A fireplace adds a certain charm to a house and is a great source of warmth during the cold months. Whether you have a gas or traditional wood-burning fireplace, there are steps you can take make sure your home is safe.

The tips in this section can help you keep your fireplace working its best. You'll find information here about cleaning a stained hearth and cleaning your chimney. There are also tips here that can help you keep your fireplace clean.

Tips, Tricks, and Answers

The following articles are available for the 'Fireplace and Chimney' topic. Click the article''s title (shown in bold) to see the associated article.

   Cleaning Stained Hearths
Whenever the weather begins to get a little colder, or you are looking for a romantic evening, thoughts naturally begin to drift towards the fireplace. While a fireplace is a wonderful thing to have in the home, often it can be a cleaning headache, one of the biggest causes being the hearth. Cleaning stained hearths is possible, but may take some work.

   Cleaning Your Chimney
If you have a fireplace or wood-burning stove, you should regularly clean your chimney as part of a home fire prevention schedule. In fact, some local ordinances mandate that if you have a chimney and burn fires in your home, you must pass chimney inspections before you can use your fireplace.

   Fireplace Maintenance
For some reason most people have a tendency to forget about performing fireplace maintenance until it is way too late. Instead of waiting until your significant other get's after you to get the job done, or worse an unintended fire breaks out, why not get the job done?

   Fireplace Removal
Whether you are looking into getting rid of your old fireplace due to crumbling bricks, a need for new space, or you want a new look, you need to do the work properly. Luckily, while fireplace removal is fairly strenuous, it isn't really that difficult. That is as long as you know what you are doing.

   Fireplace Repair
Fireplaces can be a wonderful element in just about any room, at least they can be if they are in good condition. All fireplaces, just as with most things in the home, will need to be repaired every so often. Good thing that fireplace repair isn't all that difficult a task to get a hold of.

   Fireplace Safety
Fireplace safety is simply a mixture of common sense and forethought. Here are some simple guidelines to ensure that you have a safe and beautiful fireplace.

   Installing Chimney Flashing
Chimney flashing serves a very important purpose, namely to help prevent any leaks or water damage. Over time this flashing will need to be replaced periodically. Good thing that installing chimney flashing is a project that you can complete in a single weekend.

   Preparing the Fireplace for the Season
Fireplaces, particularly wood burning ones, can add a touch of comfort and elegance to just about any room. The trick lies in ensuring that the fireplace is ready for the fire, otherwise you run a rather high safety risk. Luckily, preparing the fireplace for the season isn't all that difficult.

   Safely Cleaning a Gas Fireplace
Fireplaces are a wonderful thing to have in the home; however, they too need to be cleaned every once in a while—even gas fireplaces. Cleaning a gas fireplace though can present a few unique problems. If you find yourself in need of cleaning a gas fireplace, then here is what you should do.