Tips for Starting a Fire in Your Fireplace

What is more romantic than cozying up with your significant other in front of a sizzling fire? Plus, what is more relaxing than arriving home from a long work day, sitting back in a recliner, and unwinding close to a glowing hearth? If you never have started a fire inside a fireplace, this post is for you.

Be certain the chimney is free of blockages and clean

It always is an excellent idea to get the chimney swept before starting to light fires inside it. Even if you have not used it, old leaves and animal nests may cause blockages which cause a smoke-filled home. Contact a chimney sweep to check out the chimney. You should add this to your Winter Home Checklist.

Open up the damper

A fireplace flue damper controls how much air flows up your home’s chimney when the fireplace is in use. Be sure that you open the damper all of the way to avoid filling your home with smoke. You will also want to close it when you are done with your fire to avoid heat from escaping up the chimney.

Prime your flue

If the chimney is constructed on the exterior of your home, the chimney flue probably is cold. As you open the damper up, the cool air inside the flue is going to sink and come into the warm house. If you attempt to light a fire within this air sink, you will wind up with smoke entering your home rather than up the chimney. In order to counteract the air sink, you must prime your flue by warming it up. It’s accomplished by lighting a roll of newspaper then holding it up the damper opening for a couple of minutes. As you feel the draft reverse, you’ll know your flue is primed, and you are prepared to start the fire. If you own a fireplace that has a gas pipe that supplements the wood burning, turn the gas on and light the pilot light without wood inside the fireplace. In a matter of minutes, the flue is going to warm up.

Create an ash bed

Having a 1″ to 2″ ash bed inside the fireplace hearth helps insulate your fireplace and craft warmer fires. If you never have constructed a fire in the fireplace before, it may be an issue. One fast fix includes taking the ashes from your outside grill and put them in the fireplace to construct the ash bed. While a little ash bed is great, too much ash can be a bad thing. Be certain that you occasionally clean all ashes out of the fireplace.

Construct an “upside down” fire

There are many fire-building methods, and they all have their merits. If there is a certain way you enjoy building a fire, do it. However, if you want to build a clean burning fire which lasts for a while, try to use an “upside down” fire lay.

We hope this helps you stay cozy this winter.