Quick Tips

Keep the Fireplace Safe

Think of the classic American home in the winter, and a few details pop into mind: a white picket fence, a welcome mat and a warm fireplace aglow.

In reality, the typical fireplace is far from a comfort zone. As it burns, even a modest-size fire sucks a lot of oxygen and heat out of your home. Then there's the safety factor. Burning logs release a flammable substance called creosote that can be extremely dangerous after building up on chimney walls.

Don't put out the fire just yet. You can take steps to make your hearth safe and inviting. Keep combustible materials at least three feet away from the firebox opening. Wood-burning fireplace chimneys should be swept once a year. Spread dropcloths in front of the fireplace, then extend long brushes on poles and a vacuum nozzle up the chimney to brush away the creosote. To be safe, shovel the ashes into a metal bucket in stead of paper bags or cardboard boxes so ashes won’t ignite. Or to find a qualified chimney sweep go to The Chimney Safety Institute of America at www.csia.org.

Of course, you could just take the radical approach. I recently installed a gas-log kit. One advantage is I no longer spend 20 minutes lighting a fire with unseasoned wood while smoke and soot belches into the house. An even bigger advantage is my wife, who rarely started the fire before, now switches on the fireplace all the time. Coming home on cold winter evenings, I won’t see that puff of smoke outside, but I am greeted by all the warmth and romance of a fire glowing within.

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