Get Your Fireplace Ready for the Holiday Season!

The holidays are quickly approaching! Having a golden, crackling fire blazing in the hearth is a holiday tradition in many homes. The warm glow sets the mood for a joyful holiday celebration. Amid preparing for Thanksgiving and shopping for Christmas or Hanukka, many people forget to prep their fireplace or wait until the last minute to schedule a chimney cleaning. Sparing a few minutes now to get your fireplace ready for the holidays can ensure your festivities are jolly and bright.

December is a peak month for house fires. You can reduce the risk of a fire in your home by getting your fireplace ready before using it this season.

How to Prep Your Fireplace for the Holidays

#1. Schedule a Chimney Sweep

If your chimney hasn’t been professionally cleaned this year, schedule an appointment soon! Both the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) and the National Fire Protection Association recommend an annual chimney cleaning and inspection for residents with a fireplace. A professional chimney sweep will clear out flammable creosote buildup, remove obstructions (like leaves and twigs), and check for signs of damage or deterioration. Their cleaning and inspection could save your life!

Every year, thousands of Americans suffer from house fires and carbon monoxide poisoning due to dirty, blocked, and damaged chimneys. Booking a professional chimney cleaning is the most critical step you can take to avoid these risks.

This is the busiest season for chimney sweeps. To secure an appointment before the holidays, contact a certified chimney sweep ASAP!

#2. Test Your Fire Detector & Carbon Monoxide Detector

Every home with a fireplace should have a fire detector and a carbon monoxide detector nearby. Before you light up your fireplace this year, make sure that the batteries work.

Ensuring your carbon monoxide detector is working is especially important. Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas that is tasteless, odorless, and colorless. Breathing in too much can cause permanent brain damage, heart damage, life-threatening cardiac complications, miscarriage, and, in extreme cases, death. If your carbon monoxide detector isn’t working, you could breathe in dangerous amounts without realizing it. Taking one minute to put new batteries in your carbon monoxide detector could save your life!

#3. Keep Holiday Decorations Away from the Fire

The fireplace mantel is a popular place to hang garland, stockings, and other holiday décor. If you use your fireplace, your holiday decorations could become a fire hazard. Even decorations that aren’t close enough to catch flame could melt or become singed by the heat.

The National Fire Protection Association recommends keeping all holiday decorations (including your Christmas tree), 3-feet away from the fireplace. You can safely decorate the top of the mantel. Just make sure the decorations don’t hang over the side. If you want to hang stockings on your mantel, take a minute to remove them any time you light up the fireplace.

The weeks between Halloween and New Year’s fly by quickly. Following these three tips will reduce your risk of a holiday tragedy. Setting up a chimney cleaning appointment with a professional chimney sweep can take one thing off your plate. We will do all the dirty work to get your fireplace and chimney clean for the holidays.

Book your chimney cleaning appointment with Hudson Valley Chimney now! Our calendar is filling up fast!