Lots of people have fireplaces in their homes, but keeping them clean and smoke free takes some maintenance and effort on the part of the homeowner. The fireplace will not maintain itself, even though there are some fireplace cleaning logs on the market these days. These will not completely replace a professional cleaning, though, so you should have one of these done at least every year or two.
You should also have the proper tools stored next to your fireplace and these are available in many different materials and types. Cast iron is a good and durable material, but fireplace tools are also available in brass, pewter, nickel, and etcetera. There is a large selection on the market and you will surely be able to find what you are looking for.
A fireplace blower can help build up the fire and add more heat to it. You have probably seen one of these before and it can be a real help when first starting to build a fire.
Fireplace tongs can be used to move around logs that are obviously too hot to pick up with your hands and this is necessary, since the logs will not always be exactly where you need them to be to get the most heat and longevity out of the fire.
A fireplace poker can be used to stir around coals and spread them so that the heat is more evenly distributed. This helps larger logs catch on fire faster than they normally would.
A shovel is used to clean out the ashes that are left after a fire is out and a small broom is necessary to keep the area immediately outside the fireplace cleaned up.
If you are having problems building a fire that does not spill smoke back into the room, you need to make sure that nothing is blocking the chimney on top of the house. Leaves, bird nests, and sticks can clog it up during the spring, summer, and fall and make it completely unusable.
Using the correct wood is also important; logs that are freshly cut and have a lot of moisture still in them will smoke instead of catch fire. Use logs that are dried out and try to store them in a place where they will not get wet.
Start the fire slowly by building it up with paper and small sticks at first to get the chimney warm. Warming up the chimney is important so that the air inside it becomes warm instead of cold. Cold air pushes the warm air and smoke down and back into the house.
Showing posts with label home fire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home fire. Show all posts
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Tips On Preventing Wildfire Damage
While a house fire may be one of the most preventable disasters to happen to a home, a wildfire can be one of the least preventable on a small scale. Prevention of wildfires requires that a large number of people do what they can to make sure that the wildfires that do start are not manmade, but this awareness is only just now starting to catch on. When the fire is creeping toward your home, you are not likely to care what caused it, only what you can do to slow it down and in fact, there are a few different things that you can do to minimize the damage.
You may enjoy living in a more rural area, but you are at a disadvantage when it comes to wildfires because this is where they begin. One of the bad things about living in a rural area is that fire departments are not as prevalent, so the response to your home may not be as quick as you need it to be.
If you are contemplating having a home built for you, have it made of fire-resistant materials. Houses with an exterior made of brick, stone, or even metal will resist catching on fire much more than those that have exteriors made of wood or vinyl siding.
The most important exterior surface of your home is the roof. This is the largest surface area on the exterior of your home and it should be made of fire-resistant materials instead of the traditional wooden or oil-based shingles. Everyone knows that oil catches on fire very easily, so if you live in an area that is prone to wildfires, you may want to have another roofing material put on your home. Something else to do with your roof if a wildfire is nearby is to wet it down with the garden hose. This will give a little extra protection against the firebrands that are being carried in the air by the wind. Wetting the exterior walls of the house and wood decks is also a very good idea.
Do not allow any dead vegetation to build up in the yard. This includes grass cuttings, sticks, dead plants, and leaves. If a wildfire starts before you have a chance to get these dead organic materials cleaned up, all you can do is soak them and the rest of the yard with water via the hose and hope for the best.
Trees should also not be located close to the house, especially if the branches hang over the roof.
You may enjoy living in a more rural area, but you are at a disadvantage when it comes to wildfires because this is where they begin. One of the bad things about living in a rural area is that fire departments are not as prevalent, so the response to your home may not be as quick as you need it to be.
If you are contemplating having a home built for you, have it made of fire-resistant materials. Houses with an exterior made of brick, stone, or even metal will resist catching on fire much more than those that have exteriors made of wood or vinyl siding.
The most important exterior surface of your home is the roof. This is the largest surface area on the exterior of your home and it should be made of fire-resistant materials instead of the traditional wooden or oil-based shingles. Everyone knows that oil catches on fire very easily, so if you live in an area that is prone to wildfires, you may want to have another roofing material put on your home. Something else to do with your roof if a wildfire is nearby is to wet it down with the garden hose. This will give a little extra protection against the firebrands that are being carried in the air by the wind. Wetting the exterior walls of the house and wood decks is also a very good idea.
Do not allow any dead vegetation to build up in the yard. This includes grass cuttings, sticks, dead plants, and leaves. If a wildfire starts before you have a chance to get these dead organic materials cleaned up, all you can do is soak them and the rest of the yard with water via the hose and hope for the best.
Trees should also not be located close to the house, especially if the branches hang over the roof.
Causes of Fires in the Kitchen
You might not know this information, but a large quantity of the apartment fires that occur are caused by bad cooking preferences. Research emphasizes that around 400,000 fires every year are caused by them and there are a few different steps you can take to stop this from occurring while you are preparing dinner.
The first thing you should think about is what to put on while you are cooking. Wearing clothes that do not fit tightly could catch on fire sooner than one could blink. You should attempt to steer clear of placing necessary things over the stove like flour and other things one could require while cooking. The last thing you want to do is reach over a stove burner or any hot surface for anything.
Any oil or grease that you need to heat before you start needs to be worked at slowly and you need never allow it to be neglected. It is a bad idea to permit oneself to be distracted with other household tasks or with the telephone, due to the fact that that can distract you from the most important thing which ought to be dealt with: the oil.
If you do have an oil fire within a kitchen, you have a few means to extinguish it. You may smother it by covering it with a pan lid if it is still in the pan. One thing you can use is baking soda to get rid of tiny flames that might start under stove burners caused by oil.
kids should also not be allowed to play around the kitchen oven or other electric appliances.
One thing that you should remember is that if you do not know whether you could combat the fire that has started, contact the authorities!
The first thing you should think about is what to put on while you are cooking. Wearing clothes that do not fit tightly could catch on fire sooner than one could blink. You should attempt to steer clear of placing necessary things over the stove like flour and other things one could require while cooking. The last thing you want to do is reach over a stove burner or any hot surface for anything.
Any oil or grease that you need to heat before you start needs to be worked at slowly and you need never allow it to be neglected. It is a bad idea to permit oneself to be distracted with other household tasks or with the telephone, due to the fact that that can distract you from the most important thing which ought to be dealt with: the oil.
If you do have an oil fire within a kitchen, you have a few means to extinguish it. You may smother it by covering it with a pan lid if it is still in the pan. One thing you can use is baking soda to get rid of tiny flames that might start under stove burners caused by oil.
kids should also not be allowed to play around the kitchen oven or other electric appliances.
One thing that you should remember is that if you do not know whether you could combat the fire that has started, contact the authorities!
Fires Caused By Electric Appliances
The last thing that any person who has a home wants to experience would be a fire in the house, but the fact is that these occur a lot more often than some individuals may think and it is typically due to carelessness in the house with heat and electricity. There happen to be a number of appliances inside your household that are dangerous and have to have special attention, however many individuals usually pay no mind to some of the warnings and care suggestions that go with these appliances and they do not look over them at all.
A dangerous, yet useful items that you can have within your house is a space heater. They are useful if you cannot afford to have gas heat or the extra cost on the electric bill to heat the house when it is cold, but when used incorrectly or in an inappropriate area of the home, they could start fires extremely quickly. You should always pay close attention while having electric heaters within the house and if possible, you must not use these within houses with toddlers because of the risk of injury.
Electric heaters ought not be used on carpet or on rugs unless the heated part is somewhere around half a foot away from the floor.
Space heaters should not be plugged up during the night unless it is too cold. Make use of these just when there is someone around to watch them. A large number of fires happen after dark and when people are away from home, so making sure these are off and unplugging them when you are out of the house could be a good thing to consider.
Fires are also created electric blankets. Too many have woken up at night with their bed in flames because they let the blanket stay on while they were sleeping and leaving them on might be a bad thing to do because of very reason. Try to store these in places where they have no chance of being soaked, as well, such as the top part of the closet.
A dangerous, yet useful items that you can have within your house is a space heater. They are useful if you cannot afford to have gas heat or the extra cost on the electric bill to heat the house when it is cold, but when used incorrectly or in an inappropriate area of the home, they could start fires extremely quickly. You should always pay close attention while having electric heaters within the house and if possible, you must not use these within houses with toddlers because of the risk of injury.
Electric heaters ought not be used on carpet or on rugs unless the heated part is somewhere around half a foot away from the floor.
Space heaters should not be plugged up during the night unless it is too cold. Make use of these just when there is someone around to watch them. A large number of fires happen after dark and when people are away from home, so making sure these are off and unplugging them when you are out of the house could be a good thing to consider.
Fires are also created electric blankets. Too many have woken up at night with their bed in flames because they let the blanket stay on while they were sleeping and leaving them on might be a bad thing to do because of very reason. Try to store these in places where they have no chance of being soaked, as well, such as the top part of the closet.
Fire Safety For Home Buyers
purchasing a house if you have not done it before is generally very intimidating, but the notion of losing the house to a fire is quite a bit more frightening. For for a person who is buying a house for the first time, a critical things that you need to educate yourself about is fire safety. Your house is usually the most important purchase you will make and protecting it should be a task that is most important constantly. There are lots of varied items within your house that can catalyze a fire and most of these are able to be avoided.
An unfortunate fact is that most house fires begin within the kitchen and since household chefs just do not concentrate on the task at hand. Becoming preoccupied with other chores or things inside the home, like the computer or friends, is a very bad thing for you to do when you start cooking dinner. When the phone rings, be certain you have it near by and that it stays with you always. You should never depart the house when you are preparing food unless a friend can stay there to watch the stove while you are out of the house.
Oil fires are very normal within the kitchen, even though most of these are small and effortlessly put out. Most of these are not reported because of this, concealing precisely how ordinary they truly may be. Get ready for a grease fire by warming it gradually, having a lid to smother the fire, and a tin of baking soda in case it begins underneath the burner. They start under stove burners many times due to the fact that they have grease beneath them and have not been cleaned out like they ought to be. with baking soda, but you need to have a fire extinguisher close by in case the fire gets out of control.
You need to be careful when you are using deep fryers and electric skillets. Even though these usually have the option of heating it up to or over 400 degrees Fahrenheit, you should not walk away while these appliances at these levels for too long. Extension cords should not ever be used with these appliances, unless they are thick ones. Small, typical home appliance extension cables will melt.
An unfortunate fact is that most house fires begin within the kitchen and since household chefs just do not concentrate on the task at hand. Becoming preoccupied with other chores or things inside the home, like the computer or friends, is a very bad thing for you to do when you start cooking dinner. When the phone rings, be certain you have it near by and that it stays with you always. You should never depart the house when you are preparing food unless a friend can stay there to watch the stove while you are out of the house.
Oil fires are very normal within the kitchen, even though most of these are small and effortlessly put out. Most of these are not reported because of this, concealing precisely how ordinary they truly may be. Get ready for a grease fire by warming it gradually, having a lid to smother the fire, and a tin of baking soda in case it begins underneath the burner. They start under stove burners many times due to the fact that they have grease beneath them and have not been cleaned out like they ought to be. with baking soda, but you need to have a fire extinguisher close by in case the fire gets out of control.
You need to be careful when you are using deep fryers and electric skillets. Even though these usually have the option of heating it up to or over 400 degrees Fahrenheit, you should not walk away while these appliances at these levels for too long. Extension cords should not ever be used with these appliances, unless they are thick ones. Small, typical home appliance extension cables will melt.
House Fires and Common Appliances
Some of the most common items that we use during the winter are the things that we tend to feel comfortable using, so we let our guard down and often become victims because of it. Since we feel comfortable using these items and they are familiar to us, we do not usually think that anything can go wrong because we have been using them for so long, but nothing could be further from the truth. Anything electrical, especially if it puts out heat, can cause a house to catch on fire and burn to the ground before you can even blink.
One thing that is commonly used in areas that have cold winters are electric blankets. These cause more fires than some people imagine and there have been many cases where someone has woken up with their bed on fire because they left it on while they were sleeping. You should only use electric blankets to warm up the bed before you get in it and never leave them on their highest setting for long, if you turn it up that high at all. Do not leave these unattended for more than a few minutes and always turn them off if you are leaving the house.
The same can be said for space heaters. These are very convenient to have if you are on a budget and only need to heat a small area of your home during the winter. Like electric blankets, you should not leave these on while you are asleep or not at home, since most house fires happen during these times. They should not be used in the rooms of small children or on carpeted surfaces, if possible. Certain varieties are safer than others and you may want to consider getting one that has a fan function and is raised off the floor by a few inches. These are safer, since they do not heat the carpet around them nearly as much as space heaters with short legs and only heating coils.
Another thing you should be concerned with is grease in the kitchen. Heating grease and leaving it unattended is one of the worst things that you can do. At least one person I personally know of started this process, went to sit down, fell asleep, and burned her entire house to the ground. She was lucky she made it out alive.
You should never neglect these and other electric items in your home, especially if they put out large amounts of heat. It could be one of the worst mistakes you ever make.
One thing that is commonly used in areas that have cold winters are electric blankets. These cause more fires than some people imagine and there have been many cases where someone has woken up with their bed on fire because they left it on while they were sleeping. You should only use electric blankets to warm up the bed before you get in it and never leave them on their highest setting for long, if you turn it up that high at all. Do not leave these unattended for more than a few minutes and always turn them off if you are leaving the house.
The same can be said for space heaters. These are very convenient to have if you are on a budget and only need to heat a small area of your home during the winter. Like electric blankets, you should not leave these on while you are asleep or not at home, since most house fires happen during these times. They should not be used in the rooms of small children or on carpeted surfaces, if possible. Certain varieties are safer than others and you may want to consider getting one that has a fan function and is raised off the floor by a few inches. These are safer, since they do not heat the carpet around them nearly as much as space heaters with short legs and only heating coils.
Another thing you should be concerned with is grease in the kitchen. Heating grease and leaving it unattended is one of the worst things that you can do. At least one person I personally know of started this process, went to sit down, fell asleep, and burned her entire house to the ground. She was lucky she made it out alive.
You should never neglect these and other electric items in your home, especially if they put out large amounts of heat. It could be one of the worst mistakes you ever make.
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