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Clay chimeneas are not frost-proof. The chimenea itself has no drainage, and clay is porous, absorbing
moisture. Should your clay chimenea be left outside, saturated with water when it freezes, it will crack.
This is a natural phenomenon which we cannot prevent. To stop this process, keep your clay chimenea dry.
Bring it inside or cover it.
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With use, the paint finish on your chimenea will change and discolour, and there will be blackening around
the rim. The bigger the fires, the faster the paint finish will change.
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A clay chimenea can be re-painted with ordinary household emulsion paint after rubbing down to remove
any loose paint.
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The stand is made of steel and will rust.
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A discoloured chimenea on a rusty stand is still fit for purpose and can continue to be used
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Rust runs may mark flooring, slabs, and patios, so if you are worried abut marking, protect your flooring.
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To reduce the likelihood of rusting bring inside or protect with a weatherproof cover. Ideally, bring
inside for the winter.
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Cracks in the clay may be repaired with car body filler or fire cement and continue to be used.
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If a large structural crack appears, stop using the chimenea and dispose of it.
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All clay chimeneas crack eventually.
SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR YOUR CLAY CHIMENEA
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This is a clay chimenea of handmade by craftsmen. Use your clay chimenea for warmth and outdoor cooking.
It is beautiful to look at and can be used as a garden decoration.
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Before lighting, put 50mm (2 inches) of Gardeco Lava Stones or sand or gravel in the bottom to protect the
base from direct heat. Failure to do this may crack your clay chimenea.
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Start the fire with balled newspaper, dry kindling or Ocote sticks. NEVER use petrol or spirit based lighting
fuels. They may crack your chimenea.
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You may use dry wood logs or charcoal fuel. Clay chimeneas and other patio fires can be used to burn garden
refuse such as leaves or branches. DO NOT throw fuel into a clay chimenea. Wet logs will create a lot of
smoke.
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I
t is essential to allow the clay chimenea to warm up slowly by keeping the fire small for the first 20
minutes. Add more firewood later but do not build a large roaring fire which may crack the chimenea and is
dangerous.
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The environmental friendly fuel is wood or charcoal which is carbon neutral.
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When cooking use locally made charcoal from renewable forests with minimal transport cost. Gardeco Wyre
Forest Charcoal is made in the Wyre Forest in the UK West Midlands following to ancient rural methods.
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Gardeco CHIM LOGS, which are made from environmentally friendly recycled sawdust and burn slowly with
little smoke.
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To start a fire use balled newspaper and kindling.
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The best and most natural way to start the fire is Gardeco Ocote fire lighters. Ocote is a high resin
content pinewood from Central America, one or two sticks are enough to light a fire.
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For a fire without firelighters or kindling, use the smokeless Gardeco FIRE LOG, a wax impregnated
sawdust briquette, wrapped in a paper. Just light both ends of the paper and the log will burn for about
2½ hours. You cannot use Gardeco Fire Logs for cooking.
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Protect hands with Gardeco FIRE GLOVES when adding fuel. The more fuel is added, the more intense the
heat, the larger the flames. Do not over-fuel the fire.
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Use a Gardeco POKER to reposition logs inside the patio fire.
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If the fire is slow to start, more air will help, use a Gardeco BELLOWS to blow air into a slow fire.
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Safety is our main concern, so please use a CHIMENEA GUARD to keep small fingers well away from
the fire.
MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS FOR YOUR CLAY CHIMENEA
