Fireplaces
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Fireplaces
Who here has one? I am curious how prevalent it is outside my hometown. Everyone around here has a fireplace pretty much (in fact there is a smog problem from chimney particulates). Some use it for main heating, but most have it for a quick warm up and the ambiance of it. Does such a thing even exist in southern climes? Most older houses here have a built-in brick chimney, but the trend recently has been a cast-iron deal with an external aluminum chimney.
The heartbreaking necessity of lying about reality and the heartbreaking impossibility of lying about it.
― Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle
― Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle
- Raggedyann
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I have a woodstove in the basement and it is my primary source of heat. My chimney is an interior aluminum chimney that goes up through 2 floors to the roof. I do worry about the location of the chimney because it is installed between 2 bedrooms, mine and the spare room. If a fire started in the walls from the chimney, there is a good chance I could be trapped. I can't jump out the window because it is 30 ft. above the ground. I do give this some thought occasionally but as there is nothing I can do, except never light the fire, I just ignore the whole thought. But having said that, I do have it inspected every year before I light the fire.
I have a couch in front of the woodstove in the basement and sometimes I cosy up in front of the fire with no TV or other noise and just daydream and watch and listen to the burning logs. There is nothing more relaxing!
I also have an electric mantle fireplace in the living room that provides heat but I bought it more for ambiance and a place to put my minora candelabra and and a funky old oil lamp that I light when the power goes out.
I have a couch in front of the woodstove in the basement and sometimes I cosy up in front of the fire with no TV or other noise and just daydream and watch and listen to the burning logs. There is nothing more relaxing!
I also have an electric mantle fireplace in the living room that provides heat but I bought it more for ambiance and a place to put my minora candelabra and and a funky old oil lamp that I light when the power goes out.
Last edited by Raggedyann on 05-18-2013 02:08 AM, edited 1 time in total.
“For evil to flourish, it only requires good men to do nothing.” Simon Wiesenthal
- Raggedyann
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Very nice! I love your wood floors too. I bet that size stove keeps you toasty and warm. Mine is a little smaller. I use 14" cuts. Where do you get wood? I buy mine from the grads who do a fund raising wood cut every year.
“For evil to flourish, it only requires good men to do nothing.” Simon Wiesenthal
Yep ours takes full size cuts, whatever that is.. 16 I guess. We order it from a local place, it is pretty expensive, but we get good hard wood and I have 3 years worth now rotating in the wood pile (maintaining a wood pile is an art), so I have nice seasoned maple for my BBQ cooking, and greener pieces for slower combustion in the winter.Raggedyann wrote: Very nice! I love your wood floors too. I bet that size stove keeps you toasty and warm. Mine is a little smaller. I use 14" cuts. Where do you get wood? I buy mine from the grads who do a fund raising wood cut every year.
We do not use it for heat, other than to take the chill out, but we have a fair amount of fires. We go through about 2-2.5 cords of wood a seaon, what about you?
The heartbreaking necessity of lying about reality and the heartbreaking impossibility of lying about it.
― Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle
― Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle
- Raggedyann
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I burn, hemlock, balsam, cyprus (yellow cedar) fir and alder. I prefer cyprus. It burns hot and heats the house up fast. My lady neighbour owns a shingle mill and towards the end of the winter when I'm running out of wood, she brings me a truck load of red cedar. She and I are both single and trade off favours. Works very well. I use around 4 to 5 cords of wood a season. Depends on how cold a winter we have. I like burning red cedar because it also burns hot and cleans out the chimney of built up creosote. Doing this has caused the odd fire in the chimney but I shut down the dampers real quick and then pour water in and the steam puts out the flames and has always done the trick. You are probably wondering how I am still alive. I have to admit I was a nervous wreck after a couple of these panicky situations.
Last edited by Raggedyann on 05-18-2013 02:42 AM, edited 1 time in total.
“For evil to flourish, it only requires good men to do nothing.” Simon Wiesenthal
- Jon-Marcus
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We have a woodstove insert inside out fireplace downstairs, and a pellet stove upstairs. We use the woodstove on a day-to-day basis during the winter. The pellet stove pretty much runs 'round the clock from late October through mid-April or thereabouts. Rarely use the natural gas heat anymore that came with the house as a heat source.