Some stories from the Idiot Files

[Upidstay]

I was talking with our local building inspector after he finished inspecting my new wood stove. ( I did that at the suggeston of my friend/insurance agent)

He told me about some people rebuilding part or all of their houses from idiotic wood stove fires.

First was a guy who built a platform out of ply wood and 2x4's OVER A CONCRETE FLOOR for his Home Depot wood stove. Then he carpeted it and placed the stove. Put a piece of carpeted wood BEHIND the stove too, for looks. Covering the concrete wall. No, it wasn't a hearth rug or anything remotely flame retardant. Yep, it caught fire and burned 1/2 his house down.

There was the guy who used a cardboard box to put his ashes in after cleaning out his stove. Can ya guess what happened?

The best was the guy who went to the Depot, bought a stove and some pipe. Cut a hole in the side of his house, ran the pipe through the hole, and sealed around it with ply wood and fiberglass insulation. It used to be a cedar shake sided house.

The good news about these stories is that nobody got killed. Bad news is that all of them were told "It sucks to be you" by their homeowners insurance compaCies. Stupidity is not covered under most policies.

 

[avalancher]

I have often wondered about folks like this when I read similiar stories.
Are they really that stupid?Did they just not have a clue?
Or did they just not take the time to think things out?

I dunno, but the world is full of em.Makes you wonder how they lived long enough to buy their own house.

 

[turnkey4099]

You could win over half the bets by betting there will be at least one housefire caused by improper ash disposal every year here.

Harry K

 

[dingeryote]

Mobile homes+Poor folks+winter+stove=WHOOOOOF!!!

For some reason, like Tornados, Fire loves to destroy mobile homes around here.

I really do not think there is a safe way to run a stove or even smoke in a mobile home.


Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[LarryTheCableGuy]

I dunno, but the world is full of em.Makes you wonder how they lived long enough to buy their own house.

I often wonder how some people regulate their own heartbeat.

Like the guy that carpeted behind his woodstove. ShamWOW.


.

 

[Dalmatian90]

Stupidity is not covered under most policies

Yes it is.

In general "intentional acts" are only excluded from the coverage when the intent of the action was to do harm or cause a loss.

Put the box of ashes in the basement because you were stupid, insurance pays.

Put the box of ashes in the basement because you want to make it look like you were stupid when in reality you were committing arson and attempting insurance fraud, insurance doesn't pay.

The insurer is likely to try and use excuses like you not listing a woodstove on your application for insurance as a reason to deny the claim. This can open up a rats nest for the attornies to sort through of what provisions/conditions of insurance policies are valid in what circumstances.

=========
I've seen the old woodstove ashes in a cardboard box rectal cranial inversion. Fortunately that one set of a CO alarm before it got to the point of needing to set off the fire alarm. Seen it in plastic buckets, too.

I also have a friend out in California who managed to burn down the house when they put "cold" ashes from the fireplace in the trash in a plastic garbage can in the garage.

 

[johnha]

I have often wondered about folks like this when I read similiar stories.
Are they really that stupid?Did they just not have a clue?
Or did they just not take the time to think things out?

All of the above.

And their vote counts just the same as yours.

 

[Windwalker7]

[QUOTE

And their vote counts just the same as yours.[/QUOTE]



Isn't that the truth?

 

[kevin j]

yes, they vote and reproduce among us

 

[mga]

which is why we have those damn building codes to keep us safe.

 

[Sawmill]

Several years ago there was an old man that lived near to me and his roof leaked. He had a pail of tar in his shed and since it was so cold outside he decided to set it on his stove to warm it up so he could fix the leak. Only problem was it was in a plastic pail. Lets just say he did not need to fix the roof anymore.

 

[AOD]

Why people treat ashes so carelessly is beyond me. I insist on keeping ashes only in metal containers on concrete or outside. Stove room has a cement floor and cement board wall behind it, and is vented with metalbestos. It might be above and beyond, but I burn a lot when I am not home and want to be able to not worry.

I had always thought a stove in a trailer was a bad, bad idea.

 

[willsaw4beer]

Do trailers even have good enough ventilation for a wood stove?

 

[AOD]

Do trailers even have good enough ventilation for a wood stove?

Most trailers are drafty as hell, cheap windows and doors. Some of the newer ones might be a bit more well made, but also might have better provisions for a wood stove as well. My dad had a little potbelly in a trailer for a couple winters, but he did a good install with tile and it was quite safe.

I think a pellet stove is a better option for a trailer.

 

[wkpoor]

I'm sure its possible to have a safe trailer install with the right precautions.

 

[turnkey4099]

Why people treat ashes so carelessly is beyond me. I insist on keeping ashes only in metal containers on concrete or outside. Stove room has a cement floor and cement board wall behind it, and is vented with metalbestos. It might be above and beyond, but I burn a lot when I am not home and want to be able to not worry.

I had always thought a stove in a trailer was a bad, bad idea.

I don't store ashes at all. I take the ash pan into the yard and swing it good spreading the ashes over the lawn. By spring they have all disappeared or if a few 'piles' are left the first mowing spreads them out.

Harry K