One of the most frequently asked questions in our business is “how to burn wood in a fireplace”. A lot of us were taught in scouts or from our family and friends. Often, the skill is not totally the best.
Here are 9 key stages on how to burn wood in a fireplace.
Get an annual chimney check – Have chimneys inspected annually and cleaned as necessary. This reduces the risk of fires and carbon monoxide poisonings due to creosote build-up or obstructions in the chimney.
Keep it clear – Keep tree branches and leaves at least 15 feet away from the top of the chimney.
Build it right – Place dry, seasoned firewood or fire logs at the rear of the fireplace on a supporting grate using the following top-down fire method. Start by placing the largest pieces of wood on the bottom of the fireplace grate or wood stove, with the ends going front to back (opposite of what you were taught). This front to back method allows the air to mix well with the fuel. Place smaller wood on top with their ends going side to side. Keep alternating your rows of wood using smaller and smaller pieces until your wood is stacked about ½ the height of the fireplace. At this point you will begin placing your kindling (the smallest pieces of wood). Again, stack smaller and smaller pieces until there are simple wood shavings on top. The shavings on top should be small enough to light with a single match. As the fire burns from the top to the bottom, it will continue to ignite the wood below. Only a little smoke is created as the fire burns hotter and more cleanly from the top of the stack. Burning wood this way prevents smoke and unburnt gases from entering your cold chimney. This can potentially adhere to the chimney walls causing creosote.
Keep the hearth area clear – Combustible material too close to the fireplace or to a wood stove, could easily catch fire. Keep furniture at least 36” away from the hearth.
Use a fireplace screen – Use metal mesh or a screen in front of the fireplace to catch flying sparks that could ignite or burn holes in the carpet or flooring.
Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors – Place detectors throughout the house and check batteries in the spring and fall. An easy way to remember to check: When you change your clocks for Daylight Savings Time, check your batteries.
Never have a fire in a fireplace unattended – Before turning in for the evening, be sure that the fire is fully extinguished. Supervise children and pets closely around wood stoves and fireplaces when in use.
I had chirping in my chimney too, and what you’re hearing is most likely a family of chimney swifts living in your chimney flue.
Chimney swifts are widespread breeding visitors to much of the eastern half of the U.S. and the southern reaches of eastern Canada. Chimney swifts are tiny birds that migrate from Peru in late March. They leave in early November, about the time the leaves start to change color, and before the first frost.
The migratory bird treaty act protects chimney swifts.
Therefore, they (birds and nests) cannot be legally removed from your chimney without a federally-issued permit. You will have to wait until after the adults and juveniles leave your chimney to have your chimney cleaned, and a chimney cap installed.
Chimney swifts are most often unnoticed until the time when their young are grown up enough to make chirping sounds when the parents bring them food. During this time, the chirping sounds can be very persistent and loud. However, this time is short-lived. Newly lain eggs will take up to six weeks to reach maturity. They only lay one brood per year, so once this family leaves, your chimney will be bird free for the winter months. They will return to the same location year after year. If they are a disturbance to you, cleaning your chimney and installing a chimney cap, once they are gone (mid-November), will keep them from returning next year.
We had chirping in my chimney…
I had chimney swifts come to my house year after year for twenty-two years, and I thoroughly enjoyed them. It’s amazing watch how fast the adults fly in and out of the flue feeding the babies. One year however, I forgot to close the damper on my fireplace and a baby chimney swift fell from the flue into the fireplace. The little guy was fully feathered and could fly. I very, gently cupped it in a dish towel, went to the front door, and with an upward motion released it into the air. It was a wonderful feeling watching it get lift, and fly away.
The young are able to climb up the walls of the chimney. If a baby were to fall down, the best thing to do would be to gently guide it to the walls of the chimney and allow it to climb back up to the nest.
Chimney swifts generally mate for life and both the male and female are involved in building the nest, incubating the eggs, and feeding the young. They build a half cup nest out of twigs broken from the tips of tree branches. These twigs are glued together with saliva to the inside wall of a chimney, hollowed-out tree or other cavity.
Chimney swift breeding time…
The female normally lays three to five white eggs with an incubation period of 18-21 days. The hatchlings are pink, and completely naked at birth. They have sharp claws which enable them to cling to textured surfaces. Within a few days, black pinfeathers begin to appear, and within 8-10 days these feathers unfurl. The young are able to climb even before their feathers emerge. By 15-17 days of age, their eyes begin to open. By the time the baby swifts are 21 days old, they will cling tightly to the nest or chimney wall, rear back and flap their wings rapidly until they are out of breath. This is important exercise to strengthen their wings for flight. Twenty-eight to 30 days after hatching, the young swifts will leave the safety of the nest for their first flight.
At the end of the breeding season, the swift’s communal instincts peak prior to fall migration. When it’s almost time to migrate, hundreds, even thousands gather together at suitable roost sites before the time is right for their long flight back to Peru.
Chimney swifts are approximately five inches in length and have a dark, sooty, brown body with a paler throat and upper breast. The male, female and juvenile all look the same, with the males being slightly heavier on average. They are built for speed with narrow, slightly bowed, long wings (11”-12”), with short, massive wing bones. Their wings extend as much as 1.5” beyond the bird’s tail when folded, and their wingtips are pointed, which helps to decrease air turbulence during flight. They are often confused with bats because of their fast, erratic flight.
Just when you thought you had heard it all – from another Darwin candidate – Soaking your firewood in diesel for an easy start and longer burn. This is what NOT to put in your fireplace!
You did read that right. A homeowner actually does soak their firewood in diesel before putting it in their fireplace. Now imagine not only the regular wood smoke going up the chimney but also the black diesel smoke mixing in and coating the chimney.
We recommend using small pieces of wood or kindling at the base of the firewood. These can be lit by small amounts of newspaper or a kindling starter. We never recommend pouring any type of fluid into a firewood stack for easy lighting.
We are often asked what not to put in your fireplace. Let’s go over them again.
Large amounts of newspaper beyond just starting the kindling.
ANY type of gasoline or diesel fuel.
Cardboard or other heavy paper products.
Wrapping paper or other paper made with coatings.
Garbage (enough said here)
Yard waste…really?
All of these various items can wreck havoc on your fireplace and chimney. That is why we advise folks what NOT to put in your fireplace often. The build up on the chimney plus the various burning embers can often start a chimney fire and/or tear apart the masonry inside your chimney.
What to burn in your fireplace?
So, what to put in your fireplace? Dry, clean seasoned wood. Local suppliers can deliver this type of wood. It is sold as a “cord of wood”. It is typically 4 feet by 8 feet by 4 feet when stacked. Some providers of firewood will provide more for the same price.
In conclusion, often it is not which type of wood BUT “what NOT to put in your fireplace” that will keep your family safe and your largest investment free of fire.
