For many, this time of year means cozy evenings in front of the fireplace or woodstove. Here in Nevada County, the smell of wood smoke is synonymous with the holiday season.
At our home, when the temperatures dip, our woodstove is put into daily service. Not only a delight to the senses, heating with wood for many is the No. 1 method of keeping their homes warm.
To keep your fireplace or woodstove running in top efficiency condition, providing the heat you need and preventing chimney or spark caused brush fires or rusted flues and other repair issues, we recommend an annual checkup with a trusted chimney sweep. Maybe an upgrade is in your future or buying firewood is on your to do list.
Here is a short list of vendors with whom we’ve had good experiences, plus some advice on buying wood:
For cleaning and servicing of fireplaces and stoves of all kinds, Will Mudd at Pro-Vac Chimney Sweep is reliable, reasonably priced and always a joy to work with. Reach him at 530-559-8583.
Thinking about an upgrade either from an inefficient fireplace or maybe replace your old wood stove with one of the new eco friendly models? Pellet, gas and electric are also options. Sierra Timberline can be reached at 530-273-4822.
Looking for seasoned split wood this winter? There are many local small businesses that sell firewood. Check them out before buying. For those new to the area, or new to heating with wood, make sure for the price you get a full cord, seasoned (dried), split, delivered and the type of wood you want, like oak. Some will even stack it for you at an additional cost.
We have found that a healthy supply of Fatwood, found at most hardware and some grocery stores, is vital to easily starting a fire (no more balled up newspaper). Keep a good supply of kindling available too, also available at most hardware stores. While this may be old news to many locals, these suggestions will help those new to our area or to heating with wood.
For more tips, here are a few articles of interest:
Click here for a great article on pretty much everything about a variety of different home heating options including EPA certified models.
Click here for an article comparing fireplaces to wood stoves.
Click here for a comparison of different fireplace and stove types.
Click here for an article on EPA standards and why they are important.
Click here for an article on why chimneys need to be cleaned (for informational purposes; this vendor is not in our area).
Sharon Currie is a Realtor (#01357602) and operations manager for the Betsy Hamilton Real Estate Team (#01936209) with Re/Max Gold in Grass Valley (#00984725. Contact her at sharon@betsyhamilton.com or 530.550.4439.