How to Start a Fire in a Fireplace

Nothing can ruin a planned romantic evening by the fireplace like fumbling around trying to get the fire started in the first place. Although starting a fire is not overly complex, there are a few pointers to keep in mind.

First, make sure the flue is open! If you do not have it open you will quite rapidly have a smoke filled room! The damper is basically a door that open and seals the entrance to the flue. Usually there is a handle extending from the damper that you use to open or close the flue. You might instead have chains that you pull to open or close the damper. It is helpful to wear a glove when working the handle or chains as they are covered in soot. Having a soot covered hand isn't conducive to romance either.

Next be sure you are using dry wood. Green, or undried wood will burn but it is very much more difficult to get a fire started and keep it burning using it.

The real key to starting a fire is to start small. Place very small twigs and branches, called kindling, on the fire grate. Be a bit generous - it will take more than a few to get things started. In front and behind the kindling place medium sized logs. On top of these and perpendicular place very small logs directly above the kindling and place slightly larger logs to the sides. In this fashion, the kindling will catch fire and burn long enough to ignite the smaller logs. The smaller logs will then ignite the larger one at the sides. Also, by having everything sit atop the medium size logs you are providing room for air to reach the fire as well as providing fuel for the fire to grow larger.

To actually start the fire you can use newspaper but this is not recommended as the ink in the paper can cause build up in the flue and pose a fire hazard. It is best to use firestarter. This is composed of sawdust and wax or similar products. Plus, it burns much longer than newspaper to ensure a good start.

Be sure to close the fireplace screen once the fire is burning to prevent sparks from flying out.

Now sit back and enjoy your romantic evening!

For additional information on the topic of fireplaces visit Guardian Chimney. Article independently authored by Eric Parish. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Guardian Chimney. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.

Inspect and Maintain Your Chimney to Avoid Expensive Repairs

A chimney is not something we think much about in modern times. Many years ago the fireplace was a central and functional part of the home. Today, a fireplace is mostly used to enhance a romantic evening or to complete the traditional holiday season look and feel. However, if you have a masonry chimney you can save substantial money by inspecting it on a regular basis.

Masonry chimneys are very tough items being made of stone or brick. However, over time, the mortar between the brick or stone slowly breaks down resulting from exposure to the elements. This is perfectly normal but you need to repair the mortar periodically to prevent serious damage from occurring.

As the mortar breaks down, water is able to cause progressively more damage to the chimney. Sections of the chimney will need to be rebuilt and, in extreme cases, the chimney may need to be torn down if neglected for long periods of time. This is expensive! You can avoid this by repairing the mortar through a process called "tuck-pointing".

The concept is very straightforward although the implementation calls for dusty, hard work. Basically, the chipping or cracking mortar between the joints is removed with a hammer and chisel. An electric grinder with a tuck-pointing blades can be used for big jobs. This grinding or chipping creates trenches around the brick or stone where new mortar can be installed.

Mix the mortar according the manufacturer's instructions. Place a liberal amount of mortar on a mason's trowel, rest the trowel against the chimney directly below a section you need to fill. Next, take a pointing trowel and use it to cut off a bit of mortar on the masons trowel and pack into the joint.

Once the joints are fully packed, remove the excess mortar. Finally, shape and smooth the joints by running a jointing tool across the new mortar. Clean the bricks with a brush once the mortar is dry.

Although not technically complicated, many people hire contractors for the job as it is manual labor intensive and involves heights. If you elect to hire a contractor for your job, be sure the company is licensed and bonded. Also, be sure to ask for references from previous customers.

Following these steps will ensure your chimney lasts for many, many years and does not end up costing you a small fortune in extensive repairs.

For additional information on the topic of chimney installation and repair visit Guardian Chimney Sweep.

How to Maintain Your Chimney

There's nothing quite like sitting in front of a roaring fire on a cold winter's night! After all, the yellows, orange and blue flames are almost hypnotic as you watch them reach upward dancing with the air as the smoke drifts up the chimney. Yes, there is much to be said for the beauty of a well maintained fire. But more important, is how well maintained your chimney is.

Each year there are more than 45,000 chimney fires in America causing a staggering $23 million in property loss, not to mention the loss of life. More sobering, is that the large majority, if not all, of these losses can be avoided by taking preventative actions that ensure that the chimney is not at risk for fires. Rather than take the risk of becoming a victim, follow these steps of chimney maintenance. However, keep in mind that these steps do not negate the need for having a professional check and clean your chimney at least once a year!

The 3 C's of Chimney Maintenance

Before getting started on your chimney inspection, be sure to put on protective clothing, as well as eye and ear protection and gloves. In addition, be sure that if you have a wood stove or furnace that the unit has been turned off, and that you open clean out doors slowly as this is where soot will collect. Other items you may want to have on hand are binoculars, a flashlight and a mirror which can be angled to allow you to see up the chimney.

Conditions-Take a close look at the chimney, both inside and out. Do you detect anything that is wrong or looks out of place? If you have a masonry chimney you will need to look for any missing or loose bricks, chipped bricks or masonry joints, cracks, a leaning chimney or anything that does not appear to be safe or part of the original construction. If you note any visible damage, corrosion, bending, stains, or movement of the chimney in windy conditions then you need to call a professional.

Chimney Caps- Does your chimney have a cap on it? Moisture from the elements can seep into the chimney causing the tiles to dissolve and corrosive elements from exhaust to mix together ultimately resulting in weakening the liner. Be sure you have a good chimney cap to prevent this from happening. If you need to purchase a chimney cap, then be sure it is one with a screen mesh and has a lifetime warranty. The screen mesh will prevent animals from getting inside chimney as well as help keep sparks off of the roof. Again, having a cap professionally installed is the only sure way to know the job is done right.

Check for Leaks and Stains-Look for leaks and stains near the fireplace. Pealing wallpaper, dampness near the chimney, and stains on the walls are all signs that the roof flashing is faulty, or that there is missing or damaged flue liners, interior decay, or a surplus of condensation. To properly inspect the chimney, you must look inside as well as outside. When your chimney is professionally inspected, a camera and mirrors are used to ensure that nothing gets overlooked. Without specialized equipment and training, it's not evident when there may be a problem. A professional inspection from a certified service provider ensures that your home remains safe and secure.

For additional information on the topic of Chimney maintenance and inspections visit http://www.guardianchimney.com.

What to do About a Smoking Chimney

If you have a fireplace then you are well aware that the beautiful centerpiece of your room is also one of the most dangerous. After all, everyone has heard stories of homes and lives being lost due to a fireplace blaze. There are many ways that a fireplace fire can get out of hand. In order to best protect your and family from trauma as a result of a fireplace fire, there are many things you can do as part of routine troubleshooting. Here are just some of the dozens of common problems associated with fireplaces and what you can do to address them. Many of these are simple actions, but others may require the services of a chimney professional.

What to Do about a Smoking Fireplace

Smoke pouring into the room is a result of a closed damper, a cold flue or a blocked flue. This is solved by opening the damper, priming the flue and cleaning the chimney.

If the fireplace smokes only during a low burn there could several culprits. The causes and solutions are:

• Exterior chimney and cold flue-install fireplace doors
• Chimney is too short - Add height to the chimney, this might best be done by a professional.
• Flue is too large - Add a sleeve.
• House is depressurized - Have an outside air source installed
• Air space between the chimney liner and the casing is too large- Re-line the chimney flue with an insulated liner

If there is constant smoke spillage, regardless of the level of the fire then it is likely a result of 1 or more issues. Typically these issues a will be: the house is depressurized, the smoke chamber is too small, the flu is too small or the damper is too low. These can be corrected by installing an outside air source, installing a smoke guard or fireplace doors and reducing fireplace openings.

If the fireplace smokes on damp, windy or rainy days it usually the result of the chimney either being too short, not having a cap on the chimney or that the flue is wet and cold. This is corrected by lengthening the chimney, installing a chimney cap and to "repair" a wet/cold flue prime the flue, and apply a water repellant.

If, when your fireplace is used, smoke enters another room of the house or another story of your home, here are some possible causes and solutions to consider:

• Check the downdraft in an unused second flue - Seal the flue
• Downdrafts in the second fireplace - Install a top-sealing damper(s)
• Breaks between adjoining liners - Re-line the chimney
• Inadequate chimney cap height - Replace or raise the cap the cut tiles to correct the height above the chimney's crown

Having a fireplace in your home is a beautiful feature, as well as practical-especially with the rising energy cost. However, like many other aspects of home ownership, in order for your fireplace to blessing they must be maintained.

Many websites provide additional information and videos on the topics of chimneys and fireplaces. One such site worth visiting is Guradian Chimney at http://www.guardianchimney.com.

Guardian Chimney New Site Design by 21thirteen design

Guardian Chimney announces new website design by 21thirteen design and SEO by WebDrafter.com.

Guardian Chimney provides exceptional chimney maintenance and repair services, as well as Level 2 video inspections to thousands of homes throughout the greater New Jersey and New York area.

Visit www.guardianchimney.com for more information!