Chimney and Fireplace Service in Keene's Pointe, FL

A new sofa, a thicker rug or a holiday display can creep toward the fireplace one piece at a time. Rearranging a room with a fireplace in Keene's Pointe, a community in Orange County, is a good moment to measure the space in front of the fire. NFPA heating safety tips call for keeping anything that can burn at least three feet from a fireplace and for a three-foot kid-free zone around open fires.

That covers furniture, rugs, curtains, stacked books, baskets, toys and stockings. A sturdy screen in front of a wood fire keeps sparks inside the firebox, where they belong. Gas fireplaces have their own rules in their manuals. Heat & Glo's owner's manual for one current model says not to place combustible objects in front of the fireplace or block its louvers, and to keep candles and other heat-sensitive objects off the mantel and hearth because the heat may damage them.

A Vermont Castings Group gas fireplace manual tells owners not to put clothing or decorations on or around the unit. The mantel matters as well. The Florida Building Code limits how close combustible trim and mantels may sit to the opening of a masonry fireplace, and a factory-built fireplace sets its own distances in its listing.

A new, deeper mantel can put wood closer to the heat than the old one did, and scorch marks or blistered paint above the opening are warning signs. During the inspection, our technicians check the clear space, the screen or doors and the mantel distance and point out anything that has moved too close. Keene's Pointe homeowners get that inspection free from our family-owned team, with a written estimate, no hidden fees and 10% off work booked within 72 hours after it.