There is nothing quite as cosy as having a fire burning in your home on a cold winter’s day or night. The sound of the crackling flames and the warmth of the room makes it a serene and comfortable experience.
When you want to create a house that you can’t wait to come home to, then a fireplace is the place to start.
Now, when you add a live fire to your home, you can imagine the safety concerns that come with it. If you aren’t careful it could be the fireplace that creates a dangerous situation that can affect your family’s safety.
With the right knowledge you can safely have a fireplace and enjoy all the benefits. Read on for some tips on keeping your home safe even with a fireplace.
1 – Make it ethanol
Though an ethanol fireplace is not 100% safe, it is far safer than having a wood burning fireplace. They don’t even need to be vented so you can put one anywhere you like and there are no chimneys that need to be maintained.
One of the most dangerous things about a fireplace is the fact that chimneys collect soot. And when the soot builds up it can be highly combustible. Taking that out of the equation goes a long way towards a safe environment when you have an ethanol fireplace.
If you do plan to use one, then make sure there is plenty of open space in the room you choose. Only use the fuel that the fireplace is supposed to use. If it is ethanol then always use ethanol. Lastly, make sure to have a good carbon monoxide detector in case there is a fault somewhere.
You can take a look at SoothingCompany.com to get some ideas on the perfect ethanol fireplace.
2 – Create a fireproof area
The heat from a fireplace is quite intense as you get up close to it. So imagine the heat the wall is exposed to behind the fireplace if you have a pellet fireplace of a pot belly stove.
You’ll need a fireproof backsplash to keep the wall from overheating and possibly combusting. Luckily there are some stylish backsplashes that will add to the style of your room.
The floor in front of a traditional recessed fireplace also needs to be fireproof. Embers can fly out of the fireplace and land on the floor. This can easily start a fire if you have wood floors. Put down some slate and you won’t have to worry about it.
3 – Keep flammable objects away
All of your kindling and paper used to start the fire need to be stored far away from the heat source. Not only because of flying embers, but also just the heat generated around the fireplace can create conditions that end up lighting those things on fire.
Make sure the entire area is clear of anything that will melt or is in any way sensitive to heat.