Lighting a fire in your wood burner and having it crackling away for hours can take a few goes to get it right. You also need to think about things such as using the right wood, safety and how to store your logs when not in use.
We’ve come up with 7 tips for burning firewood at home so you can create better, safer and more efficient fires.
1. Use wood that has been kiln dried
It is a common theme in our blog - not least because we sell fantastic kiln dried ash and birch logs - but using firewood which has been dried in a kiln is much better than unseasoned wood.
The lower moisture content means it burns hotter and for longer and there are many other benefits as well. Check out our recent blog post - The Benefits of Kiln Dried Logs (internal link to blog post)
2. Ash wood will burn for longer
If you plan on lighting up your fire or wood burner on a regular basis then ash logs are the best option.They burn longer than birch so you won’t need to use as many logs as often to keep your fire going.
3. Make sure your fire gets oxygen
The reason a fire never really gets going in a wood burner is due to a lack of oxygen. You need to keep the air vents open when lighting your fire in your wood burner so that enough oxygen gets in.
Once it is blazing you can close the vents slightly so that your firewood doesn’t burn as quickly and instead has a consistent flame.
4. Keep an eye on children and pets
Wood burners get very hot, very quickly. If you have children or pets at home, make sure you keep an eye on them when the fire is burning. It is a good idea to get a fire guard to put around your wood burner so that no hands or paws can get near it.
5. Put on more than one log
It might seem economical to just use one log on your fire and then add to it if you need, however this isn’t going to create a consistent heat.
You need to use at least two and preferably three logs at the one time. This means you won’t need to do much stoking to keep the fire going and you’ll have a warm fire that’ll last for hours.
6. Have your chimney swept annually
This is something that many people neglect to do. Yes, chimney sweeps are still a thing!
If you are burning smokeless fuel then you should really have your chimney swept at least once a year and twice a year if you are using other fuels. The best time to do it is just before you are going to be using your wood burner (so ideally at the end of summer/early autumn).
7. Store your wood properly
Our final tip for burning firewood at home is to make sure you store your firewood properly - this will mean your fire will burn efficiently and you won’t need to use as many logs.
The best place for storing firewood is in a well ventilated area outside and make sure that it isn’t touching the ground otherwise the bottom logs can rot.
Now you know all about burning wood at home, make sure to check out our range of kiln dried logs that are available in a variety of different sizes to suit your needs and budget!