Okay, so the other day I started messing around with my woodburner because it wasn’t heating the room properly. I figured it might be the firebricks inside, and sure enough, some of them were cracked pretty badly. Time for a little DIY project!
First things first, I needed to figure out what kind of bricks I had in there. They looked like regular old ceramic tiles to me, which I learned are a decent, cheaper alternative to fancy firebricks. They’re made from clay and baked in a kiln, so they can handle the heat. I double-checked my stove’s make and model just to be safe.
Next up, getting those old bricks out. I grabbed a screwdriver and carefully started prying them out. Some were so cracked that I could just pull them out with my fingers. It was a bit messy, but nothing a good sweep-up couldn’t fix once I had them all out.
Now for the fun part – putting in the new bricks! I had already ordered some replacements online after checking my stove model. They fit in there perfectly, which was a relief. I made sure everything was snug and secure, no wobbly bricks allowed.
- Check for damage: I looked closely at all the bricks inside the woodburner for any cracks or chips.
- Remove old bricks: I carefully took out the damaged bricks, making sure not to break any others in the process.
- Clean up: With the old bricks out, I cleaned the area to make sure there wasn’t any debris left behind.
- Install new bricks: I placed the new bricks in, ensuring they fit tightly together.
After getting the new bricks in, I fired up the woodburner to test it out. It felt like it was heating up better already, but I’ll have to see how it does over the next few days. It wasn’t a super complicated project, but it felt good to fix something myself and save a bit of money in the process. Plus, now I know a little more about how my woodburner works, which is always a good thing!
Turns out that cracked bricks can happen for a bunch of reasons, like rapid heating and cooling, or if the stove was installed poorly. Maybe even because of old age, who knows, but mine’s not that old. Anyway, if you see a few small cracks, it’s probably not a big deal, but if they’re big like mine were, it’s best to replace them.
So, yeah, that’s my little woodburner brick adventure. If you’re ever in the same boat, don’t be afraid to give it a go yourself! Just make sure you know what kind of bricks you need, and take your time getting the old ones out. It’s pretty satisfying to fix something with your own two hands.
