Iron County
Chimney Work in Iron County
Iron County lies in the western Upper Peninsula on the Wisconsin border, with Crystal Falls as the county seat and Iron River as its largest community. Like the rest of the western UP it was built on mining, and it sees some of the lowest winter temperatures recorded in Michigan.
Sustained deep cold, rather than snowfall alone, is what distinguishes chimney conditions here. Temperatures that stay well below zero for days at a time keep the top of a flue far colder than the fire below it can compensate for.
Deep Cold and Draft Problems in Iron County
A cold flue is a poorly drafting flue. When the column of air in the chimney is colder and denser than the air in the house, the chimney can reverse and pull cold air down into the room instead of drawing smoke up – which is both unpleasant and a sign the system is not working as designed.
Exterior chimneys on outside walls are the ones that do this, and an insulated liner is the durable answer because it keeps the flue warm enough to establish draft. Priming the flue with a rolled newspaper before lighting helps in the moment but does not fix the underlying configuration.