Fireplace Safety Tips

Fireplaces, whether they are wood-burning or gas, are both fashionable and functional additions to many homes. Families gather around decorated hearths for holiday celebrations as they build lifelong memories. During the cooler winter months, fireplaces, wood stoves and other fuel-fired appliances are often used as primary heat sources in homes. But sadly, fireplace safety can be neglected, sometimes with tragic results. Everyone has seen the news stories about homes burned to the ground and lives lost due to improperly disposed-of fireplace ashes. According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), heating fires account for 36 percent of residential home fires in rural areas every year. Here are some tips to make sure your fireplace remains a safe, enjoyable feature of your family’s home:  Have your chimney thoroughly cleaned once a year. Flammable residue that accumulates in the flue can lead to fires in the chimney, and cracks or gaps in the flue can decrease the draft required both for combustion and to carry toxic gases away from your home. You can find a certified chimney specialist at csia.org. Use either a metal mesh screen or glass doors—or both—as a barrier between the fireplace and hearth. If you have glass doors, leave them open while burning a fire so that the fire receives enough air to ensure complete combustion and keeps creosote from building up in the chimney. Always keep the mesh screen closed when a fire is burning to keep embers or sparks from getting into the room.  Never use flammable liquids to start a fire, or burn cardboard boxes, trash or debris in your fireplace. Use only seasoned hardwood, non-seasoned (or green) wood tends to smoke more and burn less efficiently, and can leave significantly more resin and soot in your chimney. Never burn any part of fir or pine trees in a fireplace. The sap can explode, and the needles can ignite quickly which could send sparks into the room or into the chimney where creosote deposits could catch fire. Never leave a fire unattended, and make sure the fire is completely out before going to bed or leaving the house. Douse and saturate ashes with water, and never empty ash directly into a trash can. Place completely cooled ashes in a tightly covered metal container and keep the container at least 10 feet away from any building.  Cover the top of your chimney with a mesh screen spark arrester, and keep the roof clear of leaves, pine needles and other debris. Also cut away any branches that are hanging above the chimney.   You can find more fire safety tips on USFA’s website at usfa.fema.gov.    Taking these steps will help to ensure that the time you spend around your fireplace is enjoyable, and your family and home is safe.
The Skylar Grande – semi-custom plan

The Skylar Grande – semi-custom plan

All of our semi-custom plans are fully customizable to create your ONE OF A KIND home.
Price: Starting on your lot at $535,000
Contact: Sean Sullivan 828.669.4343

Features: Energy Star Certified, NC Green Built Home, Universally designed plan

Click here to see a 360 degree virtual tour!

The Skylar Grande is an upgrade to our popular Skylar model that adds a screen porch, formal dining room, and a stone chimney. It is a universally designed home that not only boasts a quaint craftsman architectural feel, but also incredibly energy efficient construction. This floor plan works well for families of all size and ages. Since it has two bedrooms with two full baths on the main level, it works great for families with younger children, but since it also has two bedrooms upstairs, it also works well for the next generation to accommodate guests or a home office. Click “read more” to see more photos, floor plans and more!

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The Rockcliff – semi-custom plan

The Rockcliff – semi-custom plan

All of our semi-custom plans are fully customizable to create your ONE OF A KIND home.
Price: starting on a crawl at $651,000
Contact: Sean Sullivan 828.669.4343
Features: Energy Star Certified, NC Green Built Home, Universally Designed plan
Click here for the 360 degree virtual tour!
The Rockcliff is a universally designed home that not only boasts a more rustic craftsman architectural feel, but also incredibly energy efficient construction. This floor plan works well for families of all sizes and ages. Since it has two bedrooms with two full baths on the main level, the flex bedroom can be used as a home office for the work-from-home professional. Click “read more” to see more photos, floor plans and more!

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