Dealing with neighbors' wood fireplace smoke (alternatives, my fireplace, furnace, window)

[Threerun]

Gee- I don’t like the smoke and odor from my neighbors 30 year old garden tractor in the spring when I have the windows open.. Well guess what? That’s my tough diddie. Shut the windows and turn on the fan, BFD.

I've burned wood in woodstoves for over 20 years, lived in neighborhoods where people burned woodstoves, and I've never once had smoke infiltration into my house (unless it was MY stove back puffing due to downdraft).. That's true even with my windows open.

In my current home (of one year) I yanked out the gas logs, capped the damn thing off and cut and split my own wood to use in the fireplace, as it was intended to be. Next year I’m putting a woodstove in.

I've never heard anyone ballyhoo about it at all. As a matter of fact, most people I know love the aroma of burning white oak on a crisp autumn night.

If anyone does have a problem with it, I’ll be more than happy to teach them how to close their windows, light a candle, or read the real estate section and look for another home.

[Steve Bagu]

In some parts of the country it is normal for every house to have a chimney and this is connected to a FIREPLACE. Temp drops...time to light up the firewood. Goes with the territory. As a renter you have the choice to move away to a area where they do not have fireplaces.
Drive down the street in any neighborhood and look for homes that do not have a chimney...then look for a "house for Rent" sign.
Steve

[Pitt Chick]

^^^Actually, she will have to do more than that.

The neighbors might have **gasp** fire pits that they use all summer....

[Ohiogirl81]

I've never heard anyone complaining about their neighbors' fireplaces. Everyone I know who doesn't have one wants one.

The only way to avoid wood smoke is to buy 20 acres and set your house smack down in the middle.

And hope nobody camps on your land.

[plaidmom]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

I've never heard anyone complaining about their neighbors' fireplaces. Everyone I know who doesn't have one wants one.

Same in our neighborhood. We live an area of "older" homes and I love the wood smoke smell on cold days.

Here's the weird thing though: I have to go outside to smell the neighbors' fires.

Soooooo, I'm wondering if something is wrong with the OP's house? Some weird crack or opening that is causing a draft???

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

I've never heard anyone complaining about their neighbors' fireplaces. Everyone I know who doesn't have one wants one.

The only way to avoid wood smoke is to buy 20 acres and set your house smack down in the middle.

And hope nobody camps on your land.

I live on 55 acres. With acreage on either side and behind my property. I STILL smell smoke from the neighbors' fireplaces on occasion if I'm lucky and the wind is right.

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by Greenchili

I for one agree with the OP. I HATE the smell of smoke from
FPs coming in my house. And yes, it happens. I just dont think
FPs are smart in residential areas. Woodburning ones that is.
Plus they are dirty and messy inside the home. This is just
my opinion. We just close our windows when we get a whiff, but
its a shame as we like fresh air at night,but fail to get that when
FPs are going anywhere near. No one in MY neighborhood has one,
we all have gas FPs here. Its the older homes behind us that have
them.

Are you kidding? In this era of high energy prices, you are saying homes should NOT have fireplaces? ROFL!!! How do you think your ancestors stayed warm? And what are people to do if their power goes off (wh/ mine just did last week - thank god my house has a fireplace).

[pitt_transplant]

Fire places are not actually that effective as far as efficiency to pollution goes. My ancestors also did laundry by hand and succumbed to wasting and ate tapeworms for thinness....probably not the BEST idea to repeat things from the past.



If anything people should be looking into putting money into solar panels for the home instead of burning their money with firewood.

[Filet Mignon]

The truth is, unless a fireplace has an insert, it will actually increase your heating costs instead of decrease them. You're sucking warm air out of the house and sending it up the chimney.

[Greenchili]

Originally Posted by Filet Mignon

The truth is, unless a fireplace has an insert, it will actually increase your heating costs instead of decrease them. You're sucking warm air out of the house and sending it up the chimney.

This is true. A FP really doesnt heat all that well. And its a stinkin
mess to boot! This is 2009, and there has to be better
ways to heat homes than a FP.

Greenchili