Preparing Your Fireplace for a Minnesota Winter
Before the first fire of the season, run through this checklist: inspection, sweeping, wood, dampers and detectors — the five things that make winter fires safe ones.
Start with the inspection and sweep
Do this first, and do it before you need the fireplace, not after the first cold snap when every sweep in the Twin Cities is booked out. An annual inspection confirms the flue, liner, damper and masonry are sound; a sweep removes the creosote last winter left behind. Light your first fire of the season knowing the system is ready — not hoping it is.
Check the damper, cap and firebox
Open and close the damper a few times; it should move freely and seal fully. Glance up the flue with a flashlight for obvious debris or nesting material, and check the firebox for cracked firebrick or crumbling mortar. From outside, make sure the chimney cap is in place and secure. Anything off? That's what the inspection is for — these are quick, inexpensive fixes in the fall.
Stock the right wood
Burn only dry, seasoned hardwood — wood split and stacked under cover for at least six to twelve months. Seasoned wood lights easier, burns hotter and cleaner, and produces a fraction of the creosote that wet wood does. Never burn trash, cardboard, wrapping paper or treated lumber: all of them foul the flue or worse.
Don't forget the detectors
A working fireplace routine includes working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Test them when you prep the fireplace, replace batteries, and make sure there's a CO detector on the same level as the fireplace and near sleeping areas. A blocked or damaged flue can push carbon monoxide into the home silently — detectors are the alarm that never sleeps.
Keep ash and clearance in mind all season
Leave an inch or so of ash in the firebox as insulation, but empty excess ash into a metal bucket with a lid and store it outside, away from the house — ash can hide live embers for days. Keep furniture, rugs and holiday decorations at a safe distance from the hearth, and use a sturdy screen or glass doors. Do those things, and winter fires stay what they should be: the best seat in a Minnesota house.
Need Help With This?
Our related service: Fireplace Services — Expert fireplace cleaning, inspection, repair and installation — including wood and gas stoves, pellet stoves, inserts and glass doors — for homes and businesses.
