Gumnuts
ArboristSite Guru
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2007
- Messages
- 841
- Reaction score
- 136
THE COST OF GAS - HAS GOT MY INTEREST AGAIN
Live in Australia.
We have an open fire place set in a corner of family room.Two years ago
teenage children had friends stay over, who stayed up late one winter night
Going off to bed and leaving them ,with fire to manage.I was slighly concerned about the way they were furociously throwing on heavy sections of Redgum.Hmm,at the time figured ,leave em be.Enough of being the boss.Ya get sick of it ,too !!!
FOUR IN THE MORNING AWAKE FROM A DREAM ABOUT FIRE.Groggy I awaken to see flickering light coming from the hallway leading to the family room.
....................yep you got it !!.......had me scrambling and screaming for everyone up an out.
In bare feet I'm pulling everything flamable,burning or not outside.We were all safe .Thank God.But it was a close call.Feet and legs were badly burnt(straight outa bed-no shoes)The smoke was black an poison.Each time i dragged something outside i had to hold my breath to go back in.By the time the fire-brigade,God bless em ,came,I'd emptied the rooms affected and punched out the dry wall ,to get to the cavity behind the fire place.The FG guys did a fantastic job of mopping up and making sure all was safe an out.Their report was that some of the mortar had been knocked out between double bricks, creating a firey jet onto the studs in a short section of dry wall .Lucky we got to it in time, it was licking the roof joists.
I am a chippy by trade ,so as soon as insurance was assessed i get to repairing .Amazed at what i find.Power wires run round the back of the hearth.Studs way to close.
It no longer has wire or studs behind the hearth and the whole has been insulated heavily.Also lined the interior with 8mm,all verticals slotting into angle iron.
We have central gas heating and used it soley last winter.
I AM GUN SHY -BUT WOULD LIKE TO USE FP THIS WINTER -Have a beautifull stack ,9 cord Acacia(hickory),Oak ,Ash ,redgum.
Although it does'nt snow it get does stay down around 4-12*max, during winter.
Need to give the chimney a good sweep before hand ,maybe add some glass doors (from what you guys are saying) also could bring it out more with heat boxes an vents to top an sides.Will research.
Apart from sharing a story,just want to thank you guys from sharing yours.
There's nothing like an open fire on a cold winters night.God bless.
-Graeme
Live in Australia.
We have an open fire place set in a corner of family room.Two years ago
teenage children had friends stay over, who stayed up late one winter night
Going off to bed and leaving them ,with fire to manage.I was slighly concerned about the way they were furociously throwing on heavy sections of Redgum.Hmm,at the time figured ,leave em be.Enough of being the boss.Ya get sick of it ,too !!!
FOUR IN THE MORNING AWAKE FROM A DREAM ABOUT FIRE.Groggy I awaken to see flickering light coming from the hallway leading to the family room.
....................yep you got it !!.......had me scrambling and screaming for everyone up an out.
In bare feet I'm pulling everything flamable,burning or not outside.We were all safe .Thank God.But it was a close call.Feet and legs were badly burnt(straight outa bed-no shoes)The smoke was black an poison.Each time i dragged something outside i had to hold my breath to go back in.By the time the fire-brigade,God bless em ,came,I'd emptied the rooms affected and punched out the dry wall ,to get to the cavity behind the fire place.The FG guys did a fantastic job of mopping up and making sure all was safe an out.Their report was that some of the mortar had been knocked out between double bricks, creating a firey jet onto the studs in a short section of dry wall .Lucky we got to it in time, it was licking the roof joists.
I am a chippy by trade ,so as soon as insurance was assessed i get to repairing .Amazed at what i find.Power wires run round the back of the hearth.Studs way to close.
It no longer has wire or studs behind the hearth and the whole has been insulated heavily.Also lined the interior with 8mm,all verticals slotting into angle iron.
We have central gas heating and used it soley last winter.
I AM GUN SHY -BUT WOULD LIKE TO USE FP THIS WINTER -Have a beautifull stack ,9 cord Acacia(hickory),Oak ,Ash ,redgum.
Although it does'nt snow it get does stay down around 4-12*max, during winter.
Need to give the chimney a good sweep before hand ,maybe add some glass doors (from what you guys are saying) also could bring it out more with heat boxes an vents to top an sides.Will research.
Apart from sharing a story,just want to thank you guys from sharing yours.
There's nothing like an open fire on a cold winters night.God bless.
-Graeme
Last edited:
(and glad you caught the fire early, sorry to hear about the burns though, nasty)
