How to Make a Fireplace Burn Slowly

Moderate the pace in which wood burns in your fireplace.

Fireplaces can go through a pile of wood in a very short period of time. The speed at which wood burns in a fireplace mostly comes down to the type of wood used, how the wood is arranged and the amount of air flowing through the fireplace. In order to achieve a slow-burning fireplace, each of these aspects needs to be addressed. Once they are, your fireplace should go through far less wood and take much less effort to maintain.

Instructions

1. Limit the amount of airflow that is allowed through your fireplace. Unrestricted airflow will cause the wood to burn very quickly. This can be done by installing a fireplace insert. Most fireplace inserts are made of fireproof steel with glass doors on the front. This design cuts down on the airflow going into the fireplace and out the chimney, slowing the rate at which the wood burns in your fireplace.

2. Use hardwood, rather than softwood, in your fireplace to slow the pace at which the fire burns. Hardwoods, such as oak and cherry, burn slowly because they are denser than other woods. In addition, the larger the pieces of wood are, the more slowly they will burn.

3. Arrange logs closely together for a slower-burning fire. The less access air has to each log, the slower each log will burn. On the other hand, wood that is arranged loosely will burn quickly because air is able to easily reach each log.

4. Slightly close the damper of the fireplace after the fire has been burning for 15 to 30 minutes. This will restrict the airflow and cause the fire to burn more slowly.

References

• Cal/EPA Air Resources Board: Wood Burning Handbook
• Wood Heat: How to Build and Maintain a Wood Fire