Alright, lemme tell ya somethin’ about puttin’ them firebricks in a wood stove. It ain’t rocket science, ya know? My ol’ man used to do it all the time, bless his soul. Said it kept the stove from burnin’ itself up, and I reckon he was right. We had that stove for years and years.
First thing ya gotta know is, why bother with them firebricks in the first place? Well, them bricks, they’re like a shield, see? They keep the fire from eatin’ away at the metal of your wood stove. If ya don’t have ’em, the stove, she’ll just burn right through. And then you’re in a heap of trouble, ain’t ya?
Now, I hear tell some folks say it’s hard to put them in. I say, hogwash! It’s simple as pie. Even easier, I reckon.
- First, you gotta get yourself some firebricks.
- And make sure they the right size for your stove.
- Then you gotta clean that old stove out.
- Get all the ash and soot out of there.
Then, ya just start layin’ them bricks in. Now, I seen some folks use that there fire cement stuff. They say it holds them bricks in place real good. You can get it at one of them stores. They sell all kinds of stuff, some I ain’t never even seen before.
But I say ya don’t need it. If you’re careful, you can get them bricks to stand up on their own. Just stack ’em up real nice and tight. Make sure they fit snug. Like a bug in a rug, ya know? I heard some fella say he used fire cement he got from a store called Wickes, or Screwix, or somethin’ like that.
Just stack the firebricks as high as you plan to stack your wood, I guess. Now, how high ya wanna go? Well, that depends on how much wood ya plan on burnin’, I reckon. If ya like a big ol’ fire, you’re gonna need more bricks. If ya just want a little somethin’ to take the chill off, then ya don’t need as many.
But ya gotta remember, them bricks, they ain’t just for show. They’re doin’ a job. They’re protectin’ your wood stove from the fire. It is like they are protectin’ your stove from normal burnin’. So ya gotta treat ’em right. Don’t be bangin’ ’em around. And don’t be throwin’ your wood in there all willy-nilly. Be gentle-like. Otherwise, ya gonna crack them bricks.
And then you’re right back where ya started. Ain’t nobody got time for that! Just take your time. Be careful. And you’ll have them bricks in there in no time. Then you can sit back and enjoy a nice, warm fire. And you’ll know your wood stove is safe and sound.
Now, some folks say you gotta replace them bricks every so often. That may be, I don’t know. We always just used the same ones. Never had a problem. But I reckon it depends on how much ya use your stove. And what kind of wood you’re burnin’.
If you are burnin’ that there hardwood, it’s gonna burn hotter. So maybe them bricks won’t last as long. But if you’re just burnin’ pine or somethin’ like that, then they’ll probably last a good long while.
Just use your common sense, ya know? If the bricks start lookin’ all cracked and crumbly, then it’s probably time to replace ’em. Don’t be stingy. It’s better to replace a few bricks than to have to buy a whole new stove. That’s a whole other bucket of worms, I tell ya! Don’t want to do that, not again. Old one went bad last year, had to get this one.
And don’t go throwin’ away the old bricks, neither! You can use ’em for all sorts of things. My neighbor, she uses ’em to line her garden. Says it keeps the weeds down. I don’t know about all that, but she seems to think it works.
And my grandson, he used some to build a little fire pit in his backyard. Said he wanted to roast marshmallows. Kids these days! They’re always up to somethin’.
Anyway, that’s about all I know about installing firebrick in wood stove. It ain’t hard. Just take your time and be careful. And you’ll be just fine. And remember, if I can do it, anybody can. Trust me on that one.
Now, if ya excuse me, I think I’m gonna go sit by the fire for a spell. It’s gettin’ a little chilly in here. And this old body ain’t as young as it used to be. But this old wood stove, she still works like a charm. Thanks to them firebricks, I reckon!
