Get your Fireplace Ready for the Holiday Season

If you have a fireplace in your home, the room that it is located in is most likely the room that you will be entertaining in. So even if you do not use the fireplace everyday as a heat source now would be a good time to examine the ins and outs so that your fireplace will be dazzling this Holiday Season.

Here is a list of 5 things you can do to give your fireplace a face lift this holiday season.

Free the Surround of Soot Build-up

No matter how often you burn in a fireplace soot will cling to the front surround. Soot residue does not wipe off easily with soap and water especially if you have a brick surround. So, to clean up your fireplace’s surround before guests start arriving this holiday season use Paint-N-Peel Fireplace Cleaner from ChimneyRx.

Paint-N-Peel is a simple product to use. It works just as its name suggests, you paint it on and peel it off once it is completely dry. This product is so effective and easy to use you’re going to be left wondering how you ever lived without it.

Change out your Fireplace grate

Is your fireplace grate starting to burn through and break apart? Make sure that your fireplace is ready to go and replace your grate in time for the arrival of guests this holiday season.

Eliminate the need of replacing your fireplace grate every year with the purchase of a Lifetime Fireplace Grate. Not only are they built to last longer than other fireplace grates on the market but the replacement cost is considerably more cost effective as well.

When it is time to replace a Lifetime Fireplace Grate the only cost to you will be the shipping fees of the new grate from the manufacturer to your home. This is quite a bit cheaper than out right buying a new less expensive grate that may have to be replaced before the burning season is over depending on how often you burn.

Replace Broken Firebricks in the Fire box

Not only does the outside of your fireplace need to be presentable but so does the inside of the firebox, especially if you are going to be lighting a fire in it this holiday season. Take the time to look at the fire brick lining the fire box walls. Look for cracks, chipping, or crumbling of the bricks. If you see any of this present those bricks should be replaced before burning in the firebox.

Replacing damaged firebricks are an easy and inexpensive fix that will keep your home safe. If a hot coal or ember was to get through a crack or the heat was to radiate too much through a crumbling brick you could run the risk of a potential fire.

Have a Tool set on your hearth

Now once you have a beautiful fire going in the fireplace and the room is warm and toasty the only thing to think about is how to keep your hearth area tidy and tend you fire at the same time. Having a set of fireplace tools readily available on your hearth is a perfect way.

Most fireplace tool sets will include all of the tools that you will need to maintain your fire and keeps things tidy this holiday season. Clean up any ash or debris that may fall to the hearth when adding wood with the broom and shovel. Move the logs around to make room for more wood with the tongs or poker.

Decorating for the Holiday Season

Now let’s not forget about dressing up the fireplace with some festive decorations this holiday season. No matter what holiday you celebrate there are festive decorations to make you fireplace the center of attention.

The most notable holiday involving a fireplace however would have to be Christmas. You always see stockings hung from a mantle in all of the traditional Christmas photos and many homeowners that have a fireplace will do the same.

The only precaution that I give is to make sure that none of the decorations come close to the firebox, even the ones that sit on the hearth. You do not want your beautiful holiday decorations being the reason a fire gets started outside of the firebox!