The day before yesterday, we had our first fire in the fireplace. During the day, I opened the damper and looked up the chimney. Everything looked to be in good order. I cut up some of the horribly warped lumber in my workshop and made a nice fire.
The fireplace draws very well. I'm pleasantly surprised at how well it reflects heat out into the room, too. We're now considering a serious firewood purchase. I'm seriously considering slab wood - that is, the parts of a log that are cut off by the sawmill - which presents a much better value than normal split firewood. I've found someone who will deliver 3 bundles of slab wood, 8-12 feet long, which should represent 1.5-2 cords, for $175. The additional advantage of this is that because I will be cutting the wood to length, I can cut it to fit my fireplace, which is wider than average.
