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Fireplace Safety: Keep Your Fireplace and Chimney Clean

April 22, 2022 12:00 am Published by Leave your thoughts

It’s easy to forget the outside of your home during the cleaning, regardless of how attentive you are. However, parts of the house, such as the fireplace and the chimney, might not get as much attention. A fireplace is a luxury in many households and a feature that can increase the value of your home. However, if you ignore the cleanliness of your chimney, your home and family might be at risk. A significant number of house fires result from creosote accumulation inside the chimney. Creosote (a carbonaceous chemical) is a highly flammable matter which accumulates in the chimney when you burn wood. A small accumulation of creosote glazing can create the possibility of a chimney fire. Factors Influencing Creosote Accumulation in Your Chimney If you’re not careful about your burning practices or your burning appliance isn’t working well, the creosote production rate can be higher. Some wood types also produce more creosote than others when burned. Other factors that influence the volume of creosote that builds up on your chimney walls include insufficient airflow volume into the chimney and burning inappropriately seasoned wood. A significant buildup of soot and creosote can be sufficient to start a chimney fire which might damage your chimney and extend to... View Article

How To Clean Your Fire Pit

April 8, 2022 12:00 am Published by Leave your thoughts

Fire pits are great, but odds are you have not done much cleaning of your pit during the months of use in the winter. If that is the case, there are some tips you can use to get your fire pit looking great this spring and ready for memory-making with family and friends. Here are some tips to make cleaning your fire pit a breeze this season. How to Maintain Your Fire Pit The first thing to do is to remove ashes from the fire pit. When cleaning fire pits, one of the biggest issues is going to be ashes that have accumulated over the time you have used your pit. Too many ashes in the basin can make it hard to start a new fire. After removing the ashes, you can dispose of them and move on to cleaning the fire pit. A great cleaning solution is one part muriatic acid mixed with nine parts water. This will remove any dirt and grime that has built up on the stone of your masonry fire pit. Wearing rubber gloves, use a scrub brush to scrub the brick and other masonry. This solution is going to help remove build-up and creosote... View Article

Safety Tips for Barbecuing

March 19, 2022 12:00 am Published by Leave your thoughts

As the weather warms up, families start heading outside for more springtime activities. One of those activities is barbecuing. This is a great way to prepare healthy food while spending time with friends and family. To make the most of your family barbeque, keep these backyard BBQ safety tips in mind. Grill in the Open Air You may have seen neighbors grilling inside their open garage or under a covered deck. You should know that this is not a safe way to operate your grill. Your grill should be used in an open space. Charcoal grills can send embers up into the air. If this were to land in your garage or on the covered patio, it could be a fire hazard. Gas grills should also be used in an open space because of the fumes that can be emitted. Grilling in an open space is high on the list of safe grilling tips.  Set Up Your Grill Away From the House The further you can get the grill reasonably from the house the better. You should always keep in mind that the grill is a fire hazard. You do not want your family barbeque to turn into a family tragedy.... View Article

Advantages of Having an Outdoor Kitchen

March 12, 2022 12:00 am Published by Leave your thoughts

Outdoor kitchens are becoming a popular trend in the United States. More homeowners are discovering better ways of maximizing their backyards by creating outdoor kitchens to use during the warmer months. While modern indoor kitchens are open-ended, outdoor kitchens provide ample space, especially when you have more guests.  Whether you’re building a new house or simply looking to make better use of the space you have, an extra outdoor kitchen may be the best investment you’ll ever make in your home. If you’re looking to learn why adding an outdoor kitchen can be beneficial, then you’ve come to the right place. Here are the top five benefits of adding an outdoor kitchen to your home. Increases Your Home’s Resale Value Renovating a kitchen or adding an outdoor kitchen is one of the best projects to take on if you’re looking to sell your home soon. Outdoor kitchens have a high rate of return on investment as they are becoming popular in modern homes. Prospective home buyers will want to check out homes with modern outdoor kitchens rather than those without. To add value to the space, ensure you get high-quality equipment and provide ample space for dining and entertainment. Most... View Article

Home Additions That May Increase Your Home’s Value

February 24, 2022 6:26 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

When approaching home renovations, you’re likely to address a problem that’s been irking you for a while. Whether it’s those ugly kitchen cabinets or the outdated bathroom wallpaper, you’re ready to invest in making changes; however, not all renovations are created equal. Here are some popular updates to increase home value. Paint One of the quickest, most high-impact updates you can make is to paint a room. A fresh coat of paint will instantly transform the room and make it appear new again. This is also a good opportunity to get rid of any odd paint jobs in the home while creating pleasing visual contrast. Best of all, painting won’t cost you much out of pocket. Cabinets Adding attractive cabinets to the kitchen will boost the home’s value. Research has shown that cabinets have a return on investment (ROI) of 80 percent, so if you’ve been thinking about replacing those cabinets with the busted hinges, then you can go ahead knowing that you’ll recoup most of the cost. Siding The exterior of a house takes a beating. Rain, the sun’s rays, snow, wind and ice all have an impact on the siding. Potential buyers will be turned off by a... View Article