When you are selecting Napoleon wood stoves for use in your home, you will want to measure the area first. All wood stove require proper clearance on all sides which needs to be kept open at all times. This clearance is the area where higher temperatures are given off, and can create fire hazards when the stove is placed too close to walls or furniture. Once you find the model you like, check the clearance specifications to ensure it will properly fit into the room where it will be installed.

Flat Topped Napoleon Wood Stoves Can Be Used for Cooking

Certain models of Napoleon wood stoves have flat tops which can be used for cooking purposes, if you desire, and are available on our website, here at Copperfield Chimney Supply. When cooking on a wood stove, you need to remember that you will not be able to regulate the temperate of the cooking surface. You also will want to use the correct type of cookware, like cast iron pans.

There’s a little chill in the air overnight and in the early mornings, and the first official day of Fall is Saturday.That means Mainers are starting to use their wood stoves and fireplaces.

There are some things you should be aware of to keep your family safe this heating season.”They can and they have caused major fires, so we will put them out, different departments will do different techniques in terms of putting them out, but yes we treat them very seriously,” said Jake Johnson the Education Officer for the Bangor Fire Department.They are chimney fires.For firefighters and those in the home heating business, they know when the peak fire times are.”There’s always a spate of chimney fires you hear about in the news, that you hear about in the early to mid fall when people are lighting the fires for the first time and then it happens again, late or middle of winter, but not so much in the Spring because people stop burning as often, so check again,” said Jim Rockett of Evergreen Home and Hearth of Brewer. “Because an ounce of prevention is worth a pound a cure.”Cleaning and maintaining the chimney, having a new wood stove, and burning seasoned wood will help in the prevention of a fire, but it can still happen and if it does, it can cause a lot of damage.”If it gets hot there and there is actual fire and the heat can radiate out,” said Johnson. “If we’re talking about an old chimney or a chimney without a liner in it, or a cracked liner but what can happen is the spark and heat can radiate out into a surrounding structure and then that can cause a fire.”Even if you cleaned it in the spring at the end of the home heating season Johnson recommends another check before you start up the stove now. “A lot of people are diligent about cleaning when it’s colder out, come spring time you get a little less likely if you haven’t checked the chimney since then it’s a really good idea to make sure no critters have got into it, and believe it or not that’s happened quite a bit, animals will come down, a bird will make a nest, hornets, that type of thing, so even before you light the fire it’s a good idea to check it even if you have swept it in the spring.”But Johnson knows one other aspect of heating your home with wood can cause fires too, and he’d like to be proven wrong. “Someone will take out some hot ashes out of the wood stove and they’ll put it in the paper bag or a cardboard box and they’ll stick it right on the front porch, or the front deck, they’ll stick it in the garage, and not realize what seems to be cold ash there’s an ash inside or a coal inside there and starts a fire and I’ll guarantee that we’ll see at least one of those somewhere in the area this year.”

Have you ever gone to run a gas line in your basement only to find an annoying joist, or some other obstacle, in your way? Something that your traditional copper tubing, or black pipe, is unable to work around without being broken and refitted. This costs time and money. With CSST gas line, you do not have to worry here. CSST gas line is flexible enough to fit in most tight angles and around about any curve you can imagine.

Fewer Connections Means Less Worry with CSST Gas Line

When you are able to run your gas line through your house as one single, continuous piece of line, you have fewer connections where gas can possibly leak out and this means less worry. CSST gas line accomplishes this easily and since there are fewer connections, there are fewer fittings, meaning lower cost. The CSST gas line is also made from lightweight, durable material, further reducing its cost. Visit www.woodstoves-fireplaces.com today to see how much you can save on your next home heating update.

A relentless decade-long campaign by a Canadian pediatrician is about to change North American safety standards to protect children from scorching their skin on glass fireplace doors.

The North American industry group Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association on Tuesday will meet with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission about new rules to make screens in gas-fired glass front fireplaces mandatory.

At least 2,000 small children have suffered serious burns between 1999 and 2009 from touching the glass fronts of gas fireplaces, which can reach 200 C just 10 minutes after the fire is switched on and take 30 minutes to cool down.

Investigations, particularly by FairWarning.org, have described toddler’s skin sticking and “melting” onto the white-hot glass doors.

Dr. Cynthia Verchere, a pediatric plastic surgeon who has led the campaign, has called the glass doors like “having your oven on with the door open in the middle of your living room.”

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Verchere, who works at British Columbia Children’s Hospital, said one to two dozen burn victims turn up in the emergency room each year.

“Each winter I see more than a dozen second and third degree fireplace burns, mostly on the hands and faces of toddlers,” she said. “These burns are incredibly painful, and can take months to years to heal with repeated medical visits, possible skin grafts, rehabilitation and potential loss of range of motion. In most cases the incident happens while adults are in the room supervising.”

“She spearheaded this,” HPBA spokeswoman Leslie Wheeler told the Star on Monday of Verchere.

Prodded by Verchere and HPBA’s Canadian branch, HPBA in the U.S. started a few years ago to include warning labels with all glass fronted gas fireplaces.

And prodded again by the Canadian Standards Association Working Group, the HPBA has now put together industry-wide rules requiring fireplace glass doors to be shielded by a screen.

“It will get hot, yes, but it won’t cause burns,” Wheeler said of the screens.

Wheeler said the new rules for all North American manufacturers should be in place via the CSA and the American National Standards Institute by mid-2012 and will come with a fresh education campaign.

The HPBA changes started in 2007. Wheeler acknowledged some in the industry resisted mandatory screens in favour of warning labels. The CSA Technical Advisory Group, acting on the Working Group’s recommendations, declared in December they should be mandatory.

The industry is trying to stave off government rules via the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the HPBA’s Tom Stroud acknowledged.

While some fireplace manufacturers include screens now, “many of them do not.”

And some homeowners, she pointed out, don’t like the screens blocking the “pretty” view of the crackling fire.

CSA standards now tell consumers: “Always turn off the appliance when babies or young children are to be active in the area, or put up a permanent screen or gate if you use the fireplace as your main heat source in the home.”

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Over continued use your fireplace can wear out over time even when it is properly maintained. Brick enclosures can start to crack from being heated and cooled. Tearing out the entire fireplace can be an expensive home improvement project. Instead you should look into different types of fireplace inserts . Inserts fit into the existing space and are a new fireplace system, which is energy efficient. Many models will work with your existing chimney system or may require only slight modifications.

Gas Fireplace Inserts Can Provide More Flexibility than Wood Burning

You will find that you can use gas fireplace inserts, like those available on our website, here at Copperfield Chimney Supply, in more places than wood inserts. The only major difference is that you will need to have a natural gas line ran to the fireplace. This flexibility allows you to use gas inserts to convert wood burning units over. Venting is often accomplished by installing a direct vent through the back of the existing chimney, which allows you to seal the rest of the chimney off to prevent cold air from getting into the home.

A fireplace is meant to be the centerpiece of your living space, the heart of your home. Sometimes, however, this focal point is less than impressive and more than lacking in the drama factor. If your fireplace is bland, plain or simply unattractive, a quick color change can do wonders. The secret is using multiple coats to build up depth and create a faux finish, rather than just painting on one flat color.

You will need three complimentary colors for this project in progressively darker shades. Natural stone and earthy colors, such as grays and browns, are ideal. A quart of each color will be more than enough to complete your fireplace. Flat exterior paint works best, providing better resistance and more clemency for the hot environment of the fireplace surround than interior glossy paint.

First, choose a color for your base coat. This should be the lightest color of the three. For instance, if you are going for a stone look, choose a medium gray.

The next color will be used for ragging over the top of your base. This color should be several shades darker than the base color and will provide dimension to your finish.

Finally, choose an accent color. This color will be used in moderation, to highlight and further enhance the finish. It can be a varying color from the first two, as long as it is natural and complimentary.

Begin by protecting all surfaces you don't wish to be painted with drop cloths and painters tape. Apply an even coat of your base color with a paint roller or large paintbrush. A second coat may be needed, depending on the surface and color being painted.

Once the base has completely dried, you can begin applying the next color. Working in one small area (for instance, if your fireplace is brick, do one brick at a time), daub several uneven streaks of paint on the surface. Using a rag, rub the paint, spreading it and pulling it randomly. Continue with another small area until the entire fireplace is complete. A spray bottle of water can be used to dilute the paint while you're working, making it easier to spread and thinning out some areas, creating a more authentic look.

After you have ragged the fireplace to your satisfaction, use the third color to highlight some crevices, corners and other key areas (It is not necessary to rag this color on the entire fireplace). Use the same technique with the rag and spray bottle to soften the edges of the paint.

In addition to painting, you can enhance the look of your fireplace with a few tiles, appliqués, onlays or other architectural elements. In no time and with just a little paint and a few decorative touches, it can be simple to change a plain, ordinary fireplace into a showstopper.