If you’ve got a wood-burning fireplace, then you are probably more than ready to put it to use – especially now that temperatures have cooled! And with the holidays coming up, we’re certain you’ll have fires going all the time. That being said, it’s important to learn the best way to start a fire and keep it going. That way, you won’t keep friends and family waiting forever, while you’re struggling to get a flame started!
Learn about some of the more popular methods of fire-building below, then try them out to figure out which one works best for you!
The Top-Down Method
The top-down method may seem a little backward, but it has gained a lot of popularity in recent years as homeowners realize how incredibly effective it is. You start with your largest logs on bottom, with the ends facing the front and back of the firebox. Next, add around 4 or 5 more levels of wood, each utilizing smaller pieces than the previous layer. Finally, add your kindling, ending with the tiniest wood shaving you can manage on the top.
Now, all that’s left to do is light the top and you are good to go! No more adding wood… just sit back, relax, and enjoy!
The Tee-Pee
The tee-pee is a surefire, fairly easy method for starting your fire, and it’s a great option for getting things going in a hurry! It’s pretty self-explanatory… just follow the name! Build a small tee-pee-like structure around your kindling with twigs, then build a bigger tee-pee out of logs around that. Once all is complete, light the kindling, then continue adding fuel until you’ve got yourself a good-sized fire.
The Log Cabin
This method requires starting with a tee-pee structure made from small twigs and kindling. Once that’s complete, lay two logs on either side of the kindling. Next, place two logs on top of these, but on the opposite sides of the kindling, so that they are parallel and form a complete square around the tee-pee. Keep adding logs in this same pattern, but decrease the size of the wood pieces until you have a cabin built around the kinding. Then light the kindling, and you’re all done!
Is There More?
While these are three of the more tried and true methods of starting a fire, there are more options out there. The lean-to, platform, and star methods are also ones that people like to use, and those are just a few more of many. Find the one that works best for you, then make sure you practice fire safety every time you use your fireplace.
If you’re ready to start building fires today, call us in for your annual inspection. The staff at Winston’s Chimney Service can’t wait to help you out soon!
