I plan on sharing some day-to-day experiences with you because I live in an awesome world, I get to be in nature all day, I meet some very interesting people and have some amazing adventures.
But first there is some information that I want to present so that this information can be found on the world wide “interweb” as we call it at my house.
Let’s start with the most frequently asked questions.
People ask me all the time,
“How often should I have my chimney and fireplace professionally cleaned?”
The rule of thumb is once every 75 fires or every cord of wood.
“How much is a cord of wood?”
It is a stack of wood 4 feet high X 8 feet long X 4 feet deep.
“Do I need my chimney cleaned if I am using a manufactured log instead of real wood?”
Yes, anything you burn will leave debris in your fireplace and on the walls of your chimney. All of that debris is a flammable substance known as creosote.
“What is creosote?”
Inside chimneys and stovepipes deposits originating as condensed wood smoke having three stages:
1st stage is soft soot
2nd stage is lumpy and crisp
3rd state is like roofing tar and is smooth as glass
“What is a damper?”
A damper is a moveable blade located in the throat of the fireplace that is designed to impede airflow in the chimney. During the colder months of the year, it is important to keep the damper closed when the fireplace is not in use because the damper will keep the exterior cold air from sinking down the chimney and entering your home and prevent your expensive PG&E heated air in your home.
If you live with air condition, the same is true when using that option to cool your home.
A glass fireplace enclosure also impedes airflow.