{"id":10044,"date":"2017-02-08T12:00:54","date_gmt":"2017-02-08T12:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/?p=10044"},"modified":"2018-02-14T06:06:53","modified_gmt":"2018-02-14T06:06:53","slug":"making-the-worst-home-maintenance-task-simple","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/making-the-worst-home-maintenance-task-simple\/","title":{"rendered":"Making The Worst Home Maintenance Task Simple"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!-- SEO Ultimate Plus (https:\/\/seoultimateplus.com) - Code Inserter module -->\n<script async>(function(s,u,m,o,j,v){j=u.createElement(m);v=u.getElementsByTagName(m)[0];j.async=1;j.src=o;j.dataset.sumoSiteId='b68b392479b5981b8acf46565e9fe32a0734fc21a1f7c1e60121eaa6ca1a1c64';v.parentNode.insertBefore(j,v)})(window,document,'script','\/\/load.sumo.com\/');<\/script>\n<!-- \/SEO Ultimate Plus -->\n\n<p>Fireplace maintenance is perhaps one of your more \u2018tedious\u2019 tasks during winter months. And, let\u2019s be honest, the fireplace is also one of the most enjoyable parts of your <a class=\"wl-entity-page-link\" title=\"homes\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/home\/\" data-id=\"http:\/\/data.wordlift.io\/wl0502\/entity\/home;http:\/\/rdf.freebase.com\/ns\/m.01l0mw;http:\/\/dbpedia.org\/resource\/Home\" >home<\/a> d\u00e9cor. Before you grab a sledgehammer and start knocking out brick walls and putting all your stuff in a <a href=\"http:\/\/totalstoragewinnipeg.ca\/\">storage facility<\/a>, just know that simple fireplace maintenance can provide years of enjoyable nights when Jack Frost creeps up your window sills.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some intriguing tips behind proper fireplace care to consider before springtime hits:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Install items that prevent damage or interior fires<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Fortifying your chimney with water sealant and fire prevention methods won\u2019t necessarily prevent water from gaining entry into your chimneys and making life, hell.\u00a0 Professionals suggest getting chimney caps, which can help keep high winds and torrential rains from making their way down your flue and eventually into your home.<\/p>\n<p>Spark arresters catch those pesky sparks that tend to \u2018pop\u2019 from certain dry woods, people love burning.\u00a0 Without these protective measures, be prepared for potential fires in areas where they don\u2019t belong. When correctly installed, spark preventers will help keep flames and accidental sparking contained. They are relatively inexpensive to boot.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Look closely for molded areas<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Mold and mildew can wreak havoc inside your fireplace since they\u2019re both, a type of fungus that enjoys growing in wet and dark locations. Many people assume that mold is an extreme version of mildew, but they are actually the exact same thing and can be treated the same way. A <a class=\"wl-entity-page-link\" title=\"Land lot\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/land-lot\/\" data-id=\"http:\/\/data.wordlift.io\/wl0502\/entity\/land_lot;http:\/\/rdf.freebase.com\/ns\/m.0gs32y;http:\/\/dbpedia.org\/resource\/Land_lot\" >lot<\/a> of people deal with fireplace mold on a routine basis, so knowing how to control and prevent it can also be a worthwhile endeavor for you to take on within your home.<\/p>\n<p>Mixing solutions comprised of 4 parts water to one part bleach, some elbow grease and a wire brush will knock that problem out quickly; if the mold is too far out of sight, these brushes are available in what looks like a long <a class=\"wl-entity-page-link\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/kitchen\/\" data-id=\"http:\/\/data.wordlift.io\/wl0502\/entity\/kitchen;http:\/\/rdf.freebase.com\/ns\/m.0d4wf;http:\/\/dbpedia.org\/resource\/Kitchen\" >kitchen<\/a> broom.<\/p>\n<p>Make no mistake: mold, even in chimneys, can spread quickly throughout the <a class=\"wl-entity-page-link\" title=\"houses\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/house\/\" data-id=\"http:\/\/data.wordlift.io\/wl0502\/entity\/house;http:\/\/rdf.freebase.com\/ns\/m.03jm5;http:\/\/dbpedia.org\/resource\/House\" >house<\/a>. If you\u2019ve never dealt with mold remediation, you\u2019d rather avoid it when possible for the mere reason that it\u2019s costly.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Properly dispose of burnt wood, ashes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Your thicker woods may burn for hours, yet not completely burn into ash.\u00a0 After each week\u2019s use, take your handy ShopVac or broom and dustpan, making sure the entire area is free of debris.\u00a0 Smolder any remaining hot embers by removing the source of oxygen from the fire (usually your flue or whatever is letting in oxygen) before removing larger wood pieces. You can always find hot embers by placing your hand at a safe distance from the ash bed and feeling for any residual warmth.<\/p>\n<p>Also, make sure the entire floor area, whether brick or tile, is completely cleaned as well to prevent ash from sticking to grout lines. Finally, clean glass fireplace doors using green (eco-friendly) products or anything nonflammable.\u00a0 Never assume that your fireplace is completely clean until a visual inspection dictates otherwise.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cleaning creosote and sooty areas<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Hate that blackened look you saw plastered on Mary Poppins\u2019 clothing? You\u2019ll quickly discover the same look after years of soot buildup.\u00a0 Purchase a circular metal chimney brush which is slightly longer than your flue, cleaning all areas where black is present.\u00a0 To remove soot and creosote from your fire pit area, purchase a wire brush similar to what you\u2019d use to clean barbeque grills.<\/p>\n<p>Many have noticed an incredible difference when using six tablespoons of trisodium phosphate, one gallon of warm water and a dab of bleach, but make sure you\u2019re comfortable mixing chemicals as this combination can be dangerous with too much TSP or not enough water. Consult with professionals if you\u2019re unsure whether chemicals are suitable for your chimney.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fireplaces aren\u2019t too bad, right?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>With frigid temperatures across most of America during the winter months, making sure your fireplace is cleaned and free of excess soot and debris is essential for proper wood burning. To assure proper operation and maximize warmth, you need to address dingy fireplaces which you\u2019ve let slip out of control.<\/p>\n<p>Dingy fireplaces are an accident waiting to happen, both physically and financially.\u00a0 Unkempt chimneys can eventually emit mold, soot, creosote and even critters of the dark into your home; clean your fireplaces, flues and fire pit areas after each <a class=\"wl-entity-page-link\" title=\"Use (law)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/use-law\/\" data-id=\"http:\/\/data.wordlift.io\/wl0502\/entity\/use_law;http:\/\/rdf.freebase.com\/ns\/m.05r4j5;http:\/\/dbpedia.org\/resource\/Use_(law)\" >use<\/a>, or at least weekly.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, give your fireplace one fantastic cleaning before closing things off for the springtime months to make maintenance in the forthcoming winter quicker.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fireplace maintenance is perhaps one of your more \u2018tedious\u2019 tasks during winter months. And, let\u2019s be honest, the fireplace is also one of the most enjoyable parts of your home d\u00e9cor. Before you grab a sledgehammer and start knocking out<span class=\"ellipsis\">&hellip;<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/making-the-worst-home-maintenance-task-simple\/\">Read more &#8250;<\/a><\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":10184,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wl_entities_gutenberg":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","spay_email":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"wl_entity_type":[602],"modified_by":null,"_wl_alt_label":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/fireplace-upkeep.jpg","wl:entity_url":"http:\/\/data.wordlift.io\/wl0502\/post\/making_the_worst_home_maintenance_task_simple","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10044"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10044"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10044\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14333,"href":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10044\/revisions\/14333"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10044"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10044"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10044"},{"taxonomy":"wl_entity_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wl_entity_type?post=10044"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}