Preparing Your Home’s Fireplace for Fall

Indiana fall weather can sometimes be all over the board. At noon we’re in the mid-60s yet by the evening hours we’ve fallen to the 30s. It’s on these kinds of nights that you might be tempted to light a fire in your fireplace rather than turn on your furnace. However, before you do so for the first time this season, there are a few steps you need to take in preparing your fireplace for fall usage.

Replace batteries

The easiest thing to do inside your home is to replace batteries in all of your fireplace- related devices. These include:

• Smoke detectors
• Carbon monoxide detectors
• Remote controls for your gas-burning fireplace.

Do a little bit of house cleaning

Because your fireplace is not in use during the summer months, the area around it can easily get cluttered up. While we doubt you’ve put anything inside of your firebox, you should always have a clear area around your fireplace.

Do a little bit of outside cleanup

Likewise, preparing your fireplace for fall also includes outside cleanup work. Trees that have grown too close to your chimney, especially near the crown, should be trimmed back. These can also have the unintended side effect of damaging your chimney if a strong fall or winter gust of wind causes a large branch to break off.

Perform a visual inspection of your fireplace

We encourage our Chimney Solutions customers to, from time to time, take a few moments to inspect their fireplace system inside and out. Is your damper fully functional? Does it show signs of rust? Is there other evidence of water damage, such as stains along the brick or rust on the damper? Outside, is your chimney structurally sound? Do you see any cracks or gaps in the masonry? Can you see damage to your crown? Is your cap still intact and in place?

Prepare your fuel source

This step is divided into two categories, depending on whether you have a wood- burning fireplace or a gas-powered one.
If you have a wood-burning fireplace, be sure to only use dry, seasoned wood (preferably wood that you cut at least six months ago). Wood needs to dry out, lest it causes excessive smoke and creosote buildup within your flue. For gas-burning fireplaces, preparing your fireplace for fall means that you should inspect and clean the burners. Ensure that they are both rust and dust free and change the filter if necessary.

Preparing your fireplace for fall the right way: schedule an inspection

Some of these steps, such as the interior and exterior clean up (as well as replacing batteries in your various devices) are things you can easily take care of on your own. In addition, all fireplace owners should be well versed in how to take care of their fuel
source, whether seasoning their wood or cleaning their gas blower. The big step — a visual inspection — is often best handled by a CSIA-certified chimney technician. That’s where we come in. We’ll make certain that your chimney is structurally sound and clear of debris while preparing your fireplace for fall usage as a part of our service package.

Do you need to schedule your appointment? Then give the team at Chimney Solutions, LLC a call at 317-757-6979 or fill out our short website contact form.