How to Use a Wood Fireplace

How do I use a wood fireplace? Is it difficult? Is it safe? Is it expensive? Using a wood fireplace is easy and safe if you follow a few simple steps. And there's nothing more beautiful, comforting, or romantic than a warm wood fire in the fireplace on a chilly night.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• newspaper
• firewood
• kindling
• fireplace matches or fireplace lighter
• fireplace tools
• ash bucket
• fire extinguisher

1. 
    
   Fireplace components

   Using a wood fireplace is easier if you understand the basic principles of how and why a fireplace works. All fireplaces have a firebox (where the wood is placed to burn), a fire grate (to support the wood in the firebox and allow air to circulate beneath it), a chimney with a flue (to draw air from the room, through the firebox, and to the outside), and a damper (to control how much draw is happening and to close off the fireplace when not in use to prevent cold air being sucked into the house).

2. 
    
   Split firewood

   Now that you understand the principles, it's time to start the fire. Gather your materials: a couple sheets of newspaper (to test the fireplace draw), firewood (dry logs cut to the proper length to fit in your fireplace and split to expose the core of the wood), kindling (fatwood fire starters or a firestarter log), fireplace matches or fireplace lighter (regular matches are too short and burn too quickly), fireplace tools (poker, shovel, broom, etc.).

3. 
    
   Damper chain

   Using the damper handle on your fireplace, open the damper and see if cold air begins coming in. If so, you need to warm the chimney to get the draft started going in the right direction. This will ensure that when you build your fire, the smoke will head up the chimney and not into your room. To warm the chimney, crumple up a couple sheets of newspaper and push them up into the open damper. Light them and they will begin to burn and in a few moments will turn to ash and head up the chimney.

4. 
    
   Building your fire

   Now that your chimney is ready, begin building your firewood "log cabin." Lay two pieces of firewood in the center of the fire grate, parallel to the sides of the fireplace walls and 5 to 6 inches apart from each other.

5. Next place two more pieces of firewood pieces on top of the bottom layer, parallel to the front and back of the fireplace. Continue this process until you have three or four layers. When you're done, you should have a stack that resembles a log cabin and that leaves the entire center open so oxygen can be drawn up through the bottom of the stack and keep the fire going.

6. 
    
   Fatwood fire starters

   Next the kindling. I recommend using fatwood fire starters if they're available to you. These are environment-friendly real pine sticks that are naturally dense with resin which is a sure-fire (no pun intended) way to get your fire going. Fatwood fire starters can be purchased at a number of online stores. If these are not available, you can get a firestarter log at any convenience store, grocery store, or hardware store. The disadvantage of firestarter logs is that they are compressed and infused with added chemicals. They work very well to start the fire, but be sure the fumes aren't coming back into your home, and be sure not to cook over them. If neither fatwood nor firestarter logs are available, you can go the old-fashioned way with small, dry pieces of wood and newspaper.

7. 
    
   Lighting the fire

   With a fireplace match or fireplace lighter, light one end of the kindling and place it fire side first in the space left between your first two pieces of firewood directly on the grate. Repeat this with two or three more pieces. When the kindling is in place with the back end lit, use fireplace matches or a fireplace lighter to light the ends of the kindling closest to you.

8. 
    
   Fireplace embers

   With the damper open, the chimney warm, the wood stacked, and the kindling lit, you'll have a blazing fire in no time at all! But wait, that's not the last step. Once your fire is burning, add split logs as necessary as your original stack burns away, until you have built up a nice layer of coals or red embers beneath the grate. This will ensure that your fire won't die once you have worked so hard to get it going.

9. 
    
   Fireplace tools (Black Rose Forge)

   Use your fireplace tools to make adjustments as necessary. The poker is, as the name suggests, for poking logs and moving them toward the back of the fireplace. The shovel is necessary when the ashes in the bottom of your firebox build up far enough that they keep the air from circulating beneath the grate. Scoop cold ashes out from under the fireplace grate into an ash bucket before starting a new fire. Use the broom to brush pieces of wood or dirt from the hearth. Never use the broom on a lit piece of wood, spark, or ember.

10. 
     
    Fireplace screen (Black Rose Forge)

    Always use a fire screen - wood "pops" as the wood alcohol and steam build pressure inside the log, and sparks can fly out past the hearth setting fire to the room.

11. 
     
    Firemen in living room after fireplace fire

    11. Don't leave a burning fire unattended. If a fire gets out of control and into the house, don't think you can fix it. Leave the house immediately and call 911.
    
    How do I use a wood fireplace? Prepare the fireplace, use the proper ingredients for your fire, keep it blazing, use the proper tools, keep it contained. That's how!

Tips & Warnings

• Fireplace hearth gates can be used if there are small children in the house
• If your fireplace has glass doors, be sure they are open and a fire screen is used while the fire is burning. If you close the doors, there will be no way for oxygen to get beneath the grate and keep the fire going.
• Never, EVER, use an accelerant such as lighter fluid, gasoline, or kerosene in an indoor fireplace.
• Don't close the damper down too far - a hot fire is needed to burn away the naturally-occurring creosote that accumulates inside the chimney from wood burning. The last thing you want is a chimney fire caused from a buildup of creosote.
• Keep your firewood away from the fire in a firewood holder, and keep a fire extinguisher in the room in case of emergency.
• Check your home's smoke detectors regularly.

[betterbody]

on 3/20/2009 How to Use a Wood Fireplace offer excellent tips. Thanks for this 5* article.

[Ladybugblue]

on 3/19/2009 Great article! 5*

[SimplyCuttings]

on 3/19/2009 Great, informative article.