The wood Stoves category focuses on wood-burning stoves, their benefits, installation, maintenance, and safety tips, as well as best practices for efficient and eco-friendly wood heating.
Has your new wood stove arrived with the fire bricks in a separate box? You may be wondering if you line the bottom of the stove with fire bricks. Some stoves are designed not to need them on the floor. We’ll explain how to double-check your unit. We’ll also show you how to install or … Read more
If you inherit or move into a house with a wood stove and there is a strong creosote smell, then you should get the stove and chimney inspected immediately. Do not light the stove again until the installation has been fixed or given a clean bill of health. But what if you’ve fixed the problem … Read more
It’s not unusual to see cracks appear in the fire bricks that line the interior of a wood stove. Hairline cracks are usually not a problem. However, if there is a large gap or the brick has started to crumble, then you should replace them. There are ways you can ensure that your bricks last … Read more
A friend bought a house with an old cast iron wood stove. When he looked inside, he was surprised that there were no fire bricks. There also didn’t appear to be room to insert new bricks into the back or sides of the interior. He asked me what he should do, so I did a … Read more
Many modern wood stoves are designed to use fire bricks that line the interior casing. The fire bricks are designed to: This article explains each of these benefits in plain English. We also look at what happens if you use a stove that is missing the fire bricks it should contain. We strongly advise that … Read more
Do you want to clean out your wood stove before heading out to dinner? Is the installer coming to inspect the appliance? There are a lot of scenarios where you want to know how long it takes a wood stove to cool down. This article gives you the answers based on different configurations of modern … Read more
Do you want to reduce the heat in a wood stove that is burning too hot? Is the installer coming to check the flue and it’s a little hot for comfort? This article gives you our six top tips for cooling down your wood stove. We also add some precautions and advice on what not … Read more
Several hardwood logs burning in a wood stove with narrowed air vents will last between one to three hours. Unseasoned logs will burn faster. The type of wood and the moisture content also determines the burn hours. This article gives you advice and tips on how to make your logs burn longer in your wood … Read more
Now and then, I open the door of my wood stove too quickly and a waft of smoke permeates my clothes. I’ve tried several solutions to get rid of that wood smoke smell from my tops and jeans. This article has step-by-step instructions for the best methods. My top recommendation is to pre-soak the clothes … Read more
If you are suddenly getting a strong and unpleasant smell coming from a wood stove or fireplace, you may be concerned that it’s a sign of a creosote problem. This may not be the case. It may be the remains of a small animal or it could be bits of plastic that got mixed with … Read more
