Chimney Care Company's Blog

Local Seasoned Firewood: The Best Fuel for Your Fire

If you want your wood-burning fireplace to burn cleaner and more efficiently, choosing local seasoned firewood ranks high in importance. If you are not familiar with what this type of wood is, the term “seasoned” simply means dried. According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), using seasoned firewood can actually improve the performance of your fireplace and chimney. Building a fire with freshly-cut, wet wood can create smoke and odor problems and promote the rapid accumulation of large creosote deposits, which are the main cause of chimney fires. Shopping for seasoned firewood can be tricky because you do not always get sufficiently dry wood. Our staff at Chimney Care Co. often suggests to our customers to find a trustworthy local firewood cutter to be sure the wood you buy has been dried or to cut their own firewood and season it themselves through proper storage. We have some tips on drying firewood we would like to share with you to help you properly dry and store your fuel.

• Cut each piece of wood to the same length. A uniform length makes the firewood easier to store. Consider the size of your firebox when determining the right length. In general, firewood should be about three inches shorter than the width or length of the firebox.
• Before you stack, split the wood. Splitting the wood in advance of stacking it improves the drying process by exposing more of the wood to the air.
• Check the moisture content. You will want to note the amount of moisture in the wood before drying it. You want the wood to reach a moisture content of 20% to be sure it is properly seasoned. To measure the exact water content in wood, you can use a moisture meter, which can be found for around $25 at a hardware store.
• Stack the wood in alternate directions. Using this stacking pattern creates better air circulation, allowing for faster drying.
• Store your firewood off the ground. To keep the bottom of your wood pile from getting wet and absorbing moisture, build a storage shed or other structure that can keep the wood at least six inches away from the ground.
• Cover the top of the pile, but leave the sides open. When building your storage shed, be sure to include a roof. A simple lean-to structure with a roof and a floor is all you will need. You can also cover your wood pile with a tarp, however, leave the sides of the pile uncovered as the tarp can trap moisture inside. You can remove the tarp when it is warm and sunny, which will speed up the drying process.
• Store your wood for at least six months to a year.[bold] The best way of knowing your wood is properly seasoned and dry enough to burn effectively is to wait at least six months before using it as firewood.

If you have any questions about local seasoned firewood, contact Chimney Care Co. today. We are happy to tell you more about the best fuel for your fire.

Improving Indoor Air Quality

Do you smell smoke inside your house? Not a good sign! Your fireplace or chimney might need a check-up. Do it now or else the quality of your indoor air will be compromised.

How can my chimney improve air quality?

One of the things fire needs is air, or to be more specific, oxygen. That’s one of the three elements needed for combustion (fancy way to say “fire”). The other two elements needed are fuel and heat. Add them all up and boom! You’ve got a fire. The problem is, without the perfect combination of these three elements, you’re going to end up with some pollution. Some of it will stick to the inside of your chimney (that’s called creosote), and some of it will be fumes that float into your home (called spillage, or wood smoke pollution) and can cause all kinds of problems. But don’t worry—there are a few simple measures you can take to stay safe while operating your fireplace.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

It’s a great song, but smoke doesn’t just get in your eyes. Wood smoke pollution releases pollutants and toxic fumes into the air that are harmful to your health in a number of ways:

• Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) that can cause cancer
• Fine particle pollution (ash) that damages lung tissue and creates respiratory problems
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
• Carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, nitrogen oxides

What Goes Up…

Ideally, smoke goes up the chimney, right? Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. There are a few things that can complicate the situation.

• Incomplete combustion of fuels
• Drafts
• Improper exhaust

Fight Smoke with Fire

Three things you can do to reduce smoke:

1. Have your chimney inspected and cleaned annually
2. Burn dry, seasoned wood
3. Make sure your house is well ventilated before starting a fire

Having your chimney maintained is your first line of defense. We can point out any problems with exhaust, and we get rid of creosote, which can build up and cause blockage. Wood that is green or has moisture can’t get hot enough, which means that fire has to work just to stay alive, which creates incomplete combustion. Making sure your home is well ventilated gives your fire the air supply it needs, so it doesn’t have to suck air down through the chimney.

Moldy Situations

We can’t end without saying something about mold. Both air ducts and chimneys can be habitats for mold to grow and reproduce. Mold is often an unseen enemy of air quality in the home.
Health risks associated with mold:

• sinus and respiratory problems
• coughing
• headaches
• eye and throat irritation

The best ways to combat mold are by having your chimney waterproofed and getting your air ducts cleaned. We’ve got a lot of happy customers that we’ve helped with all kinds of chimney issues, including improving the air quality of their homes so they can rest assured that their families are safe while that fireplace is running. Give us a call today, to see if we can help improve the air quality in your home.