Heating Our 1887 Forest Cabin Again
We install a new chimney, paint the extension and light the stove again in our 1887 off-grid forest cabin in Dalarna, Sweden.
At Last, We Can Heat Our 1887 Forest Cabin Again
It is midsummer in Dalarna, and several unfinished jobs are waiting around our old log cabin. The extension needs a fresh coat of paint, the new chimney has to go up, and the LTE antenna still needs a permanent place.
The chimney matters most. Without it, we cannot use the wood stove inside the cabin. Lifting and mounting a three-metre chimney pipe from a ladder, however, turns out to be less straightforward than it sounded during the planning.
Bringing warmth back to the cabin
While the sky is still overcast, I begin by painting the extension and the small technical room. Later, we lift the long chimney pipe into place and secure it to the side of the cabin.
Not everything goes according to plan. A clamp falls to the ground, forcing us to stop and begin that part of the job again. Eventually, both the chimney and the LTE antenna are in place – and the moment we have been waiting for finally arrives: there is a fire burning inside our forest cabin again.
Work, food and a quiet evening
The film is not only about the finished chimney. Between the different jobs, we cook a simple meal, move firewood and continue working on the kitchen. The wooden surfaces receive a coat of hard-wax oil while the midsummer day slowly turns into a quiet evening.
This simple rhythm is an important part of life here: working, improvising, sharing a meal and finally sitting beside a warm stove at the end of the day.
