Making Use Of Your Fireplace In The Summer

Fireplaces are fantastic during the winter. They provide warmth, ambience, light, and aroma with a single flame. Yet these majestic winter wonders turn to a dust trap of doom when its uses are no longer needed. In order to get the most of your fireplace all year long, you need to find different ways to repurpose it in the warm months. Here are some tips for making use of your brick fireplace in the summer.

Make It Decorative

Chances are your fireplace is one of the focal points of your living room, even when it is not in use. Most people will position their furniture in a way that flatters the fireplace. You might as well turn this into a work of art when you don’t need to use it for its actual purpose. For instance, you may add artwork over the mantle to create a splash of color, or you may fill the opening with decorative candles. Think of this as a space to showcase the best design elements in the home so it still looks like it has a purpose.

Get It Fixed

The summer is a great time to schedule a chimney inspection because you most likely won’t need to use it for quite some time. If you need any chimney repair work done, you could have that completed before next winter. That way, you’re ready to go when the weather turns cold.

Make It Functional

Some homeowners like to clean out their fireplaces and use them for storage during the summer. This storage could be visible or hidden, depending on what you use it for. For instance, if you put books in there, you might be able to stack them nicely so they look like they fit the room. If you’re using the fireplace to store boxes of tissue, you might want to put a screen on top to hide that.

Keep It Clean

If you don’t want to add anything to your fireplace over the summer, at least clean it up. Having a clean, ash-free fireplace will brighten up your room, and it will ensure that your first burn next winter is as glorious as possible. Schedule a chimney cleaning to get rid of all the soot buildup in your chimney, and you should be all set for when the temperature starts to drop in the future.