When warm weather has arrived and your fireplace is no longer needed for the year, shovel out any ashes and make sure the damper is closed to prevent drafts, rainwater, or animals from entering your home through your chimney.

To-Do #5: Fireplace Maintenance

Once the fireplace has cooled down, take a look inside to locate the damper. The damper is a metal flap that closes over the opening to the chimney flue.

It will have a handle—with a metal loop, lever, or set of chains—usually located near the front of your fireplace opening to use to close it.

It may require a flashlight to see how to close the damper, and you may also want to wear work gloves to keep your hands from getting sooty.

Types of Dampers:

    • Metal loop dampers can be closed by hand, or by inserting a poker into the loop and moving the flap closed.
    • Lever dampers are closed by lifting slightly on the lever to disengage it, then pushing or pulling it closed.
  • Chain dampers are closed by pulling on first the longer chain to disengage the mechanism, then the shorter chain to close the flap.
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Danny Lipford

Founder

Danny Lipford is a home improvement expert and television personality who started his remodeling business, Lipford Construction, at the age of 21 in Mobile, Alabama. He gained national recognition as the host of the nationally syndicated television show, Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford, which started as a small cable show in Mobile. Danny's expertise in home improvement has also led him to be a contributor to popular magazines and websites and the go-to source for advice on everything related to the home. He has made over 200 national television appearances and served as the home improvement expert for CBS's The Early Show and The Weather Channel for over a decade. Danny is also the founder of 3 Echoes Content Studio, TodaysHomeowner.com, and Checking In With Chelsea, a décor and lifestyle blog.

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