The warmth of the fireplace is one of the most attractive features in the house, bringing the family together on cold winter nights. However, the charm fades when you have to wait for hours in front of a fireplace that refuses to light up. In such cases, don’t quarrel with the fireplace or the fire, and above all, don’t be disappointed. Throughout generations, humanity has always managed to overcome such challenges. Why not you? Just something hasn’t been done right. Follow the instructions below, and soon you will surely be enjoying the warmth of the family hearth.
- You will need small dry pieces of wood (kindling) and paper. There are certainly such pieces of wood in your storage, or if you can’t find any there, you’ll surely find ready-made kindling at wood sales points. Use mainly paper from newspapers, and definitely avoid glossy paper from advertising flyers or colorful magazines because it contains many chemicals harmful to the environment.
- Crush some pieces of paper and place them in the center of the fireplace, preferably directly on the firebricks. By using a grate, the firebricks take longer to heat up, thus slowing down the ignition of the flame.
- Now place pieces of kindling on top of the paper, radiating outwards (teepee style). This allows for good airflow, which is crucial for successful ignition.
- Light the crumpled paper in two or three spots.
- Fully open the damper of the chimney, allowing the necessary amount of air to circulate in the combustion chamber. Once the kindling “catches,” add a few more small pieces of wood to stabilize the fire, but NO more paper.
- Once the kindling is burning well, start adding small and dry logs gradually. If you add large logs too early, you will only dampen the flame.
- When the logs are burning well and the smoke diminishes, it’s a sign that the proper smoke evacuation in the chimney has begun. It’s time to start adding larger, still dry, logs to the fire and relax, enjoying the warmth.
NOTE: You can increase the burning time of the firewood by closing the damper slightly.
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