Tired of taking 3 hours to light your chimney fire?
It's true that it's much more difficult than you think!
There's nothing worse than a chimney fire that doesn't catch fire or that goes out all the time...
So what's the secret?
Luckily, a chimney sweep friend revealed to me the best trick to light a chimney fire easily and quickly.
In addition, this method works just as well with a stove as an open fireplace or an insert.
The fire will go out in an instant and the logs will burn all night long!
Here's how to start a chimney fire in no time with the top-down method . Watch:
- 7 large logs of very dry and split wood
- 10 small kindling
- a firelighter (enough to burn 10 min )
1. Make a first row with the three larger logs, parallel to each other.
Note: always put the split part of the wood inwards and the bark outwards.
2. Make a second row with two slightly smaller logs.
Note: place the logs perpendicular to the others.
3. Lay the last two logs on top to make the third row.
4. Each row of logs is perpendicular to the others, so as to form a square in the center.
5. Fill the square hole in the center with kindling.
6. Place the kindling in the hole in a staggered pattern, at a 45° angle. This way, the kindling rests on the logs, without falling through.
7. Put the firelighter on this pile of wood.
8. Preheat the flue to improve draft and prevent smoke.
9. Carry a lighter to the fire starter to make a nice blaze!
This method top down is the best way to light a fire easily.
It is also called the "top-down method. " or "reverse ignition", because of the arrangement of the wood in the fireplace.
Thus, the wood will catch fire from above, and not from below.
All you have to do is light the firestarter with a lighter.
In a short time, the kindling catches fire.
And as the firelighter and kindling burn, the top 2 logs will catch fire.
This ignition method has many advantages:
- ensures a better air supply,
- extends the duration of soaring the first load of wood,
- optimizes the energy and heat released by the wood,
- less polluting, because the fire produces less smoke,
- produces less soot and ash.
You now know how to properly place the logs in your fireplace.
But that's not the only thing you can do to start a fire easily.
There are other precautions to take to be sure your fire will catch.
Here are 5 more tips you should know:
Well no, contrary to what we think...
To make a fire, you don't start by piling wood in the fireplace!
The very first thing to do is to remove the ashes.
Use a small shovel and a broom to clean the inside of the chimney.
There are even special vacuum cleaners to suck up the ashes, like this one.
And above all, don't throw the ashes from your fireplace in the trash!
Instead, try these secret uses for wood ash.
Be aware that it is not necessary to remove all the ashes.
Experts even advise to keep a bed of ashes of the previous traffic light.
Indeed, it will help start your next fire much more easily.
Good to know:the embers can stay hot for up to 3 days.
So beware of the risk of fire!
Especially if the ashes come into contact with materials that catch fire easily.
It is for this reason that we recommend always keeping a fire extinguisher close at hand.
And while you're at it:also remember to check the expiry date of your fire extinguisher.
To make a good fire, you must use very hard wood.
Oak, ash and maple are part of the hardwoods.
Indeed, know that the heat of a fire does not come from the flames, but from the embers.
And precisely:hardwood makes tons of embers!
The wood should also be split and stored in a dry, ventilated place for at least 6 months.
Indeed, as my grandfather used to say:the drier the wood, the better the flame.
A tip when storing your wood:
Avoid placing the first row of logs on the ground, to promote air circulation.
It is strongly advised not to burn pine in your fireplace.
Indeed, softwoods produce more creosote.
By burning this type of wood, you risk creating dangerous deposits in your chimney.
And, more deposits also means more sweeping!
So, it is better to avoid using softwoods as firewood.
Before lighting the fire, make sure your fireplace damper is working properly.
For those who don't know:
The damper is an adjustable opening that sits just above the fireplace, before the flue.
This is the main method to correctly adjust the draw of your chimney.
By varying the air inlet opening, you change the arrival of oxygen in the chimney.
The more oxygen there is, the better the fire will burn and the more it will heat the room.
This step is essential to understand how to operate a fireplace.
If the damper isn't open when you start a fire, smoke will quickly fill the room!
So you must always make sure the chimney damper is fully open when you light a fire.
Make sure the damper flap moves up and down easily.
There should be no dust or debris preventing it from opening and closing.
Note: when your fireplace is not in use, the damper should remain closed.
This will save you from wasting energy (and driving up your heating bill!).
Your chimney fire tends to make lots of smoke when turning it on?
It's probably because the flue is still filled with cold air.
As a result, hot air (and smoke) are blocked by cold air...
This prevents good draft from the chimney, and the room is quickly invaded by smoke!
But rest assured, the solution is easy as pie.
Simply preheat the flue with newspaper.
Before you even light the fire, roll a few pieces of newspaper into torches, like in the photo above.
Light these torches and hold them just below the flue.
Burning newspaper gives off a lot of heat.
And it is this heat that will push all the cold air in the flue to the outside.
Once preheated, your flue will have a perfect draft.
That's it, your fireplace is ready!
Now all you have to do is light your fire and regulate the draft of your chimney.
That's it, your fire is off to a great start with the top-down lighting method.
Now is the time to check the chimney draft.
Indeed, if the flue is not hot enough...
Your chimney may be struggling to suck in all the smoke.
Maybe a little smoke has already started to enter the room?
Above all, don't panic!
The solution to remedy this quickly is to open a door or a window.
And preferably, a door or window on the side of the house most exposed to the wind .
Very often, this is enough to create a draft and push the cold air from the flue to the outside.
Once the duct has warmed up, close the door or window.
Generally, 3 minutes of outside air is enough for your chimney draft to work optimally.
Have you tried these tricks to light a chimney fire easily? Let us know in the comments if it worked for you. We can't wait to read you!
