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Starting a fire might seem as simple as striking a match, but building a strong fire that puts out plenty of heat takes a little practice and know-how to perfect. For building a fire in a fireplace, professional chimney sweeps recommend several prep work steps that you must follow for a safe, successful fire. Learn the steps to build a fire at home from the guide below. 

A Guide to Building a Fire

1. Gather Materials

To build a fire, you’ll need long safety matches, newspaper, kindling, and seasoned firewood. The long matches will allow you to light the newspaper and kindling safely without the risk of burning yourself.

Seasoned firewood is wood that has properly dried so it will burn well—wet wood with moisture trapped inside will produce too much smoke. Excessive moisture and smoke can clog up your chimney over time. You will also need several tools to manage your fire, like a wrought iron poker and shovel to adjust burning logs.

2. Clean Fireplace

chimney sweetBefore building a fire, your fireplace and hearth should be clean and cleared of all flammable materials. Scoop out any leftover ashes with a metal shovel and store them in a metal bucket, but be careful. Ashes that are less than 24 hours old may still hide hot coals inside, so do not throw fresh ashes in the trash until enough time has passed. While you clean, make sure your fireplace damper can open all the way since this component vents smoke out of the chimney.

3. Inspect Chimney

Always have your chimney inspected by a professional chimney sweep before building a fire for the first time. Over time, creosote, a highly flammable tar-like substance that builds up from smoke cakes the inside of your chimney, posing as a serious fire hazard. A licensed chimney sweep should inspect your chimney at least once a year to ensure it’s sound, and may recommend cleaning based on the existing buildup. 

4. Build the Fire

First, open your damper to ensure smoke will be vented properly. Next place two medium logs on the metal grate six inches apart, and place crumpled newspaper in the space between. Cover the newspaper with kindling, then place two more logs at an angle over the kindling for proper ventilation.

Next, twist a single sheet of newspaper and light it while holding it high up inside the fireplace to create a draft in the chimney. Light the newspaper and kindling to establish the fire, and add more logs as necessary.

 


To get your fireplace ready for a roaring fire, contact Abbey Road Chimney Sweeps for a chimney inspection or fireplace cleaning. Servicing Dayton, OH, this locally-owned and family-operated chimney sweep business will ensure your fireplace and chimney are clean and operating properly for the safety of your home. To schedule an appointment today, call (937) 833-0505, or check out their website to learn more about their services. 

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