Everyone likes the feel of a warm toast fir burning in the fireplace on cold days and nights. In recent years with the rising costs of heating our homes, many people are returning to using a fireplace as a heating source and not just for the romantic ambiance it brings to the home. Sometimes these fireplaces are fueled by gas, but many people still like and use the old fashioned wood burning versions. They might be a little more trouble, but may or may not be cheaper to use depending on what you have to pay for the wood you burn.

One thing that is the same about a wood burning fireplace is the fact that your home will likely get at least some soot from the fire. Back drafts from the chimney will often cause a billow of smoke to turn back into the home instead of rising up through it like it is supposed to. Even when your flue works well, there is going to be some smoke residue to have to contend with. This means that you might as well get ready to have to do some smoke cleaning maintenance every so often.

Even though it might not be your favorite thing to do, if you want to keep your walls, floors, and ceilings looking clean and be free of this clinging smoke residue, you should clean them about once a year after the fireplace season is over. You can use a big bucket of warm water and a degreasing cleaner that you know is safe for the surfaces you will be washing down. If you do this every year, the smoke will likely not build up very thick and cleaning will be faster and easier than if you only do it every few years as opposed to yearly.

Making sure that your chimney is cleaned inside and that your flue is in good working condition once a year also is a good way to minimize the smoke damage your home can suffer from a wood burning fireplace. You do not want your fireplace allowing much smoke into the home because it is not very good to breathe in. If you or someone in your family already has breathing problems, smoke from a fireplace will only agitate the condition. Gas burning fireplaces are cleaner than wood burning ones, so if you are sensitive to smoke, you might consider having your old wood burning fireplace converted to gas or even electric.