Okay, so, I needed to put some fire bricks in my wood burner. Let me tell you, it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be! But, I got it done, and I’m here to share my experience so you can avoid some of the headaches I went through.
Get Everything Ready
First things first, I gathered all my stuff. You’ll need:
- Fire bricks, obviously. Make sure you get the right size for your wood burner.
- A wire brush. This is crucial for cleaning out the inside of the burner.
- Gloves. You don’t want to mess up your hands.
- A dust mask. Trust me, there will be dust.
- Safety glasses. Always protect your eyes, folks!
- A bucket to mix stuff if necessary.
- Some fire cement, if you need to fill up any gaps.
Clean it Out
Next up, I had to clean out the wood burner. I took out all the old ashes and any leftover debris. Then, I went in with the wire brush and scrubbed the inside walls. I made sure to get rid of all the old soot and any loose bits.
Start Placing the Bricks
Now for the main event: putting in the bricks. I started with the bottom, laying them down flat and making sure they were snug against each other. No gaps! Then I did the back wall, one brick at a time, again making sure they were tight against each other and the bottom bricks.
Side Walls Time
The side walls were a bit trickier. I had to figure out the best way to stack them so they’d stay put. I ended up starting from the bottom, kind of like building a little wall. I kept checking that they were stable and wouldn’t just fall over when I started a fire.
Fill in the Gaps
Once all the bricks were in, I noticed a few small gaps here and there. No biggie, I just mixed up some fire cement according to the instructions on the package. It was kind of like making a thick paste. Then I used a small trowel (you can use anything, really) to fill in those gaps, making sure everything was sealed up tight.
Let it Dry
After all that work, I had to let the fire cement dry. The instructions said to wait at least 24 hours, so I did just that. No fires for a day! I just left the wood burner open to let it air out and dry properly.
Test it Out
Finally, after the cement was all dry, I built a small fire to test it out. I wanted to make sure everything was in place and there were no problems. It worked like a charm! The fire bricks were doing their job, and my wood burner was back in action.
So, there you have it. That’s how I put fire bricks in my wood burner. It was a bit of a process, but I got it done. Just remember to take your time, be careful, and don’t rush it. Good luck!
