General How to prep your fireplace for the winter By Published: November 16, 2018 Updated: March 26, 2024 share Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Copy Link Cancel View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Photo by Pinkyone/Shutterstock How to prep your fireplace for the winter It's the time of year where pretty much any activity—skiing, shovelling, Netflix bingeing—can be made better with a roaring fire. If you haven't already fired up your fireplace this year, here are a few maintenance chores that should be done before you snuggle up with a cup of hot chocolate. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Photo by Alexander Chaikin/Shutterstock Get your chimney cleaned and checked for damage To get rid of flammable creosote build-up, you should get your chimney cleaned once a year. Inspect the masonry and make sure it's still securely attached to your roof. And if you don't have a cap to keep out animals and debris, get one installed. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Photo by Larisa Duka/Shutterstock Check your firebox for any damage Take a look inside your fireplace and make sure the firebricks are all intact. If you see a crack, don't try to repair it with regular mortar — it can't stand up to high heat. Call in a pro. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Photo by AlexMaster/Shutterstock Clean out any ashes from last year If ashes get hot, they can release carbon monoxide, so make sure you scoop them out before you begin a new fire. Spray them with a little water if you don't want a messy, dirty dust cloud. (Then save them to use in your garden next year!) View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Photo by Valentyn Volkov/Shutterstock Make sure your damper opens and closes smoothly Open and close your damper to make sure it's not stuck. If it won't move smoothly, clean it with a wire-bristle brush. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Photo by AlexMaster/Shutterstock Check for animals' nests Poke your head up (or down) the chimney and make sure nothing's nesting there. If their house burns, yours could burn too. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Photo by GTS Productions/Shutterstock Clean your brass fireplace doors with tomato If your brass fireplace doors are a little smeary, rub a thin film of tomato paste, tomato sauce or ketchup onto them. Leave it on for an hour, then wipe it off. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Photo by Africa Studio/Shutterstock Clean your glass fireplace doors If your glass fireplace doors are covered with a thin white film, you can get special cleaner to get rid of it. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Photo by Surhii Krot/Shutterstock Use the right kind of wood Use hardwood that's been aged and stored somewhere dry for at least six months. Soft woods produce more creosote, which means more gunk in your chimney. Note: Never burn treated or painted wood. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Photo by AlexMaster/Shutterstock Clear stuff away from your fireplace If you're used to keeping magazine or newspapers around (or in) your fireplace, clear them out of the way of any sparks once your fireplace is being used again. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Photo by Carol A Hudson/Shutterstock Assemble your tools To be honest, those traditional sets of fireplace tools aren't all that useful. What you'll really need is a pair of long tongs for moving logs, and a scoop for cleaning up ashes before the next fire. That's really it. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Photo by kryzhov/Shutterstock Make sure your safety equipment is ready and working Before you light your first fire, make sure you've got working fire extinguishers handy, and test both your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. View in Fullscreen Related galleries At the Helliwell cottage—and all over cottage country—pickleball is serving up hours of fun It’s huge! 5 giant facts about Canada 8 expert-approved Canadian cheeses to serve to your cottage guests 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 How to prep your fireplace for the winter It’s the time of year where pretty much any activity—skiing, shovelling, Netflix bingeing—can be made better with a roaring fire. If you haven’t already fired up your fireplace this year, here are a few maintenance chores that should be done before you snuggle up with a cup of hot chocolate. Related Story How to avoid spreading invasive species through firewood