Remembrance Day and American Thanksgiving have come and gone, and the big Holiday Season is only a few weeks ahead. If you like snuggling up to the fire as much as we do at Ark@Home, you’re probably pulling out the decorations right now. But before you transform your home from “fine” to “festive”, here are a few decorating tips that will keep you safe as well as celebratory.
Deck the Halls, Not Your Wood Stoves
This may seem like a no-brainer, but every year over 10,000 people in North America visit the emergency room due to holiday decoration mishaps. An easy way to prevent burns and unwanted fires is to keep your decorations well away from your heating system. That means no candlesticks on the firebox, no tinsel wrapped around the chimney, and no stockings hung in front of the door. Even if you normally don’t have to worry about pets and small children getting close to the wood stove, with holiday visitors you may want to temporarily put up a guard rail.
Keep Trees Away from Heat Sources
Whether you have a wood stove, a traditional wood fireplace or a natural gas fire, all can put out a lot of drying heat. It might seem like a shame when you want to put your tree near the fire to keep the focal point on one side of the room. However, live trees can dry out very quickly and become a fire hazard. Try moving some furniture around, and creating a second focal point in the room for your tree.
Hang Your Stockings With Care
The latest natural gas fireplaces are available with a system that moves the heat to a vent just below the ceiling. If you are decorating your hearth, this can be a handy feature, since the area above the fireplace will be cooler than otherwise.
Don’t Burn Wrappings in the Fireplace
Putting anything in a natural gas fireplace to burn is just a no-no. Even if you have a wood stove or fireplace, it’s risky to burn wrapping paper. Some of the ink used in its manufacture is highly flammable and you could have a flash burn on your hands (literally).
With these simple decorating tips in mind, we wish you a magical decorating time. When you’re done, kick back and enjoy the warmth of your fire. And if you don’t have a warm fire, come see us.