We have a catalytic insert up stairs and haven't used the downstairs fireplace in 9 years. Ran a brush through it to be sure it is open and started with 3 small, 5 year seasoned red oak splits. All is well. Probably will burn once a week until I can afford another insert to install down here. We joke and say we're going to 'someone else's house tonight when we light a fire and sit downstairs. It's just the two if us and 2600 sq. ft. Of house is huge for 2, we only 'pass through' on our way to the laundry room or to get my saws and equipment.
Wish we had a big fireplace like that to sit by. I love the woodstove and we like the wood heat, but there is something about an open fireplace that is just mesmerizing... Summertime sees campfires at my cousin's place our neighbor's or out back here almost every other weekend. A little beer (or a lot sometimes) and some tall tails next to a crackling fire that is dancing in the evening darkness is a GREAT way to spend an evening. Sounds like your house is similarly sized as ours for the two of us, but we would love to have it WAY bigger... too much stuff... come on Lotto... either that or start getting rid of some of our "treasures". I'm kind of a pyro when it comes to outdoor fires... I love big bonfires.
When I was a kid, everyone had real Christmas trees and we would collect them. We had a swamp about 100 yards behind the house in the woods. It always filled up in the winter and we would ice skate back there a lot. My sisters and brother would have skating parties and after dark a Christmas tree would get thrown on the fire about every half hour or so. It would light it up like daytime back there. Great memories. Cool pix, g60gti, takes me back... making memories for the kid like that is pretty cool.
Yep. We have a big winter fest party every February. Ice skating, chili cook off, plenty of libations and yes, a big tree burn. After Christmas when everyone starts tossing trees to the curb we go and collect as many as we can before the ice fishermen get them all. Had 60 something this year but have had as many as 130 years past. Once we get the fire pit and burn barrels going it’s like tree incinerators all over the yard. One year we tossed like 20 trees at once on the fire, that was something. Definitely good times and has been much more so now that I have kids knowing that they’re going to have these memories. And that’s a pretty awesomely huge fireplace Ralphie Boy . Sorry for taking this off track.
