Foreword

Everybody loves a wood fire. Somehow, wood heat just feels warmer than other kinds of heat. Yes, I know. It sounds a bit silly. But how often do you get the urge to curl up next to an air vent or baseboard heat register with your hot chocolate? Anybody who has a wood stove or fireplace will tell you that the kind of intense, radiant heat it provides just can't be matched.

Of course, to have this wonderful heat in your home requires chimneys, fireplaces, and stoves; and the know-how to use them properly and safely.

This book is for all homeowners who want to use a wood stove or fireplace, whether it's all winter long or just for a night or two, but are unsure about their chimneys and wood heat appliances. Is the stove or fireplace safe? Was the chimney built correctly? How does it work?

If you find yourself asking these questions, read this book. You will find clear, direct answers to your chimney-related questions and simple instructions for correcting problems. What you will not find is a lot of trade jargon and complicated references to technical codes and standards. My goal is to encourage the safe use of wood heat by explaining in simple terms how to get the most out of your fireplace, stove, and chimney.

Note: I have chosen not to cover pellet stoves, corn stoves, or gas stoves in this book, because although these appliances are sometimes connected to chimneys, there are significantly different principles at work, so most of the use and maintenance issues are different from those regarding wood stoves and fireplaces.