Starting a Fire
How do I start a fire in my fireplace?
Here’s what you’ll need to get started: newspaper, kindling, matches or a lighter and firewood or a manufactured log.
You need to make sure the damper is in the open position at all times.
All wood should be well seasoned (meaning dry), for six months or longer.
Here are some tips:
- We recommend that you crack a door or a window in the room where the fireplace is located before you start it. This will allow the heat to rise easier.
- Turn off the central heating system until the fire is going well.
- Make sure the great is located in the center of the firebox and to the back wall.
- Make sure the damper is in the open position.
- Placed some newspaper underneath the fireplace grate.
- Burn kindling for the first 10 to 15 minutes. Kindling is small pieces of strips of wood. (1/2 to 3/4 inches square and 10 to 12 inches long.)
- Stack kindling on top of the fire great leaving space between each piece of kindling. Stack more kindling perpendicular on top of the first kindling with air space between each piece. Do this one more time if needed.
- You should always monitor the fireplace at all times and do not leave it unattended until the fire is completely out.
- Go-ahead and light the paper on fire.
- Continue burning kindling for 15 minutes.
- Now you can add additional wood logs to the fire or one manufactured log.
If you get smoke coming back into the house please keep track of when this happens so we may be able to give you some suggestions on how to remedy the problem. Do you get smoked in the beginning the middle or at the end or all the time?
If you get smoke in the beginning you may need to preheat the flue before starting your fire. This can be accomplished by rolling up some newspaper and burning it near the damper or you could purchase a Smoke Assassin by The Chimney Draft Doctor.
