Awnings are great for seeking shelter from the sun or rain in your backyard; it also performs a double-duty of increasing your home’s aesthetic appeal. However, it’s important to store your awning before wintertime; otherwise, the build-up of snow will cause its lightweight structure to collapse.

Make sure you clean your awning thoroughly before keeping it away because dust encourages mildew growth, especially in cloth awnings. Not only are mildew marks incredibly difficult to remove – your awning’s going to stink! Even awnings made out of polyester and acrylic need to be cleaned properly. They can be stored wet for 48 hours but any longer than that and mildew will start to settle in. Since the stitching of the awning is made out of cotton, the mildew will definitely cause it to rot and for the whole thing to fall apart. Mildew also thrives in damp environments so make sure you keep your awning in a dry location to prevent growth.

Getting a retractable awning might be more convenient if you live in an area where it constantly snows. This type of awning can be folded and rolled against a wall and is self-storing once retracted. During the winter, you can remove the loose hanging valance of your retractable awning. Another way of storing it is to keep the awning retracted and keep the crank handle in the garage.

Awnings are a rather costly buy but with proper maintenance, they should last you for several years. Keeping them free from dust and storing them in a dry place during winter will definitely increase its lifespan.

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The increasing popularity of gas logs led manufacturers to come up with several appliances that use this technology. One of these is the gas log fireplace, which you can mount to the wall of your home. But did you know that the residue from burning gas logs is not always ventilated outside? Before having a gas log fireplace installed, learn the difference between vent-free and vented units and their advantages or disadvantages.

Vented gas logs can replace wood logs in a traditional chimney. There are those that use natural or propane gas, and they burn with the damper open. Keep in mind though that this is not a solution for a chimney problem. If you’ve got a dirty or damaged chimney, using a gas log could still cause a chimney fire. Before burning gas logs on a traditional fireplace, make sure that your chimney gets professionally checked for any cracks and that any creosote buildup gets cleaned.

As for ventilation, direct venting is your best option. This system uses a two-layer pipe placed through the wall behind the fireplace unit, or above it. One pipe gets air from the outside to make the gas combustible, the other takes waste to the outside and effectively reduces the risk of carbon monoxide buildup inside the house.

Vent-free gas logs, on the other hand, come with their own Oxygen Depletion Sensor, which turns the gas off before the carbon monoxide levels in the room get dangerously high. They are designed to create a very hot flame that decreases the level of soot and carbon monoxide produced by other types of gas logs. Since vent-free gas logs create lots of heat, it’s very important to keep combustible materials far from the fireplace. While in use, make sure the fireplace doors are left open and leave a window slightly open to let fresh air into the room.

Whether or not you get a vented or vent-free gas log fireplace, make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions before burning any fuel. Observe basic fireplace safety at all times to prevent any fireplace accidents.

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It’s important to observe fireplace safety throughout the year, but even more so now that a lot of us use candles, space heaters, and have many flammable objects in our living rooms. Avoid accidents and enjoy many more holidays with your family by following some of these fireplace safety guidelines.

Make sure your fireplace undergoes a YEARLY maintenance. This includes an inspection by a chimney specialist, which can help detect any cracks in the bricks and mortar of your fireplace and chimney. Any problems must be repaired before you use your fireplace. Also ask a chimney sweet professional to inspect your chimney and look for obstructions like birds nests and to look for creosote buildup. Creosote is caused when there isn’t enough air to burn the wood efficiently, and buildup can pose as a serious fire hazard.

Before you start a fire, keep all combustible and flammable materials like paper, logs, kindling, and carpet at least 3 feet away from the fireplace. Make sure the grate and iron is arranged so the logs can’t roll off by accident.

Use just enough gas or wood to keep your fire at the desired temperature. While roaring fires may be romantic, these can start chimney fires because they increase the amount of creosote deposit and soot in the flue.

Never use gasoline or flammable liquid to rekindle a fire. Remember that flammable vapor can explode and flammable liquid can travel the length of a room.

Always keep the damper open while the fire is burning to prevent the accumulation of explosive and poisonous gas. This also promotes efficient burning of fuel.

Before throwing out the ashes, make sure that they have thoroughly cooled down. Keep the ash in a metal container with a lid to prevent a fire and store it in a sturdy place. Ash makes excellent fertilizer for gardens so it’s a good idea to keep them around for the spring. Make sure that the fire is out completely before everybody goes to bed upstairs.

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