At Leonard and Sons, we love the fall. There are a lot of things that come with fall weather: Thanksgiving meals; hiking around and enjoying the fall colors; and, our favorite, getting your 
fireplace ready for fall. Getting your fireplace ready for use this fall is important. There are maintenance and cleaning that must be taken care of. Getting your fireplace ready for fall weather doesn’t have to be all business though. You can enjoy your fall preparations by decorating your fireplace mantle in wonderful fall themes as well. For many people, we included, decorating their fireplaces for fall is a tradition that has been enjoyed and passed down for many years. Decorating can be a lot of fun, but it is also important to remember that you need to consider fire safety at the same time. This fall, we here at Leonard and Sons want to help you with some fall mantle decorations tips. These tips can help you keep your family and home safe this fall.
Decorating Your Mantel
At Leonard and Sons, we love finding new ways to decorate our fireplace mantel for the fall season. Adding fall decorations on top of your mantel is generally a safe way to decorate for the season. However, if you have a mantel that is anchored into your wall, you need to be sure that your decorations aren’t so heavy they are putting stress on your mantel’s anchors. If your mantel falls in front of an active fireplace, it could be extremely hazardous. Also, even if your decorations aren’t heavy, it’s important to make sure that all of your decorations are secure on top of your mantel. You don’t want something falling off your mantel and in front of your fireplace.
Whenever you are decorating around your fireplace, you need to consider the line of sight. Generally speaking, you do not want to put anything combustible too close to your fireplace. A rule of thumb is to keep anything that could start on fire at least three feet away from the front of your fireplace. This includes anything made from wood, paper, or cloth. People also need to be mindful of this when decorating their mantle. Make sure that nothing combustible is hanging from the mantle. Garlands, runners, and cloth covers often hang down a little bit and can easily hang in front of your fireplace if not careful. This creates a potential for fire in the home.
Be Safe This Fall
If you have any questions about decorating your fireplace this fall, give Leonard and Sons a call. Our Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified chimney technicians have been trained to make sure our clients are operating their fireplace and chimney safely. If you ever have any doubts about how safe your fall decorations are, the best idea is to wait to use them until you have consulted one of our technicians. You can reach us at 847-658-7659 or send a question to us on our website. We’ll be happy to help you stay safe this fall!
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