Before you stack the s’mores and fire up that outdoor fire feature of yours … let’s make sure it’s a safe and clean one!  Houzz recently wrote up a great blog about keeping your indoor fireplace tended to in a tidy fashion.  That’s a hot topic as the climate cools in Texas, which got us to thinking … your outdoor fireplace or fire feature is just as important to keep clean and safe!

A clean fireplace is a safe fireplace. Not only does a clean fireplace look best, it also functions best. It’s tempting just to leave ashes and leftover wood in the fireplace between fires but it’s best to remove the chunks and sweep the ashes once the fire is completely extinguished and cooled. Having a set of tools specifically used for fireplaces will speed this process along. Now this may sound crazy, and you would be surprised at just how many people do this, but should NOT!  Never use a vacuum cleaner, even a shop vac, to clean ashes as embers can stay hot for days and can reignite inside your vacuum.

While most people can start a fire it is essential for the health of your fireplace to build the right kind of fire. Hardwoods are best for burning in your fireplace. They burn hotter, longer and cleaner. Learn to build efficient, clean burning fires. A fire that is inefficient is very smokey and makes the firebox and chimney dirty with flammable materials like soot and creosote.

Between professional inspections it is important for you to regularly monitor the condition of your outdoor fireplace. Soot and creosote can build up inside the firebox and chimney and can make the fireplace very unsafe. If you don’t know how to recognize these build ups ask you chimney sweep to show you what to look for. If you notice a build up of soot and creosote in your fireplace have it cleaned before you build a fire in it again.

We love our outdoor fireplaces and we know you do too. Make sure you maintain your fireplace in between uses to ensure a safe, cozy experience!