Chimney & Fireplace Guides

Oregon requires uncertified wood stoves and inserts to be removed and destroyed at sale. Who is responsible, what is exempt, and what each Rogue Valley city adds.

Ashland will not issue a permit to reuse an old chimney with a new appliance until a CCB-registered sweep or mason has cleaned and inspected it.

From November through February, Jackson County sets a daily color for wood burning. What each color allows for certified stoves, older stoves and fireplaces.

Medford Code 7.222(3) bars renting a unit with no secondary heat other than a solid fuel burning device unless the landlord has a 7.224 exemption. What the code says, and what it leaves open.

What the Talent and Phoenix codes say about installing a wood stove in a rebuilt home, how Oregon's optional wildfire code applies, and the rebuild figures, each with its source and date.

A stove in an Oregon manufactured home must carry a DEQ or EPA label, be listed for the installation and be inspected by the local building department. What federal and state rules say.

Vaux's swifts are federally protected birds that roost in Rogue Valley chimneys each fall, with the Hedrick Middle School chimney in Medford the best known. When sweeping or capping is safe.

The federal credit for biomass stoves ended after 2025, Oregon heat pump funds for Jackson and Josephine homeowners are fully reserved, and the home energy rebates have not opened. Status as read in October 2026.

NFPA 211 calls for a chimney inspection at least once a year, and CSIA says to sweep at 1/8 inch of buildup. Here is how that works in practice.

What a professional chimney inspection covers and what you can expect.

Wet winters and shade make moss common on Southern Oregon roofs. Here is what it does and what to check at the chimney.

Heat per cord for madrone, Oregon white oak, Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine from Oregon State University, why moisture matters more than species, and the Oregon rules on buying and moving firewood.

What the standard sweep includes, what can change the price, and how travel fees and the inspection credit work.

NFPA 211 calls for a Level 2 inspection on sale or transfer, and a general home inspection is not built to do one. Here is the difference.

Not every chimney needs a liner replacement. Here is how to know whether yours does.

Cracked firebricks can often be repaired. Severe damage may require reconstruction. Here is how to tell the difference.