Ideas For Your Fireplace This Summer

 Who says that you can't use your fireplace in the summer? There are many fun and creative alternative uses for your fireplace this summer. Make sure that your chimney is thoroughly cleaned before you try any of the following ideas...

You don’t have to find your copy of “Fahrenheit 451″ from high school - the fact is that all books can look great in a clean fireplace. Stack them in different directions to fill the entire space so that it looks like a colorful literary puzzle, or install some easy, temporary boards as a bookshelf. This will give you the opportunity to give your home furniture a complement and a conversation piece. If you’re wary of dirtying your books, the mantel is always a safer bet to incorporate some literature into your home design.

Read More At Grandhomefurnishing.com 

Chimney Safety 101

Many people are not using their chimneys this summer, and because of this, it is the perfect time to have your chimney maintained. Chimney maintenance is not only done to maximize the use of the chimney during colder months, but it is also done for many safety reasons. Below is an article on why your chimney should be maintained, but how it can be maintained as well.

 Your fireplace, the most low-tech piece of equipment in your house, may seem like a simple load-and-light operation, but ignoring annual maintenance can impair its performance, leading to heated air (and dollars) blowing out the chimney, harmful smoke inside, and possibly even a chimney fire.The average number of annual U.S. home fires caused by fireplace, chimney, and chimney connectors between 2003 and 2005 was 25,100, and the average costs for those fires was $126.1 million, based on the most recent statistics from the Chimney Safety Institute of America. That’s roughly $5,024 in damage per home. Annual chimney maintenance removes flammable creosote, the major cause of chimney fires, and identifies other performance problems.

Read more here.