With the months just whizzing by, the cold, wintry season will be upon us before we even realize it. And there’s nothing as quaint and cozy as warming up toa fireplace. While chopping up firewood and minding the tinder seem to be the more tedious parts to a fireplace, there is maintenance to mind when it comes to using it. With the smoke blowing up, through, and out a chimney, proper cleaning is important if we expect to enjoy the hearth—and preferably at very little cost to our neighborhood’s environment.

Traditional chimneys were built of brick and mortar, lined with fireproof flue tiles, and capped with mortar to seal the top against the weather. It’s these kinds of chimneys that have graced many greeting card covers and Christmas-time story books. But as nostalgic and charming as it may seem (also adding a homey appeal to any house), it’s been said that these are more notorious polluters and are least efficient at warming a house.  The basic design of the traditional fireplaces tends to suck more of the hot air from the inside of the home and then blows it out through the chimney.

There are some homeowners who use their fireplaces every night during the winter season. If you happen to fall in the same category, then it’s important for you to equip yourself with knowledge on the proper use, care and cleaning of your fireplace. Typically fireplaces and chimneys ought to be checked and cleaned yearly, but if you are a heavy wood burner, experts suggest a monthly cleaning and inspection.

Now there are newer types that are much easier to install—these are made of metal and come as part of prefabricated kits. This is not to say that you can get by on slacking off inspection and cleaning on those. Responsible and proper maintenance are highly encouraged even for these kinds. Make sure you inspect your chimney at the beginning of each heating season so that you can produce a more efficient burn that won’t cause the soot to cake your surrounding neighborhood. Take a flashlight and shine it up inside and look for obstructions such as leaves or birds' nests. Keep an eye out for soot buildup—that’s what you want to avoid as well.

Aside from investigating the inside of your chimneys, checking the outside deserves effort as well. You want to make sure you don’t have any bricks that are either missing or loose, and you ought to make sure your mortar is not cracking up or pulling away from your roof and chimney. All this effort is to prevent any fire-related accident as well helping provide you peace of mind as you enjoy your crackling fire.  Contact a professional who can help you maintain a safe fireplace and chimney altogether. Check out http://www.doityourself.com/scat/chimneymaintenance for some tips on what you can do to help maintain safe and efficient fireplace and chimney use.