After 11 years of depending on a woodstove for winter heat in our Ohio cabin, we’ve learned to only burn hardwoods in cold months, and to never burn green wood because it creates creosote buildup in the chimney, which can cause fires. We also keep fresh batteries in all of our smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and we check the battery levels regularly. Here are some of the tasks we make sure to perform each year:
• Remove accumulated wood ash from inside our woodstove.
• Check all internal and external seals and replace them if necessary.
• Split, stack and season our wood in spring. It’s a great way to lose 10 pounds for the upcoming shorts season!
• Call our chimney sweep.
Robin Mullet
Warsaw, Ohio
