Getting your flue ready for a mountains winter

What creosote is

When wood burns, the smoke carries unburned particles and moisture up the flue. As that cools on the way up, it condenses onto the flue wall as creosote, a tarry deposit that is itself flammable. Every burn adds to it. Enough of it, hot enough, and the deposit is what catches.

A dirty flue costs you firewood

This is the part people miss. A flue narrowed by build-up draws worse. A poor draw means a cooler, smokier, less efficient fire, so you burn more wood for the same heat and put more smoke back into the room. Sweeping is not purely a safety job.

Burn dry wood

Unseasoned or wet wood is the single biggest cause of rapid creosote build-up, because all that moisture goes straight up the flue and condenses. Properly seasoned hardwood burns hotter and dirties the flue far more slowly.

When to book

Autumn, before the first real cold snap. Once winter starts everyone rings at once. Once a year is right for normal household use, more if you burn hard all season.