney, flue and stove professionally inspected annually to avoid any debris build up.
Seasoned Fuel
It’s important to use dried, seasoned wood as the burning fuel for your fire. Wet or damp wood releases more creosote as a byproduct of combustion, which is a flammable material that can accumulate in your chimney.
During Burning
When lighting your fire, only use a match or commercial light – never use a flammable liquid to get your fire burning quicker. Woodburning stoves shouldn’t be left unattended, and of course you should not burn any plastic materials as this releases chemicals that not only damage your stove and chimney, but also pollute the air. We believe you should burn green and clean!
Use Detectors
Make sure that your home has smoke and carbon monoxide detectors installed throughout so that you can have peace of mind over the safety of your family.
Ashes
When cleaning your woodburning stoves, ensure that they have fully cooled and remove all ash. It is advisable to leave the ashes to cool in a metal bucket for at least 24 hours before you then either add them to a compost heap or directly to your soil for a great source of nutritional Potash.
Woodburning Stoves in Oxford
If you are interesting in installing some woodburning stoves into your Oxford home or the surrounding areas then call Burning Inspirations to discuss your options on 01908 507027. If you’d like some more advice on fireplace maintenance, please get in touch!