Durham Region Real Estate Blog

It really wasn’t that long ago when wood burning fireplaces were a major source of heat for many homeowners and many home buyers still desire them. But knowing the common problems associated with them and how they can be fixed will really help you out in the long run.

According to a study by Environment Canada, “Using a wood-fire stove for only nine hours….produces as much fine-particle pollution as does a car in a year.” Not a great statistic, especially in a city where air quality might not be the best to begin with. But if you love wood heat, don’t despair, there are ways that you can eliminate the amount of smoke from a wood burning fireplace, making it more environmentally friendly.

First you need to understand how the fireplace works. Smoke should be drawn naturally up the chimney at all times. If the fireplace smokes when it’s operating, it’s not designed property, or there is something in the house that is causing the fireplace to smoke. There are some configurations that are more likely to smoke than others. For example, chimney height has a big influence on how well the fireplace draws. A taller chimney will draw better. Also, the flue size should be at least 1/12 of the fireplace opening size in order to provide an optimal draw and eliminate smoke.

It’s common for the fireplace to smoke when the fire is first lit and when the fire has burnt down. This is called the cold-hearth syndrome. When the chimney flue is hot, it draws well, and when it’s cold, air flows down the chimney rather than up. Sometimes this can cause soot and cold air to pour down the chimney when the fireplace is not in use, even when the damper is closed. This is indicative of a less-than-ideal fireplace and chimney design. You should also check for soot under the mante as its presence can indicate a fireplace with chronic back-drafting.

Solutions for smoking fireplaces include:

Add glass doors: They reduce the effective fireplace opening size and the volume of air going up the chimney. These both improve the fireplace draw.

Decrease the fireplace opening size: Anything that reduces the opening size of the fireplace will result in better draw.

Extend the chimney: A taller chimney draws better. This is a good solution, but it is more expensive that the other suggestions.

Convert to gas: If all else fails, consider installing a gas direct-vent fireplace. These fireplaces vent out the wall of the house. No chimney required.

A zero-clearance fireplace is a viable option if you would like to have a fireplace added to your home. It has a light-weight insulated chimney. This means it can be added to the house without adding a foundation, making it an option for any floor of the house, and as the name says, it requires “zero clearance”.

There have been many fires due to improper operation and maintenance of wood burning equipment. Knowing how to operate them is imperative to home safety so here are a few safety tips:

Hire a professional chimney sweep to get rid of any creosote build-up in the chimney because it is a highly combustible substance.

Keep the flue clean by burning only seasoned hardwood. Don’t burn garbage and scraps of paper.

Keep smoke in its place by stacking logs hear the back of the fireplace.

Make sure the damper is open before lighting the fire.

Have the flue cleaned and inspected yearly (cleaned more often if you use the fireplace a lot).

Keep the hearth area clean and clear.

Use a spark screen in front of the fire.

Don’t leave an open fire unattended.

Make sure household smoke and CO detectors are functioning.

Zero-clearance fireplaces need to be cleaned and inspected as well. They don’t tolerate a lack of maintenance well.

For zer0-clearance, check the manual to verify if the fireplace can be operated with the glass door shut.

I love a natural fire and the dry warmth it provides on a cold, winter evening. Maybe this is the year I should add one to my house!