Do You Know Your Fireplace Chimney?

If you have a fireplace chimney then it is important that you get to know your chimney and learn how to maintain it. There are several unique parts to any chimney and the more you know, the better equipped you will be at keeping it clean and safe. So keep reading to learn more about your fireplace chimney.

The main part of your chimney is the flue. This is simply the vertical shoot that allows smoke and debris to escape from your home. Each heating appliance in your home should have its own flue. A brick chimney can have more that one flue but a metal chimney will have a single flue.

One of the most important parts of your chimney is the chimney cap. This is basically a cover for the top of your chimney. Without this cap you would get rain, downdrafts, birds, squirrels and a host of other things coming down your chimney and possibly into your home.

The chimney crown is at the very top. This crown has a gentle slope that will help drain water away from your fireplace chimney. Chimney flashing is where the chimney rises above your roof. The flashing is also designed to keep water away from the chimney to prevent water damage.

A chimney damper is a metal plate or plates that are inside the flue of the fireplace chimney. A damper can be closed when you are not using the fireplace to help keep out drafts. Unfortunately, over the time the metal plates rust and do not maintain a good seal.

Every fireplace chimney should have a liner to protect the bricks and mortar. These liners can be constructed of stainless steel, aluminum, cast in place or terra cotta. A liner will make cleaning jobs easier and will improve the performance of your chimney.

A fireplace chimney should be checked once a year for cleanliness, deposits, and any damage. This is very important to keep it safe and functioning. If you need your fireplace cleaned and repaired, you should hire a professional to do it for you. Check with your neighbors or friends for recommendations. Look through the yellow pages for a professional.

A fireplace chimney is an important part of your fireplace. Keep it maintained and inspected and you will able to safely enjoy a crackling fire on those cold winter nights.

You can learn more about a Fireplace Chimney as well as much more information on all types of fireplaces and fireplace accessories at http://www.FireplacesA-Z.com

Where Can I Hang My Holiday Stockings Without A Chimney?

T'was the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring. Not even a mouse. The stockings were hung from the chimney with.....wait a minute....chimney?!??! What chimney? "I live in an apartment without a chimney. Where the heck do hang my stockings?"

If I had a nickel for every time that I have heard this question, I'd be loaded. As Apartmentites, many of us do not have chimneys to hang our stockings from with care over the holiday, so I have had to come up with different ideas over the years to substitute.

If you are looking for an alternative place to hang up your stockings, try some of these:

Entertainment Center- Tacking them around your entertainment center is a great idea if you have one. You can then put a continuous looping fireplace DVD on and sit around the "fire" with the stockings hanging. Just be careful not to hang the toes in the way of your view of the television.

A Window or your front Door- Santa always came in through the chimney, right? So with no chimney, how's he going to get in? Obviously...he's going to come in through a door or a window, so try hanging your stockings around your front door (on the inside of course) or your window as your substitute for the chimney. If you are tall, make sure to duck, so you avoid hitting your head on the stocking every time you walk through the door. If you hang it on your window, its a little way of letting everyone know that you are getting into the festive spirit!

Bathroom mirror- This is a little unconventional, but a really cool alternative to the chimney idea. Tack up your stockings around your bathroom mirror. They will be a fun reminder that it's the holiday season every morning when you're getting ready.

Wherever you hang your stockings, make sure that you don't hang them up too high because Santa's little helpers might have trouble reaching them.

If your shopping isn't finished, I'd suggest you getting it done soon. It can be a headache as it gets closer to Christmas!

Happy Holidays!

For more information on apartment living or to find an apartment, check out ApartmentHomeLiving.com

Jeff's just a regular guy with a funny goatee that really enjoys people and life. On top of that he is a bit of an expert on apartments, living in them, and getting the most out of the apartment living lifestyle.

As a Managing Partner of Apartment Home Living, Jeff wants to help you find the right apartment by getting to know you. Not only where you want to live & what you want to pay, but what you like. This way, we can help you find an apartment that fits your personality, not just your budget.

At AHL Apartmentites have a platform to share their own stories, get great info & tips on apartment living, read Jeff's entertaining blogs/stories, find Answers to a wide array of apartment related questions, and have a ton of fun sharing their love of apartment living with others. Don't forget to go and set up your own MyPlace page to really get the full Apartmentite experience!

How to Avoid Chimney Fires

A chimney is a stack of bricks and mortar so common sense dictates that it shouldn't
ever catch fire. However there are more than 25,000 chimney fires in the USA each
year. These fires happen because a fire produces soot which clings to the brickwork
and builds up in layers. These sooty layers of carbon can ignite and cause a major
house fire. The results can of course be tragic.

The simplest way to avoid a house fire is to clean your chimney. A sweep with
a proper chimney brush at least once a year is absolutely necessary.

There are other ways to help minimise carbon build up too. The first is to ensure
you only burn hardwoods rather than softwoods. These have too much oily tar in them
which easily sticks to the bricks and is less easily removable by brushing.

Secondly avoid wet wood. This lowers the temperature of your fire. The hotter
the fire, the more likely that sooty particulates will be whooshed straight up the
chimney and out into the air without being able to settle on the chimney interior.
Because a hot fireplace and flue is good for avoiding chimney fires, contractors
these days will often inset a new insulated flue when installing a woodstove to
keep the flue hot and thereby discourage carbon build up.

Finally you should never burn plastics or any man made materials other than those
expressly designed for use in a fireplace. If you keep these tips in mind you can
be assured of a safe fireplace for many years to come.

Find out more about

wood burning stoves and all about heating your home the natural way.