At Wooden Sun, we offer a wide variety of hearth, chimney, and patio repair services. Here’s a brief, centralized overview of the services we offer, and the appliances we can repair: Chimney Repair This is a broad category, and covers everything from repairing and weatherproofing your chimney crown, to installing single- or multi-flue/full-coverage caps, to…
Our “What to Expect” series explores some of the factors to consider when you’re purchasing a new wood or gas appliance. Previously: gas fireplaces So you’ve decided that a wood stove is right for you! Congratulations on your choice of such an environmentally-friendly heat source; Wooden Sun carries a variety of high-efficiency, low-emission stoves that…
In accordance with CSIA (Chimney Safety Institute of America) standards, Wooden Sun highly recommends a Level II (video scan) Sweep & Inspection for all new customers and for customers who are selling their home, have had a chimney fire or if the certified chimney sweep recommends this service. We sometimes have customers ask us why…
Every fireplace season, we get calls from homeowners reporting that they can’t get their wood fireplace burning right, or that smoke spills back out into their house when the fire is going. So let’s take a look at what goes into your fireplace system, and what might be interfering with it: Draft is the force…
Whether you’re comparing wood or gas appliances, you’ll see an efficiency rating listed in the product information. Between uncertain fuel costs and increasingly strict air quality regulations, more and more consumers are looking for the most efficient heaters they can find. But what do efficiency ratings actually mean? How are they measured? The bad news…
Every season, we receive several calls from concerned stove-owners, worried that their stoves are malfunctioning and/or dangerous. The good news is that many of these problems are not actually problems at all, and merely things your stove will do from time to time. Let’s address some of the issues you may encounter in your wood…
So you’ve looked at your options, and are trying to decide on a wood stove. One important choice to make is whether to purchase a catalytic or non-catalytic stove. Which one is the best option for you? Each comes with advantages and disadvantages; there’s no “best” stove, only the best option for you and your…
What’s so eco-friendly about heating with wood, anyway? Firewood is a renewable resource, and sustainable harvesting practices allow woodlot owners to balance high yield with long-term growth. Harvesting wood responsibly involves clearing naturally-fallen wood before new growth (intermediate thinning), planting new trees to replace harvested ones, and maintaining a variety of tree species in each…
Hearth and chimney fires are a serious matter, and can cause hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in property damage. In the last three years, approximately 72,500 chimney fires occurred in the United States, causing about $92 million in property damage and resulting in 30 deaths. In November of 2013, a chimney fire damaged a home…
Benefits of Heating with Wood Why heat with wood in the first place? To begin with, wood is a very cost-effective fuel source. In central VA, wood costs next to nothing (or nothing at all, for many people!), and is vastly cheaper than gas, fuel oil, or electric heat pumps. Even when the power goes…
