No matter how gorgeous your fireplace surrounds are, the aesthetic would not be complete without the warm glow of a fire. Lighting a fire takes more than simply putting some wood into the fireplace, lighting it, and sitting back. Plus, it isn’t always easy to keep the fire going or achieve your desired level of warmth. If you want to quickly create a fire and keep it going strong, here’s what you need to know.

How to Get a Fire Going in Your Fireplace

1. Use Newspaper & Other Tinder as the Base

When using newspaper as tinder, four or five crumpled pages should suffice. Putting too many on your grate will produce a lot of smoke. You can also use other tinder, such as twigs, dry moss, straw, or pinecones. The objective is to place sufficient tinder underneath the kindling so it quickly catches fire. Next, stack small logs on top of your kindling; keep it up to about half the height of your fireplace. Light up the tinder first, and the kindling will burn soon after.

2. Utilize the Log Cabin Technique

Generally, the aim here is to build a neat stack of crisscrossing logs that can add to the appeal of the fireplace surrounds. To do this, lay down two barkless thin logs at the rear of the fireplace. They should be positioned parallel to the back wall and spaced about six inches apart. Lay your kindling between these two logs. Place two more logs perpendicularly on top of the first two. Add another layer, if you want, then light the kindling.

3. Employ the Upside Down Method 

Unlike the more traditional method of heaping tinder and kindling at the bottom, this technique works the opposite way. Put large logs at the bottom, then pile smaller ones on top. The kindling will stay at the peak of the stack, along with the tinder. Once you light the fire from the top, the smaller wood burns first. Hot embers will naturally fall and ignite the rest of the logs below. A significant advantage of this method is that your fire will burn stronger and last longer.
 

If you’re looking for stunning fireplace surrounds, visit Stone World at Red Bank in Monmouth County, NJ. This esteemed wholesaler and fabricator of countertops is committed to providing clients with exceptional products and services. Call (732) 383-5110 or visit their website to speak to a member of their team about their fireplace surrounds.