Lighting a log burner isn’t the same as lighting a conventional fireplace. The confined space of the stove can make it a bit tricky, but with our handy tips you will have a cosy fire going in no time.
Firstly, make sure that you are properly prepared and have all the correct materials close at hand. You should never leave the room until the fire has taken, and your wood burner’s door is firmly shut.
What you need to light a wood burner
Firelighters
This is your secret weapon. Made from wood by-product, natural firelighters catch alight easily, are odourless and don’t contain any nasty chemicals. If you don’t have firelighters then pieces of newspaper torn into strips will catch alight easily, but you may need quite a few strips as paper burns quickly.
Kindling
Kindling consists of small pieces of wood that burn easily. It is used to increase the heat of the fire before adding the main fuel. Kindling should be extremely dry, and it is easier to work with if it is in short evenly-shaped lengths, a bit like over-sized matches.
Kiln dried logs
This will be the main fuel for your fire and you should make sure that you only use high quality wood that has been properly dried and cured. Wood with too much moisture in it will be difficult to light and will generate a lot of black smoke and soot that will quickly cover the glass of your beautiful new wood burner with a sticky black residue. It is therefore best to avoid wood from your garden or those cheap netted bundles for sale at the local petrol station. High quality wood is easier to light, burns hotter, and results in less mess to clean up afterwards.
Matches or a lighter
Of course you need a spark to light your fire. You can use a lighter, but to us nothing beats the sound and smell of a freshly struck match.
When lighting a wood burner you should not use petrol or any other combustible liquid as these are very difficult to control indoors and could cause the fire to spread to surrounding areas.
Five steps to building the perfect fire
1. When lighting a fire, air is your friend. Every wood burner has air vents which should be opened completely before you start. They can then be adjusted once the fire has taken.