Into the Woods

Both dormers are now roofed.

Also today, the chimney was framed in. I had to accept a number of economies in building this house. Much as I would have loved to have a classic brick chimney, I couldn’t afford it. Instead I’ll have a framed chimney, which will be covered with the same board-and-batten siding as the rest of the house. The practical penalty is not great, because I’ll have a propane fireplace rather than a wood fireplace. The propane fireplace needs only a horizontal vent; it doesn’t need a chimney at all. However, including the frame chimney maintains the profile of the house and gives me the option of turning it into a functioning chimney someday with a stainless steel insert. It’s good to have that option, but I expect to use that option only if the cost of gas gets so high that I’m forced to consider burning trees. If I was young enough to deal with the labor of burning trees, the equation would look different. But I’m too old to manage chainsaws, and the idea of flipping a switch to light the fireplace is extremely appealing.