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Search the FireplaceMall Article Library for information to help you enjoy and care for your chimney, fireplace,
outdoor fireplace and hearth side.
Have a Question? Check the Subject Index.
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Decorating Your Fireplace Mantel for Christmas:
Fill Up the Glassware with Free or Inexpensive Wintery Items
© 2008 PennVentures Inc.
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Looking for a quick, inexpensive or free way to use things you alread have and give your fireplace mantel an undated Christmas arrangement? Bring out the glassware
and fill it up with small wintery holiday items......[more]
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Stinky Fireplace? Solutions for Fireplace Odors
© 2008 PennVentures Inc.
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 Do you smell sour wood smoke after your fire burns out? You may have stinky fireplace! Most cases of stinky fireplace are caused by
moisture from rain or snow that has soaked into the flue liner and the soot deposits in the chimney. The first steps.........................[more]
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Bring the Beach to Your Fireplace Mantel
© 2007 PennVentures Inc.
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 The sand is no longer between your toes, and the beach towels are put away, but your
summer beach vacation need not end. By bringing mementos of your coastal holiday to your fireplace mantel and hearth, you can extend your enjoyment of your lakeside or seaside
vacation......................................................[more]
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Decorating a Fireplace Mantel:
Candlesticks and Fireplace Accessories
© 2007 PennVentures Inc.
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Candles, with good reason, are often-used decorative accessories on fireplace mantels. Lit candles add flames that
complement the glow of a working fireplace, and the candlesticks add height to the mantel display. Yet the candlesticks also need to be of a material that will
harmonize with, not work against, your fireplace accessories..................................................[more]
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Fireplace Mantel Mirrors:
Five Mirror Decorating Tricks for over Your Fireplace
© 2007 PennVentures Inc.
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Mirrors are a traditional way to decorate a fireplace mantel. They add light to the room and seem to expand the area. But just
because mirrors are traditional over fireplaces does not mean they need to be used in traditional ways. Below are five decorating ideas for how to use mirrors over your fireplace
mantel..............................................................................[more]
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 Decorating Your Fireplace for New Years
© 2007 PennVentures Inc.
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Your fireplace is a great place to decorate when welcoming in the New Year. Here are three ideas for decorating your fireplace mantel and
your fireplace for New Year's Eve or New Year's Day..........................[more]
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Five Fireplace and Chimney New Year's Resolutions
© 2006 PennVentures Inc.
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Start the New Year right...right in front of your fireplace! These 5 New Year's Resolutions will help you
make the most of your fireplace!....[more]
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Christmas Fireplace Safety
© 2006 PennVentures Inc.
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 In the famous Christmas poem, the stockings were not just "hung by the chimney;" they were hung "with care." Even in the midst of
describing a nocturnal visit from Santa, the author noted one important aspect of Christmas fireplace safety!
Following are some essential Christmas fireplace safety issues to keep
in mind during the holidays:.....................................................[more]
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How Tall Should Chimney Caps Be?
© 2006 PennVentures Inc.
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Standard chimney caps come in a variety of heights. Some brands of chimney caps are available in heights ranging from 8 inches to 16
inches, but most chimney caps have 10" tall screens. So does the screen height of chimney caps matter? Yes and no. If you are using chimney caps ..[more]
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Chimney Caps with 3/4 Inch Mesh or
Chimney Caps with 5/8 Inch Mesh:
What's the Difference?
© 2006 PennVentures Inc.
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Decorating Your Fireplace Mantel
with the "Three Plus One" Trick
© 2006 PennVentures Inc.
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You've found the perfect mirror, painting, quilt, tapestry, or element to center above your fireplace mantel. But
how will you decorate the fireplace mantel itself to get that "decorator look"?
One trick decorators use on fireplace mantels is "Three Plus One." Here's how it works:
...........................................................................[more]
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Decorating Your Fireplace
for Springtime and Easter
© 2005-2006 PennVentures Inc.
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Sure you decorate your fireplace and mantel for the winter holidays, but don't forget this important focal point in your room as Spring
approaches. Here are some nearly-instant ideas for springtime and Easter fireplace
decorating:................................................................................[more]
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A Quick Guide to
New Fireplace Screen Shapes
© 2005 PennVentures Inc.
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Thinking about a new fireplace screen for
your hearth? There are more options available now than just a few years ago. Don't be overwhelmed by the possibilities for
fireplace accessories, though. Here's a quick guide to fireplace screen shapes.
Fireplace screens vary by the number of panels they have, by whether the panels are straight or bowed, by the shape of the top of the screen, and by whether they have access doors. There is also a distinction between fireplace screens and fireplace spark guards...............................[
more]
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Firebacks: Which Type is Better
for My Fireplace?
© 2005 PennVentures Inc.
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F
irebacks come in two types: stainless
steel firebacks and cast iron firebacks. Both types can be merely leaned against the back of your fireplace or stood in "feet"
or brackets. And both types of firebacks also protect the back wall of your fireplace. But each type of fireback does have
its own advantages.........................................[more]
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As the weather hints of warmth and the
spring buds appear on trees, firewood may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But early spring is the ideal time to
buy or gather your firewood for your fireplace or woodstove. Why? Here are 5 good reasons:
..............................[more]
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Not all firewood is created equal. If you
have ever tried burning wood that is too green; too long for your fireplace or woodstove; or too full of bugs,
detritus, or sap, you know this already!
Know the length you want your pieces of firewood to be before cutting or purchasing firewood for either your fireplace or woodstove. For a fireplace, consider the length of your grate. If your wood is too short, ....[more
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How much firewood should I buy, and when should I buy it? These
are questions that may lead busy homeowners to postpone ordering their firewood. Here are some answers
from fireplace experts.
There's no surefire way to figure
out how much firewood you will need for a year, but there are some guidelines for estimating. In 1998,
Vermont homeowners who heat primarily with wood burned almost 5 cords; those who burned wood as a supplement to
other home heating.........[more]
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It's not very difficult to choose exactly the right chimney cap for your home, especially if you take it one step at a time. There are just four things to consider: shape, type, metal, and size.
First, what shape
should your chimney cap be?
Look at your chimney and find the flue, the pipe that
lets the smoke out. It's either round, square or rectangular. ...................................[
more]
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You're convinced. You really do need a chimney cap to
keep the rain from damaging your chimney flue and to keep squirrels, raccoons, and bats
from taking up residence. You have carefully measured your flue(s) and ordered the
correct chimney cap. While you wait for it to arrive, give a few minutes thought to
its installation. Here's how:......................................[more]
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A
fireplace candelabra is a special way to make the natural focal point of a room, its fireplace, glow with the romance and beauty of a fire even when there are no burning logs. Here are some simple, quick tips for making the most of your fireplace candelabra
.
First, some ideas about inexpensive ways to get the most
razzle-dazzle out of your fireplace candelabra:
Place a mirror
under your fireplace candelabra and let it reflect the
candlelight.
.................................................................[more
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Every
fireplace candelabra needs candles, of course. But candles in your fireplace candelabra provide more than fickering flames; they provide color, visual interest, mood, aroma, and drama to your room. These candle decorating tips add style and charm to your fireplace candelabra.
- Don't get in a rut and use the same
style of candle every time. Try pillars, spherical candles,
and tapers. Votive candles.......[more]
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You don't have to be an
Eagle Scout to make a good fire in your fireplace. You
just have to use a tried and trusted method.
Let us assume (Ahem!) that you've had your
chimney inspected and cleaned so that there's no build-up of
flammable creosote to worry about. You've taken the old
ashes to your compost pile, or you .........[more]
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For some people, a
fireplace might as well be a video of flaming
logs. Their primary interest is the welcoming
ambiance a fireplace's blaze presents. If,
however, you expect your fireplace to provide heat
in exchange for your log-carrying, fire-building
efforts, (or in the case of gas logs, in exchange
for your gas bill), it's time to maximize your
fireplace's heat output.
There
are various contraptions designed to return more of
a wood or gas fireplace's heat into the room and
stanch the flow of that precious heat from escaping
up the chimney. Many of them involve fans and
vents and considerable expense. But one of the
most time-honored, hassle-free, and least expensive
methods of increasing a fire's heat output, and
therefore your fireplace's energy efficiency, is
making a comeback: the
fireback.
[more]
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I
f you're planning some decorations for
your fireplace, or if you just want to get
rid of the unsightly build up of soot, you
are probably wondering how to clean your
fireplace without making a
mess. Cleaning your fireplace may look
like a forbidding job, but if you take it
step-by-step you'll neither swear nor
sweat. This tested method has worked
on fireplaces up to 100 years
old. ...............................................[
more]
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If
you have a fireplace, you have a
hole in your roof. That hole,
your chimney's flue, sucks the warm
air from your furnace, fireplace,
or woodstove right out of your
house.
Traditionally, a
cast iron throat damper is placed
inside your flue and is opened only
when you are using your
fireplace. But even brand new
cast iron throat dampers are
notorious for letting heat leak out
of homes. And older ones that
have deteriorated, warped, or
rusted allow that heat to gush out
of your
home. ..........................................................[
more]
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T
ime for a new chimney
cap? Do you have a round
flue but are not sure which
of the many chimney caps
for round flues is best for
you? Our quick and
easy Selection Guide Table
for Chimney Caps for Round
Flues will help your pick
the chimney cap best suited
to the type of round flue
you have and any special
conditions, such as
drafting problems, your
fireplace or chimney
has.........................................................................[
more]
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W
hile you are
cleaning leaves out
of your home's
gutters, dealing
with Christmas
lights, or
adjusting a
satellite dish,
don't forget to
check on your
chimney caps while
you're on the
roof....A
once-a-year check
on your chimney
caps can be well
worth your time for
protecting your
house. Here
are four things to
check on your
chimney
caps:.........................[
more
].
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F
or
picnic
tables,
decks,
porches,
and
sidewalks,
decorators
are using
an unusual
source of
candle
lighting. Fireplace candelabra—those
candle
holders
intended
for
fireplaces—have
moved
outside for
the summer!
[
more
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S
hiny,
silver
or
chrome
toned
metals
are
joining
the
more
conventional
brass
and
wrought
iron
ones
for
fireplace
accessories.
Are
brushed
steel,
pewter,
chrome,
or
satin
nickel
fireplace
accessories
right
for
your
hearth?
[
more
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Before
You Hang Your
Stockings by the
Chimney with Care,
Be Sure Your Fireplace is Santa-Ready
© 2005 PennVentures Inc.
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W
hen
you
hang
those
stockings
from
the
mantel,
you're
calling
even
more
attention
than
usual
to
the
natural
focal
point
of
your
room,
the
fireplace. Especially
at
this
time
of
year,
you
want
your
fireplace
and
fireplace
accessories
to
look
their
best. Here's
a
quick
fireplace
checklist
to
help
you
prepare
your
hearth
for
the
Christmas
season........................[
more
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Smoky Fireplace? Here's How to Fix It
© 2007 PennVentures Inc.
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A
fireplace that allows smoke to escape into the room (back puffing) is a nuisance and a downright danger because fireplace smoke carries odorless but deadly carbon monoxide. Diagnosing the cause of your smoky fireplace is essential to finding the most efficient and cost effective solution to your back puffing................................................................................[
more
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A Sweetheart of a Fireplace Candelabra:
A Special Valentine's Gift
© 2007 PennVentures Inc.
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A
fireplace candelabra is a unique way to say "Happy Valentine's Day" to a special someone! Chocolates are full of calories and trans fats. Flowers fade and die (not the message you want to convey about your love!) But a fireplace candelabra lasts and lasts, and brings romantic candlelight into your Valentine's life time and time again. .....................................[
more
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Decorating
Your
Fireplace
Mantel for
Christmas:
Fill Up
the
Glassware
with Free
or
Inexpensive
Wintery
Items
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Looking
for a
quick,
inexpensive
or free way
to use
things you
already
have and
give your
fireplace
mantel an
updated
Christmas
arrangement? Bring
out the
glassware
and fill
'em
up!........................................[
more
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Picture
Guide to
Types of
Round
Flues: Help
Selecting
the
Appropriate
Chimney Cap
for Round
Flues
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If you are
not
familiar
with terms
such as
Solid Pack,
Double Wall
Air
Insulated,
Triple
Wall,
Flexible
Liner, or
Masonry
Flue, have
no
fear! Just
compare
your flue
with these
illustrations
to
determine
which style
of round
flue you
have and
the
specific
models of
chimney
caps
appropriate
for each
type of
flue.................................................................................[
more
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