finally brought some wood up to the house, enjoying a fire with my daughter, while wife and son are out trick-or-treating. went open door for this first ambience fire.
![[Hearth.com] First of the season... Halloween](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/142/142970-384db375d6288701bf35b3d99d6ceb84.jpg?hash=5Qb6wXoxV8 "[Hearth.com] First of the season... Halloween")
First of the season... Halloween
- Thread starter Ashful
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil. -
Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
- Status
Thislilfishy
Member
Ah, my wood stove's first Halloween...memories you never forget!
Ian
Ian
lopiliberty
Minister of Fire
Those chairs look like a good place to take a nap. I bet when they come home they will enjoy the warmth of the fire. Every year I say I'm going to hold off until Halloween but I always end up with fires way before that. I broke down a started a fire too. Calling for rain and snow showers here this weekend. There is nothing like the warmth of a wood stove.
![[Hearth.com] First of the season... Halloween](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/142/142974-a6f07c5e96b061a6755c37adf91bdb1b.jpg?hash=y05FE2WyXs "[Hearth.com] First of the season... Halloween")
lopiliberty
Minister of Fire
NHcpa
Minister of Fire
Nice pic... See you have the screen on...snap, crackle, hiss...all about the ambiance....
jotul?
Burning Hunk
Joful, I would pay good money to take a tour of your house. As a bricklayer, I can only say that building a place like that is a thing of the past, and would be a real privilege to take part in. The closest we get to that anymore is doing some restoration work on old churches.
Beautiful room!
If you always burn this way, no wonder why you need three stoves and 1000 cords of wood a year to heat that house.
If you always burn this way, no wonder why you need three stoves and 1000 cords of wood a year to heat that house.
Imagine trying to heat it with the fireplaces, "back then"
I can only imagine the cords of wood they must have cut and split with hand tools.
On second thought, I doubt they split much. Probably burned some big rounds in them huge fireplaces.
Speed trap
New Member
Hah... some good comments, guys! I'll try to respond to all:
Chairs: They're the first furniture we purchased for this house. That stove came with the house, and we wanted a place to sit in front of it. They're big enough for me and one of the kids (although getting tight with my 5 year old) to sit side-by-side. There's a bench that serves as ottoman for both chairs, so you can prop your feet up in front of the fire, to roast your soles (and souls).
Fire screen: Yep. I grew up in a house with four open fireplaces, and really miss the sound and smell of an open fire. I only use that screen maybe once or twice per year, the last time being Thanksgiving a year ago. I just toss two splits (usually shorts / uglies) at a time on the fire when using the screen... I'm looking for some pleasing radiant heat and fire sounds, not an all-night burn.
jotul?: You'd be welcome here, any time you make it east. Lots of these old stone houses around here, since this neighborhood was parceled and settled in the 1720's - 1730's. It's very tough finding masons who understand mud-stacked and lime-pointed masonry, and like most very old houses, this one does suffer from being re-pointed in portland mortars and painted with latex.
Heating with fireplaces "back then": I believe the 1770's portion of this house (the main part standing today) was heated with at least five wood stoves. I say that because there are several thimbles into chimneys which have no fireplace, or evidence of ever having a fireplace, and there are actually thimbles above each of the fireplaces we have. In fact, we know multiple wood stoves were used for the heating of the house, and it's only the cooking fireplaces that cause some debate. There is a thimble above each cooking fireplace, which appear to be original construction, so one has to wonder. It has been suggested that, iron cook stoves being VERY new technology in the 1770's, the owners wanted to install thimbles for cook stoves, but either used the cooking fireplaces while they delayed on buying a cook stove or wanted a fireplace to fall back on if the cook stove didn't work out.
Chairs: They're the first furniture we purchased for this house. That stove came with the house, and we wanted a place to sit in front of it. They're big enough for me and one of the kids (although getting tight with my 5 year old) to sit side-by-side. There's a bench that serves as ottoman for both chairs, so you can prop your feet up in front of the fire, to roast your soles (and souls).
Fire screen: Yep. I grew up in a house with four open fireplaces, and really miss the sound and smell of an open fire. I only use that screen maybe once or twice per year, the last time being Thanksgiving a year ago. I just toss two splits (usually shorts / uglies) at a time on the fire when using the screen... I'm looking for some pleasing radiant heat and fire sounds, not an all-night burn.
jotul?: You'd be welcome here, any time you make it east. Lots of these old stone houses around here, since this neighborhood was parceled and settled in the 1720's - 1730's. It's very tough finding masons who understand mud-stacked and lime-pointed masonry, and like most very old houses, this one does suffer from being re-pointed in portland mortars and painted with latex.
Heating with fireplaces "back then": I believe the 1770's portion of this house (the main part standing today) was heated with at least five wood stoves. I say that because there are several thimbles into chimneys which have no fireplace, or evidence of ever having a fireplace, and there are actually thimbles above each of the fireplaces we have. In fact, we know multiple wood stoves were used for the heating of the house, and it's only the cooking fireplaces that cause some debate. There is a thimble above each cooking fireplace, which appear to be original construction, so one has to wonder. It has been suggested that, iron cook stoves being VERY new technology in the 1770's, the owners wanted to install thimbles for cook stoves, but either used the cooking fireplaces while they delayed on buying a cook stove or wanted a fireplace to fall back on if the cook stove didn't work out.
Thanks. Yep, I used to think the same thing on stoves, but apparently they go back quite a ways. Google 5-plate stoves sometime, if you want to see the transitional tech between fireplaces and free standers.
As with everything in colonial times, we lagged behind Europe and Asia on the latest technology, but only a few years.
As with everything in colonial times, we lagged behind Europe and Asia on the latest technology, but only a few years.
Another first of the season tonight... I have two stoves going on full loads of ash. New cat's in both, everything is singing along smoothly. Haven't checked temp in house, but I'm too warm in a tee shirt.
Last edited:
- Status
Similar threads
