Steps to take to maintain fireplace and its room

[LudinK]

HI, so my family bought a house and my room will have a fireplace in it. I have never used or seen a fireplace being used and since it will be in my room, i have a few questions about fireplace. My main concern is, the rest of my family is not too fond of the smell of burning wood and i don't really want all my possessions smelling like burnt wood, is there any way to contain most of the smoke and not have the smell spread everywhere? I really enjoy the smell of burning wood but don't want everything in my room to smell like it. If the smoke and smell cant really be contained then i most likely will not be able to use it at all so that is very important. Next issue would be: i have read around that a chimney should usually be cleaned once a year (typicially right before the summer when fireplaces stop being used). Is that correct? if so, how much does cleaning the chimney usually cost? I live in southern Ontario, Canada if that helps you guys get an idea of how much it would cost me. I linked a picture of the fireplace so you guys have an idea of what ill be dealing with. The hole on the left is just space to store wood and the one on the right is the actual fireplace

 

[double-d]

There are some REALLY knowledgeable wood burning experts on this site, I'm sure you will hear from some.
If you haven't already I would recommend that you have a certified technician inspect your chimney, before you use it.
I'm not sure how the Canadian codes read, but here our code states your Hearth extensions shall extend at least 16 inches in front of the fireplace.
There are many that burn 24/7 during the cold months and could clean their chimneys several times a year. If your are only an occasional user, it may need cleaning every other year or two. It is recommended that you have it inspected also.
Not sure if there is a Stainless Chimney liner in the flue, that will be something that you will probably need also.
Your wood being well seasoned (dry) and having a good draft will be one of the main factors in reducing smoke out of the house. Possibly adding glass doors could greatly help.
If you are only a "Holiday" burner, using the DuraFlame type of log may work!

 

[bholler]

OK first off when you say your room do you mean your bedroom? If so atleast in the us you are not allowed to have a wood burning appliance in a bedroom that includes fireplaces. Now I know many houses especially old houses do have fireplaces in bedrooms but it is not a great idea to use them.

Now as far as smoke smell if it is designed and working properly you should have little to no smell in the room at all. If there is smoke or smell in the room something is not working properly. I agree with the previous post I would have a pro out to do full inspection and they could at that time walk you through operating the fireplace. The frequency of cleaning depends entirely upon how much wood you burn. Generally in an open fireplace the recommendation is to have it checked after a chord of wood is burnt through it. If you are using good dry wood and the fireplace is designed well you probably wont need it cleaned after a cord but you should check it just to be sure and to get some understanding of how much buildup you are getting. We have some customers who need it done once a year and some who go 5 years. Average for an open fireplace the way most people use them is about every 3 years. But again that depends on your usage.

As far as cost of cleaning I know nothing about your area but I would say prices generally start at $130 or so. Any less than that and I would be skeptical of the quality of service you would be getting. In pa the average is about $175 for a basic cleaning.

Also be aware that an open fireplace is very inefficient and in most cases you will be contributing little to no heat to the house by burning a fireplace due to the fact that you will be sucking large amounts of heated air out of the house to supply the needed air to the fireplace.

 

[LudinK]

There are some REALLY knowledgeable wood burning experts on this site, I'm sure you will hear from some.
If you haven't already I would recommend that you have a certified technician inspect your chimney, before you use it.
I'm not sure how the Canadian codes read, but here our code states your Hearth extensions shall extend at least 16 inches in front of the fireplace.
There are many that burn 24/7 during the cold months and could clean their chimneys several times a year. If your are only an occasional user, it may need cleaning every other year or two. It is recommended that you have it inspected also.
Not sure if there is a Stainless Chimney liner in the flue, that will be something that you will probably need also.
Your wood being well seasoned (dry) and having a good draft will be one of the main factors in reducing smoke out of the house. Possibly adding glass doors could greatly help.
If you are only a "Holiday" burner, using the DuraFlame type of log may work!

I actually only plan on using it occasionally, specifically during the winter and on nights when i just want to relax for a few hours and read a book or what ever by the fire. About DuraFlame, is it good for not creating a lot of smoke and smell?

 

[Destructor]

A properly built fireplace and chimney should not smoke, other than just an occasional hint of wood smoke the only time you should be able to smell smoke is when you go outside. Unfortunately a lot of fireplaces and chimneys are not built well and are sometimes unsafe. There’s in interaction between the firebox, smoke chamber and flue. There has to be a smooth transition and a good draft from the fireplace opening all the way to the top of the chimney. I use my fireplace regularly without any smoking problems. It is a typical fireplace/chimney you’ll find in an early 1950’s cape, nothing special just built well with the proper proportions. An experienced mason should be able to tell by looking up the chimney weather of not it was built properly but the only sure way you’ll find out is to use it. Unfortunately if it wasn’t built properly there isn’t much you can do unless it just requires extension of the chimney. Sometimes they just didn’t go high enough. After the burning season you may get some smokey smell from the firebox especially if it gets humid.


Your hearth is definitely not deep enough.


I burn only well seasoned wood. Check the chimney after each burning season. I’ve never had to clean my chimney. There is only a light coating of soot. It never seems to accumulate. The wood stove chimney at my father’s house gets cleaned every year.

 

[double-d]

The Duraflame logs burn very clean, you get a decent fire for about 2-3 hours. Then, it burns with a little flame and not a lot of heat. These are more for aesthetic purposes. They are made from with real wood charcoal and recycled sawdust, combined with renewable bio wax.

 

[kennyp2339]

By looking at your pic posted, I could tell that the old owner use to use that fire place (all the black smoke stains) so with it being summer and all does the room have any type of fire place smell? if it doesn't you may have a good draft in the summer months which only gets better once it gets cooler out, also you can try taking incense sticks and once the damper is opened watch were the smoke goes, should be sucking into the fire box and up the smoke shelf.

 

[velvetfoot]

Come winter, before you start the fire, open the damper and feel with your hand for cold air. You can get the draft going in the right direction by burning crumbled newspapers-I don't know specifically where to put the newspaper since I've never done this with a fireplace-maybe someone else will chime in.

 

[ElizabethMunk]

Periodically check the chimney damper for any blockage. Clean the fireplace of ashes, dirt and debris, cleaning the fireplace regularly would help get rid of unwanted fire hazards. Use dry wood in your fireplace it produces less smoke.