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Safety Tips for Your Fireplace or Wood Stove

logs burning in a fireplace

For the safety of you and your home, you should have your fireplace and chimney inspected once a year for any issues. You should also have your chimney swept as necessary. Between those inspections and cleanings, there are other things you can do to keep it looking and working its best.

All Fireplaces and Chimneys

There are safety precautions to take when it comes to having a fireplace and chimney in your home. Never leave a fire unattended. If by any chance it does start to spread outside of the fireplace, you could end up with your home burning as well. Always keep a fire extinguisher handy in your house just in case!

Keep the Area Clear

Keep the area around the fireplace clear of papers or other debris. This can attract sparks out of the fireplace and to places they don’t need to be. This also goes for decorations above and around the fireplace. Around the holidays, it’s tempting to hang garland and other flammable items around the area of the fireplace, and place plants and such in front of it as well. Just be cautious of what is around it and make sure it is far enough away that it won’t cause the fire to spread.

If your fireplace doesn’t have a glass door, use a mesh wire screen to help keep the sparks contained. Try not to ever have your fireplace or stove completely open with no barrier. You’ll still feel just as much heat from the fire if you have a screen, than if you left it open with nothing protecting it.

Building a Fire

Before building your fire, make sure the damper is open. That lets smoke release out of the chimney. When placing logs in the fireplace, put enough to make a fire that is the correct size for your fireplace. Burning too much wood can make too hot of a fire and damage your fireplace, or start to spill out of the fireplace.

What Not to Burn

Try to use seasoned wood that has been aged for about 6 months, to a year. Also, never burn wet, rotted, moldy, or diseased wood. This can give off gases that are harmful to you. Other items can release chemicals as well – such as wrapping paper, magazines, trash, boxes, and green wood (such as Christmas trees).

Masonry or Prefabricated Wood Burning Fireplaces

Masonry and prefabricated wood fireplaces can he different safety precautions. For masonry ones, remove ashes with a metal shovel and make sure to keep the ash in a metal container until it has cooled off. You can then use it as a fertilizer if you want! For prefabricated fireplaces, always read the manufacturer’s directions before starting your fire.

Having a fireplace can bring warmth and style to your home. Make sure you keep your house safe, as well as you and your family, while still enjoying everything a fireplace has to offer!

Contact Us

New England Hearth & Home can assist you with all of your fireplace needs! Contact us today at 781-562-0771 or fill out our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you!

 

 

 

 

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Fireplace Trends We’ll See in 2020

Fireplaces seem to go in and out of style – and fast. 2019 brought back fireplaces as a focal point in living rooms, dining rooms, as well as bedrooms. Lets see what 2020 is predicted to have in store for us.

Linear Interior

In 2020, big, linear and contemporary fireplaces will be installed in homes. Not even just contemporary-styled homes, but even just in regular ones as well. Linear fireplaces are a versatile style and can be placed anywhere in a home. These are becoming more versatile and are found in more homes rather than just newer ones.

Large Fireplaces

Gas fireplaces are expanding their size. A larger face area of the fireplace has a sense of elegance and prestige. In the past, fireplaces have has a more rectangle shape but are now becoming square. This makes a better area for the fire to be viewable to the room its in.

Flexibility of Fireplaces

Traditionally, fireplaces would require non-flammable materials to surround it such as brick, stone, or tile. Now there is technology that allows wood and wallpaper to surround it as well. It is also okay for TVs to be hung directly above without putting the TV at risk. 2020 will bring even more fireplace styles that stray from traditional.

Cornered Style

Open floor plans are becoming more and more common in new construction, as well as complete renovations. Adding a cornered fireplace can add a sense of division between parts of an open floor plan. It still leaves you with the open feeling, but differentiates parts of the room as a whole. A great way to add this style is by putting a textured design above the fireplace made of combustible materials.

Controlled Heat

Newer construction and renovation materials are made to be more insulated and energy-conscious than older ones. This results in not needing as much heat to keep a house warm. Having a fireplace with controllable heat options allows you to have it heat your home, but also not use too much energy. This is good if you want the fireplace to just have an aesthetically-pleasing look in whichever room it is in, without over-heating the area.

Smart Remotes for Your Fireplace

Gas fireplaces are a smart technology these days. They can be controlled by a remote, just like a TV. With this, you are able to maintain a certain temperature and save energy. It’s basically a portable thermostat. You can also set it to turn off at certain times, like at night if you want it on before bed.

Contact Us

New England Hearth & Home can take care of your fireplace needs. Contact us at 781-562-0771 or fill out our service request form on our website!

 

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Best Ways to Clean Fireplace Doors

Owning a wood burning fireplace in your home comes with responsibility to keep it looking good as new. It is a great luxury to have in your home, and can bring up the value of your home if you are choosing to sell. In order to keep your you fireplace a safe place to burn wood, you must take proper care of it. Cleaning and maintenance to your fireplace can keep you and your home safe, as well.

Cleaning Basics

First things first – make sure you take the fireplace doors off the fireplace before cleaning them! It can be a messy task. Lay them down flat on a towel or rag, since soot will get all over the place. You could also do this outside or in a garage to avoid getting your home dirty.

All-Natural Options

There are ways to clean your fireplace doors without chemicals and sprays. You can clean it by just using a newspaper or paper towel and ash. Wipe the glass with the ash in a circular motion to loosen the stuck-on soot. You can repeat this until all of the soot is gone. Afterwards, you can go over it one more time, but with glass cleaner to make sure you get it completely clean, if you want.

 Make Your Own Cleaner

You can make a homemade cleaner using vinegar and ammonia. This includes 1 cup of vinegar, 3 cups of warm water, and 1 tablespoon of ammonia. Put this all in a spray bottle, and spray the doors and let it sit for about 30 seconds before scrubbing it on the glass. You might have to do this 2-3 times to get all the soot off.

Commercial Cleaner

You can always use a store-bought cleaner to clean your fireplace doors. There is no shame in that! If you want a strong cleaner, a store-bought one is the best way to go. Just make sure the one you buy is suitable for a fireplace. Commercial cleaner is great to have handy in your home.

Professionally Cleaned

If you get your home professionally cleaned, they will most likely clean your fireplace doors. This can save you time and effort, and have your fireplace looking great!

No matter what way you choose, regularly cleaning your fireplace glass doors will make it easier on you. Less harsh scrubbing if you do it regularly. Take care of your fireplace so it is always looking its best! Contact New England Hearth & Home for all of your fireplace needs. Call us at 781-562-0771 or fill out our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Why You Should Choose a Pellet Stove

pellet stove

Pellet stoves are a great heating option that more and more homeowners are considering. While many people are interested in them, they also have plenty of questions and uncertainties. That’s what we’re here for! This is a basic guide to help you learn a little more about pellet stoves and to understand why they might be the right choice for you. 

What is a Pellet Stove? 

A pellet stove is a modern take on a wood-burning furnace. Instead of burning logs of wood, pellet stoves burn compressed wood pellets. Pellet stoves use sawdust and other wood waste that would otherwise end up sitting in a landfill, so they’re very environmentally friendly. 

The Benefits 

The benefits of a pellet stove seem to be endless! You’ll get to enjoy a lower carbon footprint thanks to their environmentally friendly design, little to no maintenance, and a great amount of heat produced. Once a pellet stove is installed and in use, the cost is typically even less than the average heating bill. Pellet stoves produce clean heat too, which means the air you’re breathing in isn’t filled with any harmful chemicals and the air put off outside won’t harm the ecosystem around you. 

How to Prepare for Your Pellet Stove

There are a few important things to note before bringing a pellet stove into your home. First, they’re very heavy. It’s a good idea to hire professionals to help install your pellet stove to avoid injury and ensure it’s installed properly. Secondly, you’ll need a fire-resistant surface to put the stove on since it burns at such a high temperature. Tile or stone are ideal surfaces to reduce the risk of a fire from your pellet stove. If the room that you’re installing your pellet stove doesn’t already have a ceiling fan, you’ll want to have one installed. A ceiling fan can help circulate the air from the ceiling down into the rest of the room. 

Stop by New England Hearth & Home in Canton

If you want to learn more about how a pellet stove could work in your home, give us a call or come in today! We recommend that you bring along pictures of the room that you plan to put the stove in so we can help map out the ventilation process. You can opt for an attached wired thermostat, or upgrade to a wireless one. The cold weather is just around the corner, so start your pellet stove journey today and enjoy clean heat all winter long!