The Proper Care and Feeding of a Woodstove

Ah, the delights of winter. Warm sweaters, hot soup and a cozy fireplace or woodstove.

With the onset of cold weather, lots of people are lighting the first fire of the season. I've heated my homes with wood for over a decade now, so I thought I'd share a few tips I've picked up over the years for safe, comfortable home fires.

Is It Installed Correctly and in Good Condition?

Before starting a fire, remove your dog's teddy bear chew toy from the stove top.

Especially in old houses, it's important to check the installation and condition. Even in new homes, it's a good idea to check your contractor's work.

Priorities for correct installation:

1. Have as few bends in the chimney as possible.
2. Use a metal stove pipe, or line your masonry chimney with metal. (Old masonry can crack and cause a fire hazard.)
3. Make sure the woodstove is surrounded by non-flammable material and is set away from the wall.
   
4. Make sure the pipe doesn't come near wood where it passes through the wall or ceiling. (That's the purpose of the black "thimble" box at the top of my stove pipe.)
   
5. Try to make it easy to access the inside of the pipe for annual cleaning.

Regular Cleaning Prevents Chimney Fires

Over the course of a winter's burning, a flammable material called creosote will build up in your chimney. Eventually the creosote can cause chimney fires. To prevent chimney fires:

1. Make sure the inside of the chimney or pipe is scrubbed out from top to bottom every year using a stiff wire chimney brush.
2. Check for birds' nests in the fall before burning.
3. Make sure to burn a good hot fire every once in awhile; don't just have smoldering fires. (They create more creosote.)
   
4. Use the right wood.
   

Santa Claus prefers clean chimneys.

The Right Wood Burns Better

If you only burn your stove occasionally, you can pick up a tiny bundle of firewood at the grocery store. It's expensive, but it's an easy luxury.

However, if you're going to burn regularly, get a stash of well-dried hardwood such as oak or locust. You can also mix a few softwood logs in there, like pine. The soft woods are nice when you're starting a fire because they burn easily and heat the room up quickly.

However, the hard woods are better for long-term, regular use because they create less creosote. Hardwoods also burn longer, so you don't have to keep adding logs all the time.

A good stack of dry wood is like money in the bank.

In a perfect world, you'll get your firewood a few months before winter sets in, so the wood has time to dry and is easy to light. For the best results, cover it from rain and snow.

Prevent Hot Rolling Logs of Flaming Death

Okay, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but when you're burning a fire, it helps to keep in mind that hot logs or sparks can come out of the front of the stove.

Pay attention to what's in front of your stove. If you have hardwood floors, get a fire resistant hearth rug to protect the floor. An ordinary rug like this one should be moved away from the stove before you light the fire.

If you like to leave the stove door open, you may also want to get a fire screen to keep sparks from popping out.

Get the Right Accessories

There are several accessories that every stove or fireplace owner should have. Some of these just add luxury, but some of them are necessary for safety.

1. A kettle. Woodstoves can really dry out the air in a room. If you have a metal stove top, a kettle of some kind is nice to humidify the air.
2. A metal ash bucket and shovel. Eventually your stove will fill up with ash and you'll need to remove them. However, even old ashes can still hide hot coals, so you need to shovel your ashes into a metal bucket until you're sure they're safe.
3. A place to stack your wood. I keep mine on this painted chair, which allows me to sweep up the wood chips that inevitably collect underneath.
4. A fire poker, tongs and a brush. You'll need to be able to manipulate hot logs without touching them. You'll also need to sweep up ashes.
5. A supply of kindling. You can just collect small dry sticks from your neighborhood.
6. Newspaper and matches.
7. Optional, but highly recommended: An easy chair, a foot stool. a reading lamp, a radio, a pile of books, and a drowsy cat or dog (your choice).
   

I prefer the dog, but the cat will pose for pictures.

Now that you've got your woodstove in order, what other winter projects would you like to get done? I'll be glad to help with your "to do" list.

Yes, please help me with my to-do list!