We usually think of winter as the time to curl up by the hearth, instead of lounging around the pool house. Besides keeping us warm and cozy, our fireplaces can also cut down on heating bills; but, like everything else in our homes, they require maintenance. It’s crucial to keep them in good, safe operating condition, as neglected chimneys with too much soot built up in them can cause disasters.Although most of us don’t think about our chimneys until winter starts to approach, the best time to have them attended to is in the spring. At winter’s onset, you will be competing with the rest of us procrastinators, for the attention of a professional sweep. As busy as they are in the fall and winter, it will take a miracle to find one who will be available to come to your home. In fact, you might even have to win a sweep-stakes (sorry about that…well, not really!).Even though it is not usually necessary to have it swept every year, your chimney should, at least, be inspected annually, before heavy or constant usage. This is highly recommended by professional sweeps, who have reported finding everything from geese, to footballs, to items of clothing in chimneys. One good way to prevent this is to buy a protective chimney cap, complete with a screen, which will allow smoke and air to pass through, while keeping dangerous objects and wildlife out. These caps also stop rain from getting in and mixing with the ash, which can erode the walls of the fireplace and the chimney. You should also keep your fireplace’s dampers closed, so that cold air stays out.If you are using a wood stove instead of a fireplace, however, you should have it swept more than once a year. Wood stoves should be cleaned whenever the buildup of creosote anywhere inside of them gets to be a quarter of an inch thick. Because it has a high content of lye, which is quite acidic, it is not only a fire hazard, but it can also cause mortar and metal to rot.Another way to stay warm and snug this winter, believe it or not, is to fly in the face of convention, and lounge around the pool house. At GazeboCreations.com, you can customize a beautiful pool house in a few, easy steps, choosing from a menu of options, such as finished interiors, insulation, screened floors, cupolas, decorative railings, skylights, insulated windows, 4-track window systems, shutters, sliding glass doors, steel doors, and several colors of siding and trim. You can even install a hot tub in it, and have a private spa, right in your own backyard.Indeed, pool houses are not just for summer anymore. A pool house from GazeboCreations.com can be used as an extra room, guesthouse, home office, entertainment room, or anything else that you want it to be.To see the entire gallery of gorgeous pool houses, as well as all of the patio furniture and accessories that you can use to decorate them, visit GazeboCreations.com. If you wish to contact a design consultant or customer service representative, call 1-888-293-2339, or e-mail cs@gazebocreations.com.