Check List
A good fire requires not only a functional appliance, but good fuel. For best results, use seasoned firewood – wood that has been stored covered for the better part of a year. Season your wood under cover, but with good air flow.
Unseasoned, or green wood has too high a moisture content, and doesn’t burn well. Hard woods, like oak and maple, tend to be better than soft woods, like pine, since hardwoods have a higher BTU content, and will give a longer burn time and better performance.
A BTU is a “British Thermal Unit,” the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit.
While lower-quality wood will often burn acceptably in an open fireplace, most wood stoves call for more care in fuel selection.
Believe it or not, super-dry wood – like that pile that’s been out in the shed since you bought the place in 1972 – isn’t very good fire wood, either. It might work okay in an open fireplace (assuming it isn’t rotten), but it will burn fast and furious, and might throw a lot of sparks.
And all three – green wood, soft woods, and super-dry wood – create bigger problems when burned in wood stoves.
The optimal moisture content for firewood is about 20% to 25%, while fresh-cut wood usually has a moisture content of 35% to 70%. The reason wet/green wood doesn’t burn well is that water has a high specific heat. (“Specific heat” is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance one degree Celsius.) It takes a lot of heat to boil the water away, so there is less heat to keep the combustion process going.
You probably already know that you are not supposed to burn anything other than seasoned firewood. Burning treated wood, painted wood, rubbish, and such, releases toxic chemicals into the atmosphere (including your home!), and could cause other damage, as well.
Fireplaces and stoves aren’t incinerators, and it is neither safe nor environmentally sound to use them as incinerators. So recycle your pizza boxes and plastic wrap. Stick with seasoned firewood for your hearth, and do yourself, your home, and our environment a favour.
If you don’t want to deal with lugging and stacking firewood, or if you are out of wood and want to have a fire in your fireplace, you might try an artificial log. But be aware of the limitations. They are intended for use in open fireplaces, not in wood stoves; and they are designed to be used one at a time. If you have a factory- built fireplace, check the manufacturer’s instructions and see if they recommend the use of artificial logs.
There are many types of firestarters firestarters you can buy for use in open fireplaces, including impregnated chunks of composition material, wax-and-wood- shavings blocks, and oil-soaked ceramic starters. These usually take the place of the newspaper and small kindling, but you will probably still need some small splits of wood.
Read the instructions on the package, and be especially careful if you use an oil- type starter. Never use charcoal lighter fluid, gasoline, or anything else that’s not specifically designed as a firestarter for fireplaces. For wood stove users: check your owner’s manual before you burn anything with chemicals in or on it.
Newspapers are great for starting fires, but they aren’t a replacement for fire wood. Use enough to start the fire, and recycle the rest of the stack. And don’t use the sections with color print, especially the color glossy sections, which contain chemicals that are unsafe to burn. Use the plain, black-and-white parts.
Put down a layer of crumpled newspapers, snug, but not crammed tightly together. You want space for air to get in, or you’ll have a smoldering pile of papers and an unimpressive result. In a fireplace, put the paper under the grate.
Next, put down a couple of handfuls of small, dry kindling: twigs and very small branches are fine, or very small splits of wood. Criss-cross them in a few layers, to allow air circulation. Don’t be stingy with the kindling. It is the key to a one-start fire.
Note: You can use fire starters in place of the paper and small kindling.
Then add a few larger splits, and top it off with a couple of small logs. That’s it. Your fire is set and ready.
Wait! Don’t strike that match yet!
Don’t Forget:
If you’re not sure, read “Smoky Startups” on our Chimney problems page for important advice.
Once you are sure you are ready, light ‘er up. Wait a few minutes, until the larger splits and the small logs are well lit, and add another log on top.
Then sit back and enjoy.
Tools and Equipment – Hearth Tools:
Go to your hardware store and pick out a good set of tools. You’ll be happy later on if you spend a little extra for a good set. Flimsy tools, and tools with handles that unscrew easily or fall off, will drive you crazy and take away from the relaxation and enjoyment of the fire.
If you are using a fireplace, a spark screen is a must. If you have young children, you need a safety screen around a wood stove, as well.
Woodburner’s gloves will help you feed the fire, and avoid burning your hands. With good quality gloves, you can literally reach into the fire and move a log in emergencies.
To help in the task of lugging the wood from the wood pile to the living room, you will want a wood carrier. It is a wide fabric or leather sling with handles, that allows you to carry an armload without dropping logs or scattering wood chips everywhere. Some are designed like wide tote bags, for extra cleanliness. A sturdy wood rack by the hearth will keep your indoor wood supply safe and neat.
Don’t forget to have a fire extinguisher nearby, just in case.