Wood Burning Fireplaces | Open House | Ask This Old House

Ask This Old House mason Mark McCullough explains what to understand when buying a home with a wood burning fireplace. #ThisOldHouse #AskTOH SUBSCRIBE to This Old House: http://bit.ly/SubscribeThisOldHouse Steps: 1. Examine the back of the firebox. A properly operating fireplace should have a hot white spot in the bottom center of the firebox. 2. If there are scattered white spots of soot on the lintel in front of the fireplace, there’s a draft issue that could be caused either by a chimney that’s too short, or by a chimney whose draft is being obstructed somehow. a. If the chimney is too short, a mason can extend the chimney, though that is a more expensive fix. A cheaper, but temporary fix for this problem would be to crack open a nearby window whenever the fireplace is in use to assist the updraft. b. If there’s an obstruction, either a chimney sweep or a landscaper/arborist can remove it, depending what and where the obstruction is. 3. Check the chimney for creosote. It’s a shiny, black, tar-like substance that forms when pine is burned in the fireplace and can cause destructive chimney fires. a. A chimney sweep can come and clean the firebox and flue to remove any creosote. b. A creosote cleaning log can also be burned to loosen up the creosote, though Mark recommends still hiring a chimney sweep since they can also examine the fireplace for any other potential fireplace hazards. 4. Assess the condition of the flue. Only in rare circumstances does the chimney need to be relined, since code requires all masonry in a chimney to be very thick to prevent stray sparks from causing house fires. Resources: Besides discussing the general operation of a fireplace, Mark also mentioned burning creosote cleaning logs [https://amzn.to/2RftSJs], which can be found at any home center. About Ask This Old House TV: Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook. Follow This Old House and Ask This Old House: Facebook: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseFB Twitter: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseTwitter http://bit.ly/AskTOHTwitter Pinterest: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHousePinterest Instagram: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseIG Tumblr: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseTumblr Keywords: This Old House, Ask This Old House, DIY, Home Improvement, DIY Ideas, Renovation, Renovation Ideas, How To Fix, How To Install, How To Build, fireplace, Mark McCullough, Open House Watch the full episode: https://ift.tt/2uhkqNG Wood Burning Fireplaces | Open House | Ask This Old House https://www.youtube.com/user/thisoldhouse/