Stendstroythe stove-maker's craft: a journal on the history and workings of stoves

An independent journal on the history and workings of stoves. We are not stove-makers or a workshop, we do not carry out any work or sell anything, and we have no connection to the previous website on this domain. Leave building, repairing and cleaning stoves to specialists.

How-to

How-to

Stove safety comes down to a few simple habits. A quick check before lighting, close attention while it burns, and patience afterward until the wood burns out. On the outside, a stove asks only for a little regular care. Below is a general routine: it doesn't replace your stove-maker's advice, but it helps you remember it.

The golden rule of the stove is simple: close the damper only when the wood has fully burned out and no blue flames remain. Rushing it is more dangerous than the cold.

— From the editors

How this section works: we describe everyday use of a stove in good working order in general terms, without wood-loading rules or technical details. Your stove-maker, who knows your stove, can tell you how best to fire it, and all masonry work, any repair and chimney sweeping are done only by a specialist.

How to light a stove safely

  1. Check the stove and the area by the firebox

    Make sure there are no clothes, paper or other flammable items on or near the stove, and that the metal hearth plate in front of the firebox is in place. If you notice new cracks or smoke marks, don't light the stove — call a specialist.

  2. Open the damper

    Before lighting, open the damper all the way so the smoke has somewhere to go. If it won't open fully or it sticks, don't light the stove: have a stove-maker look at it first.

  3. Clear the ash from the firebox

    If there's ash left in the firebox from last time, scoop it into a metal bucket with a lid. Keep the bucket well away from firewood, furniture and walls.

  4. Light the fire

    Lay dry firewood and kindling in the firebox the way your stove-maker recommended, and light it. Once the fire has caught, close the firebox door most of the way.

  5. Keep an eye on the fire

    Never leave a burning stove unattended, and don't leave the house while the fire is going. If smoke is coming into the room instead of going up the chimney, don't close the damper; air out the room, stop adding wood and have a specialist look at the stove.

  6. Close the damper at the right time

    Close the damper only after the wood has fully burned out and no blue flames remain in the firebox. Do it any earlier and carbon monoxide can get into the house — and it has no color or smell.

How to care for the outside of a stove

  1. Dust it

    Wipe the stove down with a soft dry brush or cloth once it has cooled. On a clean surface it's easier to notice what has changed: a new crack, a dark patch, a corner of plaster that has come loose.

  2. Refresh the whitewash

    If your stove is whitewashed, touch it up on a cold stove when it gets dingy or dirty. Your stove-maker can tell you what to whitewash it with. Cracks and soot show up right away on a fresh light surface.

  3. Wipe the tiles gently

    Clean stove tiles with a soft, slightly damp cloth, and only when the stove has cooled. Abrasive powders and scouring pads scratch the glaze. Show any loose or cracked tile to a specialist.

  4. Look after the door and glass

    The door should close tightly. If it has glass, clean it on a cold stove with the product the door manufacturer recommends. Loose hinges or gaps around the door are a reason to call a stove-maker.

  5. Keep the firebox area tidy

    Don't store firewood, kindling, newspapers or fabric right up against the stove. There should be a metal hearth plate in front of the firebox, and the fire iron, ash shovel and ash bucket should each have their own spot so you're not hunting for them in a hurry.

  • Tools

    Fire iron, ash shovel, hearth plate, ash bucket, carbon monoxide detector and fire extinguisher, with no brands.

  • Care

    Looking after a stove through the seasons, plus the safety essentials that apply all year round.

  • Planning

    What to do about an old stove in your house: inspection, finding a specialist, deciding on repairs and warning signs.

Sources

  • Russia's Emergencies Ministry: fire-safety rules for using stoves

Information about stoves is given in general terms, based on encyclopedic and ethnographic dictionaries, materials from museums of wooden architecture and the fire-safety rules of Russia's Emergencies Ministry; fire-safety rules differ by country, so check the ones that apply where you live. Only a specialist who has inspected your stove and chimney in person can tell you what condition they are in and whether they are safe to use.