Everyone loves to decorate their house and the area around the fireplace is no exception. However, you will want to follow some safety precautions when you are decorating this space in your house, so that you do not inadvertently cause a fire inside your home.

Here are 6 safety tips that you need to keep in mind when you are decorating your fireplace and hearth area:

  1. Almost every fireplace has a mantel, because it looks nice and everyone dreams of having the perfect mantel for their fireplace. You will want to make sure that the mantel is at least 12 inches above the top of the fireplace opening, so that no sparks or floating ambers touch the mantel and set it on fire.
  2. To keep everyone safe in your house, when a fire is burning, you will want to make sure that the hearth in front of the fireplace is extended out at least 16-20 inches. The hearth should also be built with a material that is non combustible just in case flames or embers touch the hearth.
  3. There are many cute decorations that can be hung from the mantel year round, however you need to make sure that you remove these items before you light a fire inside the fireplace.
  4. To help keep any floating embers or flames inside the fireplace, you will want to use a fireplace screen. This screen will also keep little hands and paws from reaching into the fireplace to investigate.
  5. Many people will place a large picture on top of their mantel, in order to have a focal point in the room. In order to be safe, you will want to make sure that the picture is attached to the wall securely. By doing this, you will prevent the picture from toppling over suddenly when there is a fire burning.
  6. It is usually best to not set any decorations on the hearth in front of the fireplace. If you decide to place anything on the hearth, keep the decorations as far away from the fireplace as possible. It is also a good idea to remove all of the decorations from the hearth when you have a fire burning.

There is nothing wrong with decorating your house and making it look nice. However, you will want to make sure that you decorate the area around the fireplace in a way that keeps everyone in your house safe at all times. Fires can happen suddenly, without warning and they can spread very quickly. By taking a few preventative measures, you will be able to hopefully stop any accidents from happening.

Give us a call here at Lou Curley’s Chimney Service at 610-626-2439 if you would like to schedule an appointment with our CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps. Schedule your annual chimney inspection and cleaning before cold weather settles into the Drexel Hill area so we can help prevent potential problems before you light the first fire of the season.