Ways to Use Your Fireplace in the Summer
If you’re like a lot of homeowners, you don’t do much with it. That’s so boring! Your fireplace may not be needed to heat your home during the summer months, but it can be quite an attractive amenity if you get creative.
Step 1: Clean it
Before you can do anything with your fireplace besides burning a fire, you need to clean it. Vacuum out the firebox and wipe down all the surfaces with a good cleaner and sponge. While you’re at it, have your chimney cleaned by a licensed chimney sweep. This service will remove smelly creosote and soot as well as odor-causing debris that may have gotten into your flue over the winter and spring. Most importantly, it will make your chimney safe and ready to rock next winter.
Step 2: Bring new life to your firebox
A big, open firebox is pretty dull if it’s just sitting there. Make yours un-dull by using the space for decorative pieces. Consider adding:
- Fancy, colorful lighting
- Candle arrangements
- Unique art pieces
- Kids’ drawings and paintings
- Floral bouquets
Come up with your own artistic ideas and make your firebox a center of attention all summer long.
Step 3: Use your mantel to the fullest
Like your firebox, your fireplace mantel is a perfect place to celebrate the summer season with decorative additions. Don’t let your mantel collect dust; rather let it magnify your entire hearth area with attractive decorations. If you don’t have a mantel, you should know there’s a huge range of styles, sizes and colors available for you to choose from. When properly installed, a handsome mantel truly “finishes” a fireplace.
Step 4: Enhance the wall surrounding your fireplace
If the wall surrounding your fireplace isn’t very exciting, then spruce it up. There’s no reason to have a boring wall around your fireplace. Modern fireplace surrounds, either pre-made or custom-made, will add a great deal of pizazz to your fireplace area. Surrounds can be built to closely hug your fireplace and chimney, or they can take up the entire wall into which the fireplace is set. Surrounds can include a variety of stone, brick, wood, marble and other beautiful materials. They can have shelving and fancy recessed areas. Shop around, and you’ll easily find the perfect fireplace surround for your home.
Help for your fireplace and chimney all year long
Fireplaces can be wonderful decorative and functional features of a home. To keep your fireplace – and your chimney – safe and running optimally, you need a little help from the professionals at Fluesbrothers. We provide a full menu of chimney services, including chimney sweeping, chimney inspections, chimney repairs and fireplace and stove installations. You see to the beauty and excitement of your fireplace, and we’ll see to the proper maintenance and safety of your fireplace and chimney.
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