Smoky Issues

Wooden fireplace logs are being banned in some areas because of pollution concerns. To achieve the traditional fireplace effect (including warmth), homeowners are advised to switch to gas logs. To me, gas logs are patently phony. It’s like mounting a plastic replica of a Duesenberg sports car body on a used VW chassis and pretending you drive a Duesenberg.

One thing to be said for their use, however, is the nonsmoke factor. A power outage last week forced us to rely on our fireplace as our lone heat source for more than two days. We kept it burning round the clock. On three occasions, smoke filled the house rather than exiting up the chimney. We never resolved why. The flue was open; the wood was good. Someone suggested we were trying to burn wet logs, but I’ve been unable to verify that as a potential cause of smoking up a living room.

In searching the Web for “flue clues,” I found a very good page of fireplace tips and information by realty inspector/author Bill Ball. If you’re bothered by flawed smoking or other wood-burning concerns, visit http://realtytimes.com/rtcpages/20030505_fireplace.htm.