Five Ways To Extend The Life Of Your Wood Fireplace

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A wood fireplace is an asset in any home, providing warmth and comfort, and bringing people together. To make sure it’s always in perfect working order, a wood fireplace needs to be looked after carefully and regularly maintained. Here are five ways you can extend the life of your wood fireplace so that it serves you and your family well for many years to come.

Keep it clean

Creosote, an oily dark substance, is a by-product of burning wood. It sticks to the fireplace walls and the inside of the chimney. Over time it can build up and obstruct airflow through the chimney. Creosote is also highly flammable, making a build-up of the substance a serious fire hazard, so it is important to clean your fireplace regularly.

Clear the ashpan daily

If you allow ash to build up in the ashpan, you risk warping and damaging the grate so make sure to clear the ash pan after every fire you light.

Choose hardwoods

Because seasoned hardwoods like oak, maple, ash and birch produce less sap than softer woods, they will burn at a higher temperature for longer because they’re very dense. Other good hardwoods to look for include Ironbark, Box wood, Jarrah wood and Brown Peppermint wood

Soft woods, such as fir, cypress or cedar, burn very fast and produce a lot of smoke and soot, which will quickly block up your chimney. Pine wood will also emit a strong smell, which is quite overwhelming. If you must use these woods, to protect your chimney, only use logs that have been seasoned for at least two years

Clean the glass regularly

If you have a modern fireplace, it might have an air wash system that cleans the glass. But if your stove is older, you’ll need to clean the glass regularly. You can buy specialist cleaning fluids, or take the old-fashioned route and use newspaper soaked with malt vinegar.

Sweep the chimney

It’s a good idea to get your chimney swept once a year to clear away any build-up of creosote or soot. A dirty chimney can lead to a chimney fire, which can be very dangerous.

 Regular inspections

One of the best ways to increase the life-span of your wood-burning fireplace and reduce the risk of house fires is to get a professional to inspect it for any structural damage and obstructions in the flue. We’ll help keep your fireplace in great shape so you can enjoy it for years to come.

If you’d like to find out more about installing a Quadra-Fire fireplace in your home or office, find a distributor today!