From the Introduction: A quick look through any of the home and garden or popular science magazines reveals many ads offering wood burning stoves for sale. With increasing heating fuel costs, homeowners are turning to wood for supplemental heat. They are reducing their fuel bills substantially. Many more homeowners would probably use wood heat if a flue was not required. Thousands of homes are without flues, particularly those that were built in the 1960s and use electric heat. Power companies at that time promoted electric heat which obviously didn't need a chimney or flue. If you live in an old home whose chimney has not been used for years, the chimney probably needs repairing. This book shows you how to evaluate the condition of an existing chimney, make any necessary repairs, maintain your chimney properly, and even how to design and build new chimneys and fireplaces.

Includes index.

Introduction -- 1: Chimney And Flue Inspection -- Wood stove flue inspection -- Wood stove inspection -- Removing and cleaning stovepipe -- Chimney inspection -- Fireplace inspection -- 2: Chimney Repairs -- Removing soot and creosote buildup -- Masonry repairs -- Flashing -- Clean out doors -- House repairs -- 3: Chimney Cleaning -- Chemical cleaning -- Cleaning chimneys with evergreen trees -- Mechanical chimney cleaning -- Cleaning with wire brushes -- Vacuum cleaning of chimneys -- Calling in a professional chimney sweep -- Other chimney cleaning methods -- 4: Building Your Own Chimney -- Flue size -- Height -- Support -- Flue lining -- Walls -- Mortar -- Soot pocket and clean out -- Smoke pipe connection -- Insulation -- Connection with roof -- Top construction -- Smoke test -- How a chimney works -- Concrete chimneys -- Framing for chimneys -- Flashing for chimneys -- Estimating chimney materials -- 5: Building Your Own Fireplace -- Design -- Construction -- Modified fireplaces -- Prefabricated fireplaces and chimneys -- Outdoor fireplaces -- Concrete -- Bricks, blocks, and stone -- Fire pit -- Rustic grill -- Low level brick fireplace -- Countertop grill -- Estimating materials for fireplaces -- 6: Practical Chimney And Fireplace Designs -- Elevation and section views of a fireplace -- Two fireplace designs -- Design with two fireplaces -- Arrangement for two or more flues -- Installation of prefabricated fireplaces -- Open front and side, and open front and back fireplaces -- Chimney for a furnace or wood stove -- 7: Curing Smoky Stoves And Fireplaces -- Obstructions -- Lack of air -- Flue sizes -- Other openings in the flue -- Chimney construction -- Damper -- Summary -- 8: Codes And Standards -- Chimney construction -- Woodwork around chimneys -- Specifications -- Section 4B: Unit masonry -- Division 3: Concrete, section 3A: Form work -- Section 3B: Expansion and contraction joints -- Section 3C: Concrete reinforcement -- Section 3D: Cast-in-place concrete -- Division 4: Masonry, section 4A: Mortar -- 9: Primer On Firewood -- How wood burns -- Good woods -- Gathering firewood -- Pap-o-fire -- Harvesting wood -- Splitting wood -- Stacking and seasoning wood -- Woodsheds -- Preserving your woodland -- Common terms -- Facts on wood -- 10: Building And Tending A Fire -- Kindling -- Starting the fire -- Holding fires overnight -- Tending a small fire -- 11: Review Of Wood Stove Designs -- Simple box stove -- Ashley airtight designs -- Base burning airtight stoves -- Downdraft airtight stoves -- Front combustion stoves -- Wood stove efficiency -- Wood stove installation -- Summary -- 12: Coal Furnaces -- Firing a stoker furnace -- Chimney inspection -- Thermostat setting -- Types of coal -- Improving coal furnace efficiency -- Troubleshooting coal stokers -- 13: Combustion And Miscellaneous Fuels -- Combustion -- Miscellaneous fuels -- How much heat do you need? -- Choosing a heating unit -- Checking heating equipment -- 14: Questions And Answers -- Chimneys and draft -- Measurement of pressure -- Fuels and combustion -- 15: Simplified Heating Calculations -- Steps in determining heat loss -- Floor plan -- Completing the calculations -- Other calculations -- Glossary -- Manufacturers -- Index.