3 Tips To Get A Roaring Fire To Watch From Your Armchair

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Remember childhood? Yes, it was a long time ago and you were too young to really appreciate it, but sometimes the memories come back in sights, sounds and smells that put you in a certain place you would like to go back to. Of course Dorothy was right, you can never really go back, but it is possible to recreate some of those childhood memories by just lighting a fire in your living room.

The smell of wood smoke on an autumn day is a cherished memory. Walking home from school, up the hill from the bus, after hours playing hard in the leaves, you smelt that tantalising whiff floating on the breeze. The warmth of a fire is secondary to the smell of the smoke and the homey feeling it brings.

As a kid, you had no notion of the hard work required to bring that fire to life. You may have watched the old man sit with his feet up – I’ve only just replaced my father’s armchair with a nice comfortable one from Sofa Sofa. You might also remember your mum setting and lighting the fire, but you probably had no clue that the chimney itself required some degree of maintenance prior to that initial lighting. Well you do now, so the fireplace has become dusty and full of cobwebs while you deny that a simple cleaning will have those childhood memories flowing. Get off the couch and start making memories for the next generation.

Professional Services

Yes this is the expensive way to go, but it also provides your wife with peace of mind that someone who knew what they were doing did the job the right way. If you’re not a handyman, it may be better to let the professionals handle it. They will make sure that your fireplace is ready to use and provide you with a guarantee that covers flue fires and damages. If a company does not give a guarantee, find someone else.

Do It Yourself

This is actually one project that is within the comfort zone of many DIYers. The tools needed to do the job can be found at most hardware or home improvement stores. In general, it is a flexible rod with a brush attached to one end with other rods that can be added to extend its length. You can both close the chimney opening in the house and get on the roof to clean the chimney, or, if you are worried about climbing onto the roof, clean the chimney from the inside. Brush the soot and debris from the chimney walls and make sure that there is some type of catchment arranged to gather the soot.

Chimney Cleaning Logs

The above methods are probably the best, but there are logs manufactured that are supposed to be able to remove the soot and creosote from chimney walls. The question is, do they work? They are supposed to work, but there are many different opinions regarding how effective they are. One thing is for sure, they are not a replacement for a thorough cleaning. It is better to save the money and actually clean the chimney well.