Make Sure Your Chimney is Ready for the Holidays

The holidays are hectic! There are so many things to do that it can be hard to keep track of the normal things that keep the household running. When you’re planning your meals, travel, and shopping this season, make sure you don’t forget your chimney.

Your Backdrop for Festivities

The fireplace and chimney are a popular backdrop for family photos and entertaining. You want your chimney to be decorated SAFELY. In addition, you want your fireplace to be clean, safe, and efficient. This is also our goal at Black Moose Chimney and Stove. Check out these five tips from our chimney experts to make sure your chimney is ready for the holidays.

  1.  Schedule a Chimney Sweep
    The holiday season is a good time to schedule a chimney sweep to insure the highest level of safety and efficiency. A chimney sweep will also make sure your fireplace, firebox, and hearth are clean for those family photos. Your Black Moose chimney expert will also provide a report of the process, make recommendations if needed, and leave your home just as he found it–decorations and all.
  2.  Decorate Your Chimney and Mantel Safely
    Be sure that your chimney masonry is safe for decorations. Many homeowners like to hang pictures or wreaths on the chimney above the mantel. A certified chimney sweep can tell you if you can safely decorate your chimney and how.
  3.  Talk to a Professional About Preventative Maintenance
    To avoid issues with your chimney during the busy holiday season, you can get a head start by scheduling preventative services now. Black Moose Chimney and Stove offers services including waterproofing and chimney cap installation. Don’t let New Hampshire’s white Christmas become a problem for your chimney! Snow and moisture in the chimney not only causes nasty odors, but can also damage the masonry itself.
  4.  Schedule a Chimney Inspection
    If you haven’t yet had your chimney inspected, now is the time. This is a preventative maintenance that prevents countless flue fires each year. By catching issues with your chimney and masonry early, you can repair or replace needed parts – before your holiday is ruined by damage, costs, and possible injury.
  5.  Keep Your Christmas Tree Away
    Avoid a chimney fire by keeping your Christmas tree away from the fireplace opening. By placing it several feet away or across a room, you can prevent it from touching the fireplace, even if it tips over. You should also never put pieces of the tree into the fire. The dry, brittle branches and needles of the Christmas tree can burn too quickly and rise up the chimney still burning. This can ignite the creosote in the chimney. The risk of creosote ignition is lowered when you remember to have your chimney swept.

Our Customers Safety is Priority Number One

At Black Moose Chimney and Stove we want all of our New Hampshire customers to have a safe and warm holiday season, and this starts with the chimney. Just as the fireplace is the focal point of so many holiday traditions and festivities, the chimney is at the heart of fire safety. Make sure your chimney is ready by scheduling a chimney sweep or inspection with a Black Moose chimney expert today.

Call 603.525.7905 or schedule an appointment online.