Fireplace Accessory Ideas

Archive for the ‘Using Your Accessories’ Category

Draft inducers are designed to increase circulation in your fireplace and chimney.

Fireplaces and wood-burning stoves are wonderful, however they also require some maintenance. Checking for leaks should be part of your annual pre-season maintenance. If you keep your chimney clean and still find that your fireplace or stove is leaking even the smallest amount of smoke into a room, not only is this annoying, but it can also be dangerous. When smoke is leaked out, CO also escapes with the smoke.

There are several reasons why stove draft problems occur. One reason is a poorly designed chimney system, which can be remedy by installing a special fan, called draft inducers that help improve the draw of the chimney. Draft inducers are also good if your build a fire, which is too large for the exhaust system.

Draft inducers are designed to increase circulation in your fireplace and chimney. They are installed in your stovepipe to create a negative pressure in your fireplace or stove that will increase the airflow up through the chimney. This increased airflow prevents smoke from leaking out through seams or cracks in the stove.

Because draft inducers create such an excellent draft, they also help circulate move oxygen into the stove, thus thy help the fire to start. You don’t have to worry about the draft inducers being damaged by the increased temperatures inside of your stove because they are specially designed to resist heat.

Circulating fans are inexpensive to purchase and run, plus they do a fantastic job of moving the heat throughout your home.

Maintaining a constant temperature throughout your house can be a difficult task, especially if you have an older home and a single large fireplace or stove. In many cases, the warmth from the fireplace or stove doesn’t reach all of the rooms. One fantastic way to move air, warm or cool around your home is with the use of circulating fans. Circulating fans are inexpensive to purchase and run, plus they do a fantastic job of moving the heat throughout your home.

Circulating fans are available in many different varieties, with the most common being the room-to-room fan. This fan forces air directly from one room into another room and are especially useful if you have a two-story home. Room-to-room fans can force warm air from downstairs into the upstairs rooms directly overhead, or
they can be used to help circulate warm air through several rooms on the same floor.

Another type of circulating fans, are Duct fans. These are wonderful addition especially if you have any heating ducts, which don’t particularly work well. Duct fans are installed directly into the heating ducts to move through the ducts better. Duct fans are useful in improving the overall temperature throughout the house, saving you money in the long run because you are keeping your thermostat at a constant temperature.

If you have a single wood or gas fire stove, stovetop fans are a wonderful solution for circulating the heat from your stove. Several models generate their own electricity by using the heat from the stove. Stovetop fans circulate the heat from the stove throughout the room, eliminating any hot and cold spots in the room.

The most vital step in fireplace maintenance is keeping the chimney and fireplace clean.

Many people see fireplaces as just another thing which will require constant maintenance. In fact, to keep a fireplace in good condition doesn’t require much time, and isn’t expensive. When you compare the money you save on heating bills when you regularly use your fireplace, you’ll realize its cost-effectiveness.

The most vital step in fireplace maintenance is keeping the chimney and fireplace clean. Chimneys should be cleaned at least once a year, which should be handled by a professional chimney sweep. However, if you have the correct tools, you can clean your chimney yourself. You can find numerous fireplace accessories and tools online to help keep your fireplace clean. When purchasing a quality set of fireplace tools, ensure that the set contains a small shovel and brush so that you can scoop the ashes from your fireplace. Many people place their ashes in a paper bag for disposal, before doing so, ensure that the ashes are cold before placing them in the paper bag to avoid catching the bag on fire. Because of the threat of fire, I prefer using a metal ash bucket, or coal carrier.

Creosote Remover

In order to maintain a safe environment, you have to keep your fireplace clean. Clogged and blocked flues and chimneys can lead to smoke and CO backing up into your home. This can be more than just an annoyance it can also be a health issue. In addition, soot and creosote deposits can build up inside your chimney that can lead to chimney fires, which are extremely difficult to extinguish and can cause permanent damage to your home.

Creosote is a yellowish to black oil, which is deposited on the walls of your chimney as a byproduct of normal wood burning. When creosote is highly flammable and can burn at temperatures as high as 3,000° F. If a creosote fire ignites inside your chimney, you have to call the fire department immediately. You will not be able to extinguish the fire yourself.

Creosote deposits build up over a period of time so using your fireplace a couple of times will not cause enough of a deposit to put you in danger. However, after a whole season of use, it’s strongly suggested to have your chimney professionally cleaned. Between cleanings, you can purchase bottles of creosote remover, which will help remove creosote deposits from inside the fireplace itself. Creosote is an extremely sticky substance that requires a special cleaner to remove it.

Chimney sweeps generally only clean your chimney therefore by having some creosote remover on hand will be useful in keeping your fireplace system clean. Creosote will also build up on other things such as the glass doors inside your fireplace and andirons. With a bottle of creosote remover, you can quickly and easily clean
these items.

Instead of putting your logs directly on the floor or next to the hearth, wouldn’t it be nice to place the logs in an attractive wood basket, preventing debris and bark from littering your floor.

For all of us who have a fireplace in our homes or have family members with fireplaces, know the problem of storing logs for the fireplace. Many of us keep our wood stored outside, and bring in a few logs every day or so to replace what we’ve use. The logs we bring in are usually stored next to the fireplace. Instead of putting your logs directly on the floor or next to the hearth, wouldn’t it be nice to place the logs in an attractive wood basket, preventing debris and bark from littering your floor.

The many types of wood baskets:

There are countless types of wood baskets, which are normally crafted from woven wood. However, if you want to store large logs its better to use a basket that’s made out of metal, which will be heavier and sturdier and last longer, than wooden baskets. Numerous quality fireplace dealer carry a complete line of metal wood
baskets, which will complement perfectly your living room décor, and fireplace design.

A traditional and very popular type of wood basket is a curved metal plate with a generous size handle on top. This type of wood basket is nice because it makes it simple to carry wood from the outside, and also prevents sawdust and debris from littering the area around your hearth. You can find the curved metal baskets in an assortment of different shades of brass, from antique to polished as well as wrought black iron.

If you desire a more elegant design, there are beautiful wrought-iron baskets with intricate hand-carved designs. You can also find basket, which will match your fireplace tool set, and accent to your fireplace area nicely. Keep in mind, however when you are looking for that right a wood basket that it has a very sturdy handle, to make those trips out into the cold a lot easier.

If your home has a fireplace, then you can purchase a special cast iron steamer, which when heated by the fire, fill the air with humidity.

For years, I dreading going to my aunt’s home in the wintertime. Her house was always so dry, my skin and lips would become so parched. Most of my aunt’s wood furniture was dried and cracked because for the dry air. This is a common problem for many people in the wintertime, when heating systems are constantly pumping warm dry air into rooms. Luckily, there are several things, which you can do to increase the humidity in your home, including spending extra money for an electric humidifier. Personally, I like saving money and electricity, so my favorite method is an old fashion cast iron steamer kettle.

If your home has a fireplace, then you can purchase a special cast iron steamer, which when heated by the fire, fill the air with humidity. Traditionally, these steamers have metal coil handles that can be hung from a hook above the fire. You simply fill the steamer with water, suspend it over the fire and almost immediately you’ll feel the difference in the air. Sometimes, I’ll place two cinnamon sticks in the water to scent the air.

If your home doesn’t have a fireplace, you can still use the cast iron steamer on your home stove, no matter if it is gas or electric. This is a bit more expensive than using a steamer in the fireplace; however, it is considerably less expensive than plugging in an electric humidifier.

However, if you intend to use your cast iron steamer, to boil drinking water, please read the label carefully. Some kettles are designed to be used only as steamers and will release too much iron, or other metal into the water. Check the label carefully before you make your purchase.

Why pop your popcorn in the microwave when you can make popcorn fun for the family by using a fireplace popper.

If you are lucky to have a fireplace in your home, then you know the many hours of enjoyment you have received from the light and warmth it provides. To help you enjoy your fireplace even more are numerous accessories available. Possible my favorite accessory is the fireplace popcorn popper.

I love popcorn and nothing is better on a cold winter night than the fun of popping it over a fire. Sure it’s easier and quicker to cook popcorn in the microwave or on the stove, but it’s not as much fun. If you’ve never attempted it, you’ll definitely need to get a special popcorn popper and give it a try.

Fireplace popcorn poppers are usually small, square, popping boxes attached to a long metal stick. You simple fill the box with the proper amount of un-popped kernels, being careful not to add too much, then extend the popping box over the fire, in a few minutes you’ll hear the rhythmic sound of the popping corn.

The popping box is designed with vent holes in the top, which permits heat and moisture to escape while you’re popping your corn—-you’ll always have perfectly crisp popcorn. When purchasing a popper you want one with a good wooden handle. This will keep you from burning your hand while holding the popper over the fire.

Fireplace screens are not only beautiful addition to any fireplace, but also provide added protection.

Fireplace screens are not only beautiful addition to any fireplace, but also provide added protection. They however, are not necessary, since you can pull closed the iron curtain, which is usually at the front of the fireplace. Fireplace screens are available it a wide variety from single screens, to multi-panel screens and very plain to intricately detailed.

Fireplace Screens for Safety

Fireplace screens are spark guards, which protect against stray sparks from popping onto carpet, curtains, furniture, or people. You can find fireplace screens in all shapes and sizes, ranging from molded wrought iron, antique brass, gold, silver, or bronze. You can even find fireplace screens made of glass or metal. You can find a fireplace screen in any style you are looking for, from very plain and simple to elaborate designs.
I inherited the fireplace screen that served proudly in my grandparents? home. It’s a very a plain screen, made from wrought iron. However, if you look closely you’ll see small pinwheels, which turn as the fire warms the room. A friend of mine works with stained glass. For his wife’s birthday, he painstakingly crafted a beautiful stained glass screen of irises. It’s beautiful to watch the flames dancing behind the image. You can find whatever you want in a fireplace screen to accent your fireplace, even if you hire someone to make it for you.