Re: fireplaces
From: Peter Orbeton (peter.orbetongmail.com)
Date: Fri, 9 Mar 2012 09:34:46 -0800 (PST)
At Nubanusit Neighborhood & Farm we have two fireplaces back-to-back - one
facing the dining room and the other in an  adjacent meeting room. We're
fortunate to have an ample firewood source (dead hardwood trees and cleared
saplings),  as well as scrap lumber. During the cooler months, there is
almost always a fire during meal times (2x weekly), Friday evening's Happy
Hour, or special events.

We rely on community labor to hump the firewood, and have a hydraulic
splitter. Certainly the fact that we live in NH, one of the most forested
states, where fireplaces & woodstoves are commonplace, make it more a way
of life than in other parts of the country.

Risk assessments from our insurers have not mentioned the fireplaces,
except for asking about cleaning, and chimney inspections and cleaning take
place when we do the same for our pellet-fired furnaces in a separate
building that supply heat and hot water for the community.

We have a range of ages toddler to elderly, and have not had any problems.
When there is a burning fire, there are always community members present to
keep an eye on things. Our biggest concern, if you want to call it that, is
ensuring the flue is closed after the fire has gone out to prevent heat
loss. The Common House was, as were our residential units, built to LEED
Platinum standards, so there are air exchangers, which provide for fresh
air and minimize the buildup of smoke & particulates.



On Thu, Mar 8, 2012 at 10:10 PM, Carol Agate <carolagate [at] mac.com> wrote:

>
> We are considering adding a fireplace to our common living room, but there
> is concern about the risk of people being careless. Do you have a community
> fireplace? What have you done to be sure people who use it aren't careless?
>
> Carol Agate
> Cornerstone Village in Cambridge, MA
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Nubanusit Neighborhood & Farm
http://www.peterboroughcohousing.org

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