A chimney is a portable outdoor fireplace that is made from clay or cast iron. For the fireplaces to last for long you need to know how to live with them. Here are tips on how to go about it:
Place them at the right place
Clay chimney are the most common and as you know, they can break. To protect them from breaking you should place them in an area that is clear for hanging trees, brushes and branches. You should place them in a flat surface that is fireproof. Best places to place your fireplace are on a rock, bricks, pavers and concrete.
Consider your safety
Just like any other fireplace, the chimney also poses a safety concern. The first safety measure you should take is to place the fireplace in a place where you can see the flames from inside of the house. This will help you control the fire before it gets out of control.
The other thing that you should do is to be cautious of the wood that you use. You should use small logs for the fires. If fire is getting out of the fireplace, it’s probably too much.
To avoid fire you should avoid using firelighters or other accelerants. The firelighters damage the fireplace thus requiring you to call a chimney repair company to repair the fireplace.
Protect the fireplace
As mentioned, the chimney is delicate and you need to protect it for it to last for long. You should protect the unit from rain and frost using a chimenea cover. Chimenea covers are also effective in protecting the fireplace from the harmful UV rays thus ensuring that the paint lasts for long.
Regularly clean the fireplace
Just like your indoor fireplace, you need to clean the chimney. You can hire a chimney cleaning company or clean the fireplace by yourself.
To make your work easier, you should have sand or lava rock at the bottom of the chimney. To remove the ashes you should use a small shovel to remove the sand together with the ashes. When removing the ashes you should be keen that you don’t crack the fireplace.
Conclusion
The chimney serves as a great place to relax with family and friends. For it to last for long you need to put the above tips into consideration. To be certain that the unit is safe and efficient, you should hire a chimney contractor at least once a year to inspect it.
