Articles of interest to homeowners about Fireplaces.
Here are some maintenance tips to help reduce your need for wood stove repairs.
A wood stove essentially is a metal container for a fire. Made from cast iron or brick-lined, welded plate steel, a wood stove has an inlet for combustion air and an outlet for combustion gases, the smoke.
Chimney cleaning, or "sweeping," can be a messy task, but it's important because buildup of soot can lead to intense and dangerous chimney fires.
New masonry fireplaces have come a long way since the days when they provided more ambience than warmth. Today's models are much more energy efficient, and some European models can heat an entire small home.
If you own a fireplace, it is important to think about getting your chimney cleaned. Learn about why you should get your chimney cleaned and answers to other common questions concerning chimneys.
A sealed combustion gas fireplace can help to eliminate the threat of harmful gases from entering the house.
Q: The back wall of my fireplace has a rather large crack almost from the top to the bottom. When we had the chimney cleaned, we were told the problem could be taken care of by adding a firewall instead of replacing the back wall.
What can you tell me about firewalls? Is this a good solution?
Q: What should be the interior depth of a fireplace from the back wall?
This homeowner's guide to fireplaces and chimneys covers safety issues, inspection and cleaning, and the simple maintenance required to ensure years of safe enjoyment of your fireplace, wood stove, and chimney.
Q: Why does my house smell for several days after using the fireplace? The damper is always open, and the wood seems well seasoned and dry.
Flickering flames, glowing embers, and the essence of wood smoke: nothing is quite as cozy as a fire on a cold winter's day. A fireplace needs to safely contain that cozy fire, encourage the fuel to burn, exhaust smoke, and deliver warmth to the room.
Depending on the type of problem you're having with your fireplace, the solution might be as minor as opening your flue (if smoke isn't going up the chimney) or as major as a structural repair if bricks are coming loose, or a complete cleaning if your chimney catches on fire.
Masonry is probably the oldest of the building trades. Civilizations have used stone, adobe and brick to build homes, temples, forts, walls, bridges and roads. In many basic ways the skills and tools have not changed over the centuries.
Fireplace inserts are heavy, often weighing more than 400 pounds. Since wood burning inserts need to be removed when the chimney is being cleaned and maintained, they can be awkward and heavy to handle. It is a job best left to a professional chimney sweep. In some cases, however, you do not have to remove the insert to clean the chimney. The insert can stay in place during cleaning if you install a full relining collar, a stainless steel pipe that connects to the insert and goes to the top of the chimney.
Gas fireplace inserts are used to convert existing wood burning fireplaces (both pre-fab and masonry) to a sealed gas appliance. They consist of a gas log set installed into a steel or cast-iron heat exchanger and are usually sealed on the front with glass.
If you enjoy using a masonry fireplace but don't like the associated energy costs or work, consider purchasing a fireplace insert. An insert is basically a stove designed to fit into a conventional open fireplace. Gas fireplace inserts consist of a gas log set installed into a steel or cast iron heat exchanger and are usually sealed on the front with glass. Many of these units have fans to move the heat, and are also available with remote controls, wall switches or wall-mounted thermostats.
Q: Can you tell me how I might remove soot from the white cement bricks in the firebox of my wood-burning fireplace? I have removed the insert, had the chimney cleaned and would like to put gas logs in.
The fireplace is a central meeting area in a home, a place for the warmth and friendship of old and a center piece for conversation. Even though they require very little maintenance, if problems do occur, there is help.