. What is the difference between "green wood" and "seasoned wood"? Why can't I burn "green wood" in my stove or fireplace?
     "Green wood", is simply wood that has not been dried enough. (Either by time or in a kiln) "Seasoned wood" has a moisture content of 20% or less. The difficulty is that the wood that most people sell as "seasoned" really isn't. Wood must be cut, split, stacked, and kept dry for at least one year to be "seasoned" wood. A tree that was cut down a year ago, but not cut and split will not produce instantly seasoned wood, the bark will have prevented much of the evaporation that needed to happen. "Green" wood does not burn well, producing much more creosote and much less heat than properly seasoned wood. The difference in BTU output between wood with a 50% moisture content, and wood with a 20% moisture content is over 2000 BTU's per pound of wood. Burning green wood is wasting heat and fuel. As a rule of thumb try to purchase and stack your wood at least one year in advance.

. How important is "clearance to combustables"? My install manual says the stove is too close to the wall, but it didn't catch on fire and we used it all last year.
     Just because a material is non-combustable doesn't mean it can't transfer heat through to a combustable wall or floor. Ignition temperatures of combustables lowers with repeated heating, a process called pyrolization. Pyrolosis is the chemical decomposition caused by heat. The normal ignition temperature of wood is about 500 degrees F., but pyrolized wood can ignite at around 250 degrees F. If the wood around your heat source or venting looks blackened it is pyrolized. It may not catch fire immediately, but it will catch fire.

. Why can't I clean my own chimney flues?
     You can, if you have the proper equipment. Brushing a flue is not extremely difficult. So why call us? You brush your own teeth every day, but you still go to the dentist to get a professional cleaning with better equipment and to get his evaluation of what is happening inside your mouth, problems that may need to be addressed like gum disease or cavities. Same thing with a professional sweep, we clean the flue with better quality equipment, have more tools at our disposal, won't make a mess in your house and can check your flue for problems that you may not see; such as cracks in the flue tiles, water damage, animal nests, evidence of small chimney fires, etc.

. My chimney flues only have a few small cracks, why do I need a liner?
     First, according to the National Fire Protection's Fire Codes, '"any crack in a flue tile is cause for "condemning" the chimney"". Cracks can allow flue gases back into your home (carbon monoxide), or allow creosote into the space around the flue or into the walls of your home. This creosote can catch fire, and the fire can spread rapidly throughout your entire home. Clay tiles can not be individually replaced because they are stacked and are fragile. Metal liners will actually improve the venting of your appliance and are easier to clean, keeping your home safer.

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