Tips To Clean Up Your Fireplace
Your fireplace increases the classy look of your house and adds an aesthetic value to the beauty of your house. But then you need to take proper care of your fireplace and clean it regularly to keep the beauty intact. As the name suggests, fire is on for most of the time, the inside linings and as well as some portion of the external part of the fireplace is subjected to the deposition of the carbon particles and black soot.
To clean up your fireplace, first of all rub the inside and outside wall of the fireplace with a scrubber to shed off the loose carbon particles. Scrub off gently as otherwise it may cause damage to the brick linings of the walls of your fireplace.
After you are done with the primary thing, take a soapy solution and clean off slowly with another clean scrubber. Once you are done cleaning all the carbon particles and soot from the walls of the fireplace, let it dry completely before you can again light up and use your fireplace.
The Way To Spend Less With Your Gas Fireplace
There are a few things that you will have to follow if you want to use your Gas Fireplace in an economic way. It is advised that you switch the pilot light off during the summer times. It will use up a lot more energy than it actually requires if you keep in on during the summer.
If you want to turn the light off, you will simply have to look for the valve handle. If you do not feel confident enough, there are many gas professionals who can help you out. You can also use the dimmers in order to regulate the fire level. In this way, you will be able to keep the use of the electricity in control and that will help you reduce your utility bills. By installing a fan for blowing the air inside the house, you will increase the effectively of the gas fireplace to a higher level.
How to Decorate a Fireplace Mantel for Christmas
The fireplace is always the focal point of your room. Decorate the mantel in such a way for Christmas that everyone has to notice it.
Few very simple steps can be followed to decorate your fireplace mantel uniquely.
The first and foremost thing that you need to do is clean up the fireplace mantel. The mantel needs to be wiped and cleaned before starting off with the decoration.
Next that you can do is, place the mirror in the center of the fireplace mantel.
Put framed artworks on Christmas themes or figured with decorations on the both sides of the mantel shelf.
You can give a warm, gentle and soft glow to your mantel along side of the same. You can choose variety of candles to make it look even more beautiful and it would give a warm touch in the winters as well. A touch of artificial greeneries will make it look unique and pretty.
Natural vs. electrical fireplace, which is a better choice?
Every home owner would like to have a fireplace at their home. If you don’t want a wood burning fireplace like old times, then there are modern alternatives that you might find suitable. You can either have a natural gas fireplace or an electrical fireplace. Each of them has their pros and cons and you need to decide which one suit you best.
A natural gas fireplace gives more warmth than an electrical fireplace because it produces an actual flame. A natural gas fireplace will also give you warmth when you have a power cut. The electrical one will not work at that time.
An electrical fireplace is easier to install as the natural gas fireplace needs to be connected to the gas line and it’s not an easy process. An electrical fireplace can also be carried when you move but a natural gas fireplace is a permanent fixture.
So, now you know the pros and cons of both the fireplaces. You can decide which one you want to go for.
How to keep your fireplace child-proof
Children love to explore their surroundings when they start crawling on their knees. What can be horrifying for the parent’s? It’s when the child is seen crawling towards the unprotected fireplace. To avoid such a situation to pop up, get the fireplace protected and inaccessible for the child.
The small objects like match-sticks, lighter, etc used to lit fire should be placed out of reach from the child. Fire tools like the tong, poker and brush should not be placed in a way that the child can reach to it and knock it over.
Fire guards are available of different qualities; chose the best one which stays cool and would not burn your child if he/she touches it. The hearth of the fireplace is not safe as the surface is hard and sharp. Keeping a gate would at the fire guard will protect the child from the fireplace. Fireplace is not good for a small child, whether it be burning or not, so keep them away.
Innovative outdoor fireplace designs
Fireplaces add to the design quotient of any house and when the fireplace is on the outside of the house it takes the design value a notch up. However, an outdoor fireplace needs to be planned well so as to make it look special and outstanding. An outdoor fireplace should not only be placed strategically but also be designed to match the outer décor of the house. A mismatched fireplace on the outside of the house would make the home’s design unplanned.
At places which receive excessive rain or snow, stone fireplaces are ideal as stone does not spoil. Stones are also a good choice because they come in a lot of natural varieties and a wide range of colours. This helps in achieving an innovative design. Apart from stone, metal or wood can also be used to design a fireplace; however the maintenance of these materials takes a great effort and time.
How to Build a Brick Outdoor Fireplace
It is always best to take professional help for building fireplace but if you have made up your mind to do it yourself then here is a quick guide about how to go about it.
The very first thing you need to do is to get a patch of unused land. Then, clear up the area and pick up a pen and paper. It would be necessary to draw a rough plan of the structure you want to build. However, make sure to note down the exact measurement of the structure you have in mind. This would help the brick supplier to estimate the amount of bricks you would require.
The next step is to tighten the loose soil and place bricks on it in a set of 3 since the front wall of the fireplace has to be left open. You can place two bricks instead of one if you wish to thicken the walls all the while applying thin coats of mortar between the bricks. Once you have got the desired height take a metal sheet and make a notch in it to allow the smoke to pass and now attach this metal sheet to the fireplace using thin layer of mortar to allow the smoke to pass through the chimney.
Fireplace Chimneys
With prices of heating the house constantly increasing it is a good idea to install a fireplace at your home. However, it is very important to choose the items well before purchasing them.
The chimney is very important in this respect. This is owing to the fact that the chimney is responsible for throwing the harmful and waste air outside the system. The chimney also helps protect the mantelpiece and its surrounding areas from getting damaged due to the intense heat produced by the fireplace.
There are several layers of the chimney. The innermost layer of the chimney is the flues. This is also the most important part of the chimney since it contains the necessary combustible components. In case of wood burning, creosote gets deposited in the flues. This leads to clogging and thus the smoke cannot pass. Therefore it is very important to take good care of the flues to avoid any inconvenience.
An Outdoor Fireplace Plan and Design
If you are done with your share of temporary outdoor fireplace then it is time to construct the real structure. Building an outdoor fireplace is a very good idea to beat the chill if you plan to have get-togethers in the open space beyond the confines of your home.
However, it is important to keep in mind that plan and design of the structure must be foolproof. You must plan the structure in such a manner that the smoke goes out without any obstruction, and the design should be one that reflects your personality.
In the recent times, chimeneas have become very popular. These are basically Mexican chimney pots which beautifully enhance the beauty of the area. The most contemporary designs include a single pot with just one outlet, which in turn is joined with a cluster of chimneys.
Expand Your Home with an Outdoor Fireplace
To beat the chilling winters an outdoor fireplace is a very good idea. Outdoor fireplaces can be of two types – temporary, and permanent
It is always safer to start of with the set-up of temporary outdoor fireplaces since you can get rid of them if you don’t like them. There are many varieties of temporary fireplaces available in the market. For example, you can try out the aluminum or copper ones that have cages in them to hold the wood.
Chimeneas are also very popular. They are typically made of clay and have a large front part which opens into a narrow pipe like structure which shoots upwards.
There are many who prefer to have permanent fireplaces instead of the temporary ones. They can choose from various outdoor fireplace materials such as cement, stone etc. Various shapes and designs are also available.