That time a customer told me their chimney was fine because they 'burned dry wood'

So I was up on a roof this morning in Cleveland, and the homeowner comes out yelling that I'm wasting my time because they've been burning kiln-dried firewood for three years. I popped my camera down their flue and showed them a half-inch of glaze coating the entire liner from slow-burning fires. Has anyone else dealt with customers who think wood quality alone prevents creosote buildup?

3 comments

3 Comments

skyler_kim1mo ago

Maybe it's just me but if you're burning hot enough fires with proper airflow, dry wood really does cut down on the worst deposits. A half inch of glaze after three years sounds like the homeowner was also damping down the stove too much or running it at low burn settings. Kiln dried wood can still cause buildup if the fires are smoldering instead of roaring hot.

abby_palmer1mo agoTop Commenter

So you think 90% of creosote issues are actually operator error?

xena_miller3127d ago

This is the same stuff I see everywhere, not just with wood stoves. People get real attached to whatever gear they bought, so it's gotta be the wood or the stove itself instead of how they're using it. My buddy spent six months blaming his new chainsaw for bogging down before he finally sharpened the chain. Same thing with people who swear their car rides rough but won't check the tire pressure. Once you start looking, it's pretty wild how often the fix is just changing up your own habits, not buying something new.