Winter's fast approaching. Are you ready for it?
Growing up in rural NB, in a large 3-storey (4 if the basement was included; the eldest of my 5 brothers had a ‘jail’ down there) that was heated with oil, it was always a tad chilly. Over the early years when my parents and the 4 eldest moved into the big house on Church Street, Dad had Rusco windows installed. Still chilly! Four more children later, winterizing the house was put higher up on the ‘to do’ list. When I was a pre-teen, I told my Mom I wanted fireplace in my bedroom, the largest on the 2nd floor, to accommodate some of my physiotherapy equipment. Kids say the darndest things!
Suffice to say it never happened. Years before I was a twinkle in the eye, there had been a fireplace in the living room, with the end of the wall being open to a hallway which led to that 2nd floor. Dad had the brilliant idea to close it all off, installing bookcases in both spaces. Turned out that made a lot of sense, with the bookcases beginning half way up the wall to allow for tables or small seating to be positioned below to make more efficient use of the space. Though his speciality was anaesthesiology, Dad had a flare for design and building things.
Fast forward a few decades and a few living spaces later, none of which had a working fireplace, my husband and I moved into our current home in the fall of 1991. I loved the layout of the main floor as it suited my mobility needs from the outset. To access downstairs to enjoy the den space with the wood stove, two railings were soon added; actually one was a medical grade grab bar secured on a half wall and a full railing installed on the other side. Safety first!
Neither my husband nor I had experience with a wood stove but we educated ourselves in preparation for our first winter fire. What we didn’t anticipate was something that was not done, unbeknownst to us. The flue and stove had not been cleaned by the previous owner and we were not told that it had not been done. It never occurred to us to ask, so that was on us.
The day of our first fire, it got very hot very quickly. Smoke billowed out from around the stove door and filled the downstairs space. Smoke alarms on both floors were blaring away. I wasted no time, moving as fast as my spazzy legs would take me, to get the geriatric Westie and the young Cairn tethered and put outside. Fire department was called and on scene in short order. At that time I met one of the volunteer firemen, Stewart Smith, who wasn’t long giving the older terrier oxygen; she’d fallen over on her side, overcome by the smoke. A pair of his team went downstairs, through the front door; another two up on the roof to drop a chimney bomb into the flue. After a conversation with Stewart and one of his fellow volunteers, we learned what to do to prevent such an occurrence in future. The flue was cleaned as soon as we could arrange it and was cleared for use through our first winter. We had it replaced for the following winter with all appropriate fire proof pads in place; on the floor under the stove and on the wall behind it. Those steps are vital so as not to invalidate home owner insurance.
Recently, I had the flue cleaned and eaves troughs cleared; the latter is another vital part of home maintenance to prevent foundation damage. The stuff I’ve learned! The guy who did the jobs said the flue was not too bad with hardly any creosote. That’s because I used compressed wood bricks which burn hot and clean. If using cord wood, flue cleaning saves lives! Final prep involved the stove door, testing for air tightness of the stove. Put a slip of paper between door and stove, then latch the door. Pull on the paper. If it comes out with little or no resistance, it’s time to replace the gasket (that braid around the inside of the door) as your wood burning heater is no longer air tight.
My stove failed the air tight test and I bought a new gasket. My visiting physiotherapist was helpful to me in choosing the right size since he’s replaced the braid on his own stove. It’s nice to know folks who provide tips and tricks so I can stay safe as I live independently, aging with multiple disabilities.
Next up, arranging to have this winter’s supply of compressed wood bricks delivered.
I stack three bricks one on top of the other after first getting the fire started with kindling a bit of waxed dryer lint and a few piece of egg carton. With damper fully open, the fire blazes and bricks are put in place. Damper is closed; I don’t have to top up for 6 hours or so. That’s quite impressive, actually. I load up the stove for the last time at midnight, adding an extra brick in case I sleep in or it’s really cold in the night and the wood burns up a bit faster.
And so, winter 2023, bring it on. I’m ready!
Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at Carla MacInnis Rockwell
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