Now we’re coming out of winter and into much warmer months, you may be wondering what to do with your home stove now that it isn’t getting much use. Home stoves are the perfect addition to the home in winter; not only do they warm your home but they also provide a unique and beautiful focal point.
Now that there’s little opportunity to light up your home fire there are still a few things you can do in order to maintain, preserve and even make use of a fireplace that is otherwise going to fall into disuse and possibly disrepair for half of the year.
Before you decide to do anything with your fireplace or home stove it is important that you perform basic duties of cleaning out any ash and soot left over from winter use. This could also be a good time to give it a good cleanout too. One this is done, there are a few ways you can make use of your fireplace through summer so as not to waste it:
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Storage
Fireplaces of all sizes can be used to store a number of items once they are properly cleaned. You can turn your open space into a bookshelf or store unused firewood around the edges of your stove for an added aesthetic. You can even use it to store extra pillows and throws that are no longer needed on the sofa. Smaller fireplaces can look cluttered with too much so keep it simple; larger fireplaces on the other hand can look good with some temporary shelving to store even more.
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Candles and mirrors
A good way of keeping the flames flickering through summer without turning your home into a furnace is to use candles instead of lighting an actual fire. This way you can achieve that coveted aesthetic without having to burn through your fuel supply either. Scented candles are also a great way of giving your home that additional fragrance and to help keep pests out of your home.
Finding a mirror that it’s the space in your fireplace it can give your room added depth and feel more spacious, it can even just add an extra little feature to your living space.
Use this time to contact your local coal merchants and stock up your fuel supply ready for when summer is over and you can start lighting up your fireplace once again with properly aged and dried wood and smokeless coals.