The weather’s certainly heating up, which means you probably won’t have your antique fireplaces lit for much longer – if you haven’t already stopped lighting them up. While it’s a little sad that roaring log fires will be put on hold for a few months, spring and summer are the perfect times of year to focus on the upkeep of your fireplace itself, so you know it’ll be in good working order by the time autumn and winter roll around again.

During the off season, give your fireplace a good once over so you can spot any issues ahead of time. Check, for example, that the damper is tightly shut as if it’s left open you’ll end up with a draft coming into your house! Keep your eyes peeled as well for any problems with the damper that might need repairing or parts replacing.

And of course, now is the perfect time to really clean out your fireplace since you won’t be using it for a few months. Use your fireplace shovel to get rid of any debris and then vacuum up the leftovers that you can’t sweep up.

Then fill up a bucket with some soap and warm water, and give it a good scrub with a sponge. Once it’s dry, you’ll be able to see any spots or marks left behind that you can easily cover with some fireplace paint.

And don’t forget that you should also have someone round to clean your chimney at least once a year and this is the best time to get the job done.