Having a fireplace in your home is a great benefit because you can use it to keep your home cozy and comfortable during the colder months. However, if you have a wood-burning fireplace, there are some essential maintenance and care needs that you need to handle to keep your home and family safe. Here are some recommendations for you to keep your fireplace and its chimney maintained and in good repair so you can continue warming your home with wood-burning fires.

Inspect the Chimney Exterior

Although the opening is located up on your rooftop and is out of view most of the time, your home's chimney needs to be inspected and kept in good condition. Your roofing and chimney professional can check the exterior of the chimney, including the condition and existence of flashing, to protect the interior of your home from moisture leaks.

Your chimney professional will also be able to check the chimney cap on the top part of your chimney to make sure it is in good condition, along with the brickwork or other exterior chimney materials. The screen on the outside of the chimney should be intact so it can prevent sparks from exiting your chimney and landing on your roof. All this can be completed while the professionals clean out your chimney.

Clean Out the Interior

One of the most essential parts of caring for your chimney is to clean it out regularly. The interior of the chimney and fireplace flue will get a buildup of creosote and soot each time you burn wood in your fireplace. This residue exits the chimney with the smoke and other chemicals from the burning fire, but also tends to build up on the interior. 

If you don't have this material removed and cleaned regularly, this dangerous build-up can cause your chimney to catch fire without your even realizing it, and your roof can catch fire and potentially destroy your entire home before you even realize it has started.

Burn Only Certain Wood

Another way to protect your home from a chimney fire is to only select the right woods to burn in your fireplace. Some wood can create more creosote and soot than other selected wood. For example, choose only wood that has been dried out for at least a year to eliminate the high moisture content. Then, burn harder woods, such as oak and birch. Pine and cedar are softer wood and can create more chimney build-up and other harmful chemicals.

To learn more, contact a company that offers chimney services.