Fireplace Décor

Fireplace decorating is more than just what you put on your mantel. It’s the culmination of your personal style that pulls your look together. A natural focal point because of its size and usually centrally-located position, the mantel and surrounds are an important place to start when you consider your décor. Since the mantel is at eye-level, it’s natural that its decoration draws attention first. Family pictures, beautiful objects, heirlooms and things dear to the heart will make the truest statement about your home.
Fireplace Decorating

Step back and see how your mantel fits into your fireplace decorating project. Does it compliment or compete with the fireplace? What color is the mantel? Does it draw the eye with an attractive, clean style and finish? If not, see what other mantels might fit better.

Artwork is always striking above your fireplace, so include unique displays like a single, bold piece in a beautiful frame, or try clustering smaller paintings or prints in asymmetrical groups for contemporary, interesting impact. You can also group items of similar shape or color on your mantel for a whimsical look, again trying differently symmetrical configurations since an aspect of incongruity is pleasing to the eye.

Now move to the hearth, the next area of your fireplace decorating project. Balance is the name of the game when it comes to your hearth, so try a potted plant or topiary on either side of your fireplace opening. Beautifully polished andirons also create a classic, balanced tableau. If your mantel displays candles, sculptures or vases in equal measure on each side, try shaking up the scene on your hearth with a stunning set of fireplace tools at one end, and a gleaming wood holder at the other. Those who prefer a sleek, bare look can try a simple, striking clock or a wreath hung over the mantel.

Fireplace decorating is important even if you don’t use your fireplace regularly. Placing a candelabra inside your empty fireplace adds a touch of personality and gives your fireplace a polished look. Seasonal variations like a cornucopia in the fall, a basket of pine cones in the winter, flower arrangements in the spring and even a collection of sea shells and driftwood in the summer make your fireplace a living part of your home.

As you move to the end of your decorating project, don’t forget form when thinking function. The very finish of your fireplace tool set, wood holder, andirons and firebacks pull together your complete look. If your living room style is understated and elegant, polished brass pieces always look smart. If you have a more casual décor, copper, bronze and even black iron tools look stylish, not fussy. More contemporary? Nothing says ‘modern’ quite like brushed pewter. Underscore your preference in finishes by choosing a matching fireplace screen, or the perfectly brilliant pair of glass fireplace doors, which work well for masonry, prefabricated and firebox insert fireplaces.

Fireplace decorating is the quickest, easiest way to pull together a total look for any room. If you create a warm, beautiful and inviting environment, you’ll find your fireplace becomes a focal point around which your family can’t wait to gather.

For more information you can go to: - http://southwestchimney.com/

Chimney Safety Tip 4

Preventing CO poisoning

• Schedule a yearly professional inspection of all fuel-burning home heating systems, including furnaces, boilers, fireplaces, wood stoves, water heaters, chimneys, flues and vents.
• NEVER operate a portable gasoline-powered generator in an enclosed space, such as a garage, shed, or crawlspace, or in the home.
• Keep portable generators as far away from your home and your neighbors’ homes as possible – away from open doors, windows or vents that could allow deadly carbon monoxide into the home.
• When purchasing a space heater, ask the salesperson whether the heater has been safety-certified. A certified heater will have a safety certification mark. These heaters will have the most up-to-date safety features. An unvented gas space heater that meets current safety standards will shut off if oxygen levels fall too low.
• Do not use portable propane space heaters indoors or in any confined space, unless they are designed specifically for indoor use. Always follow the manufacturer’s directions for proper use.
• Never use gas or electric stoves to heat the home. They are not intended for that purpose and can pose a CO or fire hazard.

Chimney Safety Tip 3

Carbon Monoxide: The Invisible  Killer

Carbon monoxide is called the “invisible killer,” because it is an odorless, colorless and poisonous gas. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a serious threat in the winter months. Any fuel-burning appliances in the home, including furnaces and fireplaces, are a potential CO source.  The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are often mistaken for common illnesses such as headaches, nausea, fatigue, depression, or worse.  Carbon monoxide detectors are now readily available and no home should be without at least two of them: one near the furnace and another near the sleeping area of the home. Detectors are NOT a substitute for routine maintenance, but can be a lifesaver should problems occur. Carbon monoxide problems are always caused by poor ventilation, and blocked chimneys are one of the largest single causes of carbon monoxide in the home. 

There has been an increasing trend in unintentional, non-fire CO deaths associated with consumer products since 1999. CPSC staff estimates there were 184 CO poisoning deaths on average per year from 2005-2007 compared to 122 deaths per year from 1999-2001. Since 1999, the majority of CO deaths have been associated with heating systems and portable generators.

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are an important line of defense in the home, and they give consumers valuable escape time. About two-thirds of fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms, or in homes where consumers have removed the alarms batteries or where the batteries are dead. Recently, there were tragic deaths in homes where alarms could have made a difference:

•     In Citra, Fla., a fire killed five children on November 8,2010. Their home did not have smoke alarms.
•     In Penfield, N.Y., a 54-year-old man died of CO poisoning in November. Prior to his death, the home’s CO alarms reportedly beeped and were removed from the house.

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), recommend that in addition to having working smoke and CO alarms, consumers should follow these safety tips to prevent fires and CO poisoning : http://southwestchimney.com/

Chimney Safety Tip 2

Chimney Fires

When creosote in your chimney ignites, the chimney fire might not be noticed at first.  Some fires that occur have enough ventilation that they will cause smoke and noise enough to be noticed; others burn so slowly and reach such high temperatures that they quietly damage chimney and surrounding structures or may suddenly start other areas of the house on fire. These fires are usually preventable through regular, professional cleaning.

House Fires

Wood burning stoves and fireplaces are one of the leading causes of house fires nationwide. These fires are usually either caused by improperly installed heating appliances, or from improper care of chimneys.  Some fires of course destroy the whole home; but any house fire causes damage, that leaves a lasting smell that may linger for many years.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), estimates that home heating was associated with an average of 33,300 fires and 180 fire deaths per year from 2005 to 2007.

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Chimney Safety Tip 1

One of the most important reasons to clean your chimney is because of the potential hazards that occur when you  don’t have it cleaned.  A regular cleaning can help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, and can help prevent house and chimney fires.

Without proper maintenance, heating systems can be dangerous,  they can either cause fires or release toxic gases into your living area that can cause serious damage, illness, or even death. When tar and soot, from wood and fuel burning, build up in your chimney, it must be removed. Hiring a trained professional sweep, to clean and inspect your chimney, will help ensure that your fireplace is ready to use.  It’s important that every chimney have a regular inspection each year from a qualified sweep, before the fireplace us used.

Dangers Of Creosote, Soot Buildup

As wood burns, the by-products of combustion flow away from the fire and up the chimney, as smoke.  Because the chimney is cooler than the fire, condensation occurs. This means that soot and tar form a residue, commonly called creosote, that sticks to the interior of your chimney. Creosote is a highly flammable substance, and if it is not regularly removed, creosote can ignite and cause dangerous chimney fires. Chimneys should be cleaned when there is 1/8 to 1/4 inch or more, of creosote buildup anywhere in the system.
For more information you can go to : - http://southwestchimney.com/

Evaporative Coolers

Chimney Pipe