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When it’s cold outside, there’s nothing quite as cozy as curling up on the sofa with a good book in front of a roaring fire. A fireplace evokes the idea of a warm and pleasant atmosphere.
However, if it isn’t properly maintained, your living room could be filled with a cloud of soot, or worse, fire. A fireplace not only creates a snug setting, but most are actually functional and can help heat your home.
Harness their heat and generate the ambiance of a softly lit living space by following the tips below to ensure yours is properly maintained and working efficiently before the first cold spell hits.
Have your chimney cleaned out twice a year. The recommended number varies depending on how often you use your hearth. However, you should have it cleaned every fall to ensure it’s properly vented so that smoke has a way to escape.
Also, you’ll want to make sure that no animals have made their home there over the summer.
Make sure you close the damper when you’re not using the fireplace. You don’t want to make your furnace work overtime because warm air is sneaking up and out the chimney.
If your home doesn’t have a chimney cap, then have one installed. These help to prevent snow, leaves, animals and other debris from falling down the chimney. Caps also help keep downdrafts from gusting into your living area.
A fireplace isn’t the spot to burn your broken chair or ex-girlfriends photos. Painted wood, plastic and other treated wood surfaces can release chemicals into the air of your home. Worse, they can coat the interior walls of your fireplace, so you continue breathe them in for the next couple of fires.
If you don’t already have them, mount smoke alarms near your hearth and in every bedroom. Consider installing combined carbon monoxide and smoke detectors if you have a home with a gas-burning fireplace.
Don’t use your fireplace without taking the right precautions. Get it cleaned, and if it’s your first use, then be sure to get it inspected beforehand. Make the hearth in your home the heart of your home by following the tips above to ensure it’s up to snuff this fall.
For our last home tips post check out “Be Energy Efficient This Fall” and make sure the cold weather is not burning a hole in your pocket!
Do you have questions about home loans or obtaining a mortgage before you start the home shopping proces? Or are you simply ready to apply for a mortgage to buy a home? If so, Sammamish Mortgage can help. We are a local mortgage company from Bellevue, Washington, serving the entire state, as well as Oregon, Idaho, and Colorado. We offer many mortgage programs to buyers all over the Pacific Northwest and have been doing so since 1992. Contact us today with any questions you have about mortgages.
Whether you’re buying a home or ready to refinance, our professionals can help.
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No Obligation and transparency 24/7. Instantly compare live rates and costs from our network of lenders across the country. Real-time accurate rates and closing costs for a variety of loan programs custom to your specific situation.