The Ultimate Guide to Building and Lighting Your Log Burner Fire
Posted on 29th September 2023 at 21:14
Our Guide to Lighting Your Log Burning Stove Fire
If you’ve got a log burning stove in your home, this source of heating will come in handy this winter.
A log burner is hard to beat in terms of warmth, cosiness and ambience.
As electric and gas prices still look uncertain and remain stubbornly high, you can make the most of your log burner with our handy, step-by-step guide, and you can buy logs here.
Living in Scarborough, Filey, Driffield, Cayton, Seamer and beyond means cold weather can occur.
Your Log Burner
If you’ve got a log burner, then, first of all you need to:
Keep it clean.
As free of soot as possible.
Empty the ash pan regularly.
These tasks are crucial to getting the most out of it.
This includes cleaning the glass door with the correct product and sweeping out and cleaning out the debris after each use.
Some experts say leaving a small amount of ash from the previous fire helps a new fire to burn.
You must also ensure your chimney is swept on a regular basis.
When you have your chimney swept and lots of soot comes down, this means you’re probably not using your log burner in the best way.
Chimneys should be swept at least once a year, and more often is recommended.
Keeping your log burner healthy will help with its overall efficiency.
The Right Materials
A log burner, no matter what the size, needs to be ‘fed’ the right materials to help keep you warm.
You will need to check the manufacturer’s guidelines if you’re using your log burner for the first time, or if it has not been used for a while.
Also be sure to check the size of the logs you intend to buy.
Essential materials include: firelighters; matches; kindling; larger logs.
Some people also use scrunched up paper too to help start the fire.
Firelighters
Firelighters are very helpful in getting the fire started.
There are many firelighters, including natural firelighters (sometimes called waxlings) made from wood shavings and wax.
Others include block firelighters or cubes.
It’s up to you as to which ones you use, however the natural firelighters tend to be easier on the environment.
Kindling
Some people don’t bother with kindling, feeling it’s unnecessary: this is a fast way to a non-existent fire!
Kindling, which usually comes in the form of smaller pieces of wood, wooden sticks or even dried out twigs from the garden can count as kindling.
Hardwood or Softwood?
There is a debate by some as to which is better for burning.
Hardwoods include oak and ash and can burn for a long time. However, these types of logs can be more costly.
Softwoods, such as spruce or pine, are cheaper to buy and if they are property kiln dried, they will burn for a long time too.
Either way, ensuring the logs you buy are dry is the key element.
Kiln dried logs are seasoned to perfection and will lead to that roaring fire!
How Do I Get Hold of Stove Burner Logs?
You can often collect netted bags of kindling and logs from reputable suppliers.
It is cheaper to buy in bulk by ordering bulk bags or loose loads.
Check what delivery options are available, from kerb side to driveway deliveries.
It is worth investing in a log store so your timber can be stored safely.
What is Ready to Burn
This means the logs are ready for immediate use and do not need drying out.
Reputable log providers will have Ready to Burn Certification, which means the logs they sell have moisture content of less than 20%.
Our logs often have just 12% moisture content, guaranteeing a cleaner burn.
This means the logs burn with less smoke and therefore less pollution and with a reduced carbon footprint overall.
Ready to burn legislation came into force on 1st May 2021, which meant wet wood and house coal could no longer be sold.
HETAS, the organisation that promotes the highest standard of fuel for appliances encourages use of safe, efficient and environmentally responsible use of solid fuels.
What to Avoid
Avoid painted woods, plastics as these will release toxins.
Certain types of paper such as glossy magazines, are also unsuitable.
Sustainability
This is a word on everyone’s lips.
Using locally sourced woodland timber helps cut down supply miles.
There is an argument that burning any solid fuel isn’t great for the environment.
Yet Ready to Burn timber logs provide a clean burn and much less smoke than certain types of coal.
Good suppliers will also ensure their wood is supplied by a sustainable supplier.
Use the Damper
If you’ve cleaned out your log burner and it is ready for the next fire, then the first thing to do is open the damper.
The position of this will vary according to which type or brand of stove you own. Check your log burner instructions if in doubt.
Opening the damper allows air to be drawn into the stove and it should be easy to open.
All fires need a good supply of oxygen, and the damper can help to supply this.
If your stove has a second damper sometimes located in the pipe that goes up the chimney.
Smaller stoves tend not to have one but if yours does, then ensure you open it when lighting your fire.
The Right Equipment
The log burning stove is just one element of the art of making a good fire.
You will also need heat resistant stove gloves or mitts, a poker, ash brush, shovel and tongs, and an up to date, fully functional CO2 alarm.
Depending on the location of your stove burner, you will also need a fire door installed.
Starting the Fire
Place a small amount of kindling in the centre of the stove, which some scrunched up paper if you prefer.
The position of this should be above the ash pan; this catches any ash created.
Make sure you leave gaps between the pieces of kindling to allow air to circulate.
Add your firelighter to this pile and light with a long match, ensuring you keep the flame away from you.
At this stage you can keep the stove door open, allowing more air to reach the fire.
It is essential that you don’t leave the fire at all during this stage.
Fire is like a living thing, and it needs to be tended to and nurtured for the best results.
The Next Stage
When the kindling has caught, you can then add smaller pieces of wood but not large logs as this can smother the fire completely.
This can also create a smoke hazard, which can be dangerous.
Allow these smaller pieces of wood to catch, too and have your larger logs ready to add.
Adding Larger Logs
The final stage is to add a larger log or two as the fire builds.
Doing this gradually allows for a fire to build up gradually.
Sometimes a fire will die a little as you do this; more often than not the larger log or logs will catch in due course.
As the fire builds, you can also close the damper if you wish, and you can adjust the second damper if you have one.
You can also close the stove door at this stage.
Closing the stove door enables the logs to burn more efficiently.
Remember that log burning stove get very, very hot. If you have children or pets, then a suitable fireguard is essential.
Keeping the Fire Burning
While you can sit back and relax as the log burner presents you with a roaring fire, you have to keep an eye on it and feed it logs everyone now and again to keep it going.
Never leave your stove unattended, either.
How Long Does It Take For The Heat To Build?
In the main, a log burner can take from 30 minutes to an hour to get to its full potential.
It will depend on the size and capacity of your stove.
The positive of using a log burner stove is that the heat steadily build, and most, if not all stoves keep the heat in their body work.
This throws out heat for a long time after the fire dies down.
Experienced log burner stove users will stop adding any additional logs to their fire about an hour before they wish to stop using it.
You can also open the stove door if it is safe to do so in order to help cool down the stove when you’ve finished using it.
Never, ever leave a log burner lit. Always ensure it is well and truly out before going to bed or leaving the house.
Flixton Sawmill Logs
Our family run business, established in 1987, is based between Scarborough and Filey.
We deliver to many YO postcodes with delivery costs and those further afield for a delivery fee of just £10.
These include YO11, YO12, YO13 and YO14 areas.
We supply quality logs and kindling, and we are happy to advise about the right logs to use for your stove burner.
Tagged as: Log Burner Fires
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