Cooler temperatures, shorter days, and falling red, orange, and yellow leaves. These are all signs that fall is upon us and we will all be spending more and more time inside our homes. If you are anything like us, that time indoors involves decorating for the new season and adding unique touches everywhere. 

One of the areas of a home that many people like to decorate is the hearth and their fireplace, and we agree that there is nothing better than seeing bunches of leaves on top of the mantel surrounding candles and pine cones. Unfortunately, those decorations and others that you may place on your hearth can be a safety concern when a fire is lit. 

Here are some guidelines that we recommend you follow when placing decorations near your fireplace:

  • Keep all decorations above the mantel when a fire is burning – Never let anything hang underneath the mantel
  • Use candles that are dripless or make sure that they are inside something that will catch the hot wax
  • Always use a fireplace screen when you have a fire burning
  • Take advantage of the space over the mantel and hang a seasonal piece of art work
  • Large vases and similar items will look nice on your hearth, but please err on the side of caution and remove them when you start a fire
  • Create a work of art with your fireplace tools or firewood on the side of your hearth

We understand how beautiful fireplaces and hearths look when they have been decorated for the new season, and we are not discouraging you from getting creative. However, we do recommend that if you do place items near your fireplace and hearth, that you remove them when you start a fire.

It shouldn’t take too long to remove the items that can catch on fire from a flying ember and no amount of time is more important that the safety of your family and yourself anyway. 

So, add those little touches of fall to your fireplace and hearth and keep a basket nearby where you can store them safely when you need to light that first fire of the season. After all, you may be lucky and have those decorations up for a long time before the weather is cool enough for you to light a fire. 

The chimney sweeps here at Lou Curley’s Chimney Service are CSIA Certified and we have years of experience under our belts. We strive to continue our education as often as possible so we’re always in the position to offer you the best possible chimney services in Drexel Hill and all along the Main Line. Call us at 610-626-2439 to discuss your chimney needs or to schedule an appointment for a chimney cleaning, chimney inspection, or chimney repair.