I had the same problem with my vented gas fireplace and found someone that recommended auto firewall rubber. This can withstand a tremendous amount of heat. I purchased two, 2 fireplaces, patches of it off amazon and stuck them to the top of my stacks. This worked out GREAT!! It has been over a year and they are still attached. The adhesive is industrial strength. Now all I need to do is solve the wind sound on windy days. Hope this helps!

haus_proud, Yes. My door set is leaky. I took them off and noticed no insulation on the sides and top. Hopefully it is safe to add some. The tops of the bifold doors are a bit leaky too. I wonder it there is some thing I can put there to seal them better that is NOT flamible. Otherwise I think a better door set would solve my problem with the vented log set. You are right. I ran out at lunch to HD and Lowes and they have sets for $250 or less BUT the local fireplace store has them starting at $675.....thats out of our range! I am guessing there is a huge difference. Out set looks nice though my wife wishes it were black instead of bronze. In fact I was going to repaint them with high heat paint. Maybe I'll just try s set from Lowes....likely not as good as $&700 set but hopefully better than the 20 year old set on there now that needs to be insulated and painted! Again, if I use the unvented set with the damper OPEN, I'd think I'd be eliminating the pollution issue but maybe not. If I knew it would eliminate that then I'd think they would be the way to go.

Many of the things have been covered so I'll try to avoid duplicates. But another caution: $20 will buy jumper cables good for Texas or Arizona, but not for Minnesota or North Dakota. You'll spend 2-3 times that for a decent set worthy of carrying around here. Check the gauge of the wire and the clamps. Buy from a reputable place, not a discount department store, if you want a good set. Another caution is a cell phone is a good idea but will do you no good without power. Always buy a car adapter and keep it in the vehicle. "Emergency" cell phones, won't be maintained so they won't be charged. Without a charger you stand no chance of using it. Also, be sure to check coverage. Why get one that won't have coverage when you need it? Also, if you need to repair a hose, don't go for the duct tape right away. Electrical tape will seal the hole better. Duct tape won't. Wrap it well with electrical tape and *then* give a wrap of the silver miracle. The grey gold will keep the electrical tape in place better and seal itself better. I always used a coffee can and put a roll of toilet paper in a plastic bag, double bagged, actually. Also had some matches and some large heavy duty garbage bags. A garbage bag will be a one-size-fits-most for a rain poncho, and have numerous other uses. People who use eyeglasses should keep an extra pair in the vehicle, especially if your license requires you to wear them while driving. I always keep water in the vehicle. Sure it freezes in the winter but the small bottles thaw quickly. I also keep aspirin, antacids and the like so I don't have to buy them at outrageous prices if needed. I just take a small bottle and keep a few in there. A roll of paper towels cut in half fits nicely in a coffee can and gives you an alternative to the toilet paper and gives you some ready napkins and something to use to clean up those accidents. Put the garbage bags in there and I like a few wet wipes. Tow chain or a tow strap. Takes little room. Oh, I use the crank flashlights. No need to worry about batteries. I usually like to carry a gallon of window wash fluid (de-icer in the winter) and a gallon of antifreeze. If you break a hose you can get the radiator filled. Dump in the antifreeze and it can get you going to a place to add some water. Or if your near a water source, even a lake, stream or ditch, you have a container for the water. Clothes appropriate for the climate. And a comealong winch is a good idea too. Can extend the reach of the tow strap and you can winch yourself out of a bad spot. And I believe in keeping some cash, including change, in the vehicle. Pay phones used to be a big reason but that's more obsolete now but if you have to buy some gas, or bandages or something, you might find a few dollars handy. Nobody's saying you should carry everything everyone has suggested. Very few people would find a gas wrench useful - most wouldn't know how to use it. So you use it for ideas. Modify it. There is no all-inclusive list that will work for everyone. Some things you would take on a trip but not leave in there all the time. Some things should be in there. Minnesota requires you to carry proof of insurance. I keep one card in my wallet and one in the vehicle. Belt and suspenders I suppose. I still haven't gotten around to stocking my "new" vehicle yet. But probably have most of it in there. When the weather gets nicer I'll clean it out and check inventory against my checklist.

Unless you have a means of disposing of the brush from 50 6" diameter trees, it may be cost effective to hire some one to do the job. They would cut the trees down clean up and cart away all of the debris. It you want to do it your self, with the size of trees that you have, in my opinion, the only option is a chainsaw. If the trees are reasonably close to an electrical outlet, (see below) I would buy a 14" electric chain saw. You can get a good one for about $70. Unlike a gas chainsaw the minute you take your finger of the trigger, the chain stops, there is no run on. So it is safer from that point of view. When you are maneuvering, you can unplug it so there is no chance it will start. A 14" electric will start every time regardless of how long it has set in storage. There is no gas to worry about. 6" diameter is cake. In the 30 years I have had mine I have cut down trees up to about 30" in diameter. In Fran we cut up the 30 trees that came down in my yard. So just because it is electric it is not a toy. A reasonable distance depends on the length of time the saw will be used. 100' of 14 gauge cord meets all recommendation for cord length. 200' for 14 gauge cord will have some voltage drop but not damaging. I have gone 300' for several quick cuts as cutting down a tree, and a couple of cuts so it can be handled.