Ask Jason!
We pride ourselves on the knowledge and experience we've gained helping our customers (since 1978!) This section of our website contains articles about our industry and some of the challenges we've overcome.
If you have a topic/question you'd like us to cover, please click here and let us know. — Jason Clough
Required chimney inspections
The chimney industry must adhere to national guidelines such as NFPA 211 and NFPA 54, alongside local building codes usually based on the International Residential Code. These standards dictate different levels of chimney inspections and specify when each level is necessary.
Wood stove evolution
Over the past fifty years, wood stoves and wood inserts have undergone significant transformations, particularly in the pursuit of enhanced efficiency. The 1970s marked the introduction of the "air tight" wood stove, a design shift focusing on controlling combustion air intake instead of using a damper in the stove pipe to regulate exhaust.
Tightly sealed homes and fireplaces
Open fireplaces and wood stoves depend on a good supply of air to function well. In homes that are tightly sealed to keep heat from escaping, this can also block the flow of necessary air for these fireplaces and stoves. This lack of air leads to issues like smoke from the fireplace filling the home, or wood stoves not burning efficiently. Such problems result in more creosote build-up, increasing the risk of chimney fires and lowering the quality of the air inside the house.
Purchasing the right firewood
Selecting the right firewood is crucial for optimal use of your wood stove or fireplace. It's essential that the firewood is dry, ideally with a moisture content below 20%. You can easily measure this using a moisture meter, which is readily available at most hardware stores or online for around $30. These meters have dual probes that need to be inserted into freshly split wood to gauge its internal moisture content accurately.