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Make Sure Your Hearth Is Ready for the Holidays

Believe it or not, the holiday season is just around the corner. Now is the time to be making all of the necessary preparations for this busy time of year so that you can relax once the holidays arrive. When you have a fireplace, it is most likely one of your main focal points in your home. Your holiday guests will enjoy spending time with you by the hearth, which means you need to be sure it is ready for the season. For residents of the Austin, TX area, Atlas Chimney is ready to help you with all of your professional fireplace and chimney needs. We would like to give you a few tips to make sure your hearth looks its best and will be safe all holiday season long.

Schedule an appointment for your annual professional chimney sweeping and inspection.

The last thing you want to happen during the holidays is a chimney fire, which is why it is so important to have your chimney professionally swept and inspected before the season begins. You can trust Atlas Chimney to remove every bit of flammable creosote from the inner chimney walls to reduce the risk of a chimney fire. We will also make sure during our inspection of your chimney there is no damage present that could cause your fireplace to be unsafe to use during the holidays and the rest of the winter season.

Do not overload the mantel with holiday decorations made of flammable materials.

While you may love the look of stockings hanging from the mantel, Consumer Safety warns of placing these holiday decor staples in front of your fireplace. Other types of decorations that should not be placed on the mantel include garlands and paper decorations. If you insist on decorating your hearth with stockings, make sure you have another place to hang them when the fireplace is in use to prevent an accidental fire from starting.

Keep children and pets safe around the fireplace.

If you do not have kids or pets of your own, you may have some visiting your home over the holidays. You want to make sure your hearth is safe for them by placing a screen in front of the fireplace opening. This will protect young children and pets, who can be very curious about the flames burning in the fireplace. You will also keep toddlers who are just learning how to walk safe from stumbling and falling upon a stone or brick hearth.

Contact Us

Get your hearth ready for this holiday season! Contact us today at Atlas Chimney to make an appointment for your annual professional chimney maintenance services.

A Brief History of Chimney Sweeping

The craft of sweeping chimneys changed immensely since its early origins during the Ancient Roman era. It is surprising to learn how brutal the job was before modern technology and regulations. Before laws and regulations were introduced in the United Kingdom (UK) during the Industrial Revolution (1760-1830), the majority of chimney sweeps across the globe were young children. These kids, called “chimney climbing boys,” began training as young as age six to work in hazardous conditions. Fortunately, those days are well in the past. Education and technology helped improve conditions and safety. At Atlas Chimney, our chimney sweeps have been trained and certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) and use specialized tools to ensure safety. Since the history of chimney sweeping in the UK is similar to that of the USA, we want to tell you about some of the most important years in this history.

1788

During this year, the British Parliament began discussing how to regulate chimney sweeping. According to a professional chimney service in London and South Essex, Clean Sweep, an age limit of eight for chimney sweeps became law. However, this went mostly ignored. After the turn of the century, George Smart invented the first mechanical sweeper. Groups promoted this new method of chimney sweeping and lobbied to Parliament for stricter laws.

1834

Around a decade earlier, Joseph Glass improved on George Smart’s invention, creating the modern chimney sweeping brush. More and more people used this new tool, lessening the need for small children who could fit into chimneys. Parliament passed a law in this year saying children must agree in front of a magistrate to be a chimney sweeper.

1840

An act of Parliament protected those under 21 years old from chimney sweeping. However, this was not taken seriously because it was not law. Lobbyists continued to press Parliament into declaring this act into law, and over the next 35 years, controls over chimney sweeping were tightened significantly. In 1875, the Chimney Sweepers Act became law in order to stop child labor.

Atlas Chimney is thankful for the many improvements to the technology and other working conditions in the chimney industry. If you live in the Austin area, contact us for your professional chimney maintenance, repair, and installation needs.