Nothing beats a wood-burning stove for heating your home and providing an authentic, cosy ambience on those chilly winter nights. So you've invested in one. Hours have been spent poring over hundreds of reviews to find the best heat output, effortless features, incredible design, and ideal shape and size for your home. The most reputable fitter was found for the job. Your chimney's been swept and lined, and the perfect tiles for your hearth are in. It looks amazing.

Now, how do you light it?

If you're lighting a fire in a wood burner for the first time, you have come to the right place. This guide will cover all the steps involved in getting your roaring fire going, including the materials you need and how to do it as safely and efficiently as possible. We'll also let you in on a few top tips for maintaining and keeping your fire going.

Remember, your stove might have unique requirements based on the manufacturer and model. So, always check your manufacturer's handbook before you get started.

1 – Gather the correct materials

To light a fire in your wood-burning stove, you'll need the following:

  1. Kindling: This could include small pieces of wood, twigs, or wooden sticks – anything that ignites easily will work.
  2. Larger logs: For the main event, you will need larger logs. Go for kiln-dried or well-seasoned woods with less than 20% moisture content.
  3. Matches: You’ll need these to light the fire. Go with long ones for safety.
  4. Paper: While it's not always necessary, paper can help test the draw before you light a fire. Set a little bit alight inside the stove to check the chimney pull.
  5. Firelighters: A safe and effective option for getting your fire going.

Choosing the right kind of wood to burn

As you're gathering materials for lighting a fire in a wood burner, one of the biggest questions is:

What kind of wood burns best?’

You can use either hardwood or softwood in a wood burner.

Hardwoods like hickory, oak, and ash often burn hot for a long time, making them ideal. However, they're also some of the most expensive woods.

On the other hand, softwoods like spruce or pine are cheaper to buy and burn just as well if they're dry enough.

Whether you go with hardwood or softwood, the main thing to ensure is that the wood you're using is dry. If it's not, it will not burn as you want it to. It might go out frequently or produce a lot of smoke, which ultimately gives you a terrible experience using your new wood burner for the first time.

So, make sure to pay attention to quality.

Go for 'ready-to-burn' wood. Ideally, choose either kiln-dried wood or wood that's been seasoned well for no less than six months. You'll want to ensure that any wood you burn has no more than 20% moisture content. Look for Woodsure-registered wood. With this seal of approval, you know the moisture content is suitable for a roaring, mesmerising and warming fire in your wood burner.

Whether it's wood or kindling, it's essential to ensure that everything you put in your stove is safe to burn. Avoid materials like painted or treated timber. And definitely don’t put anything like plastic or garbage on your stove. Not only will these stink your house out, but they'll release all kinds of nasty pollutants and toxins you don't want anywhere near the air you breathe.

2 – Open the damper

Now that you've got all the materials, ensure your stove is ready for a fire. Do this by ensuring the damper is open. This is typically located on the top or front of your stove. You can check your manufacturer's handbook if you need help finding it.

The damper allows the flow of air into the stove. It's a lever or valve that you can easily open. It is essential to ensure that it's wide open when you start a fire. It provides enough oxygen to light the fire and keep it burning as efficiently as possible.

Keep the damper open while you start and get your fire going. You can always adjust it later, once the fire is established, to control airflow and heat output.

Opening the damper wider will increase the heat output. On the other hand, if you want to take the fire down a notch or two and reduce the heat output, close the damper up a bit.

It's also worth knowing that some stoves have a second damper. This is typically located in the flue or the pipe that goes up the chimney. If your stove has one, it's essential to open it when lighting your fire. Your manufacturer's handbook will confirm if your stove has one or two dampers.

Safety tip: You should never fully close the damper while a fire is burning in the stove. Doing this can cause the fire to smoke excessively and produce a lot of creosote. Creosote is a build-up of tar and other nasty compounds in the chimney. It can seriously increase your risk of a chimney fire if there's a lot of it.

3 – Place a small amount of kindling in the centre of the stove

You should place a small amount of your kindling on the top of the ash pan in the centre of the stove. The ash pan will generally be located at the bottom of the stove. Look for the part where the ash that falls from the fire is collected.

Placing the kindling on the top of the ash pan ensures correct airflow and enough space for the kindling to catch fire.

Use small pieces of kindling that are dry and easy to light.

When assembling the kindling, make a loose pile with enough space for air to circulate easily. You can add small pieces of dry wood once the kindling is burning well.

4 – Arrange small pieces of dry wood around the kindling

Once your kindling is in place, you can arrange small pieces of dry wood around it. Make a tent or tepee shape. This creates a structure that allows the air to flow easily through the centre and reach the kindling, helping it catch fire and burn efficiently.

It's essential to place the small pieces of dry wood close enough to the kindling to catch fire but not so close together that they smother the fire.

Safety tip: Never over-fill your stove with wood. This will restrict the airflow, making it harder to keep your fire going. More importantly, it can cause billowing smoke from your wood burner, which can be dangerous.

5 – Add larger logs to your fire

For the final step in building your fire, add some larger logs. Be sure to leave enough space between them for the air to circulate well. Start small; you can add more logs to the fire once your small pieces of dry wood have begun to burn well and are catching the larger logs on fire. Place them on top of the small, dry pieces of wood to keep the airflow circulating.

Adding larger logs to your fire provides a more sustained heat output. They’ll also burn for longer than smaller pieces of wood, so you can close your stove and enjoy your fire. Try to stagger the logs when you place them in the stove. This will ensure that the fire has an equal chance of reaching all of the logs and keep it burning for longer.

Top tip: Don't be alarmed if your fire dies a little bit when adding a new log. This is normal – give the new log a little time to catch fire and start burning, and your fire will return to its usual roaring self in no time.

6 – Light the kindling

Once your fire is built and ready to go, start by lighting the kindling. You can add a firelighter at this point. Try and catch as much of the kindling on fire as possible. To do this, use a long-stemmed match for safety. This will keep your hand safely away from the fire while allowing you to reach the kindling easily. You may need a couple of matches for this.

While the fire is starting, it's essential to keep your eye on it. Let it burn slowly, to heat the flue before you have a roaring fire going.

Remember: Wait to close the damper as it provides the oxygen needed to get your fire started.

7 – Adjust the damper

Once your fire is established and starting to burn well, you can adjust the damper to your liking. The wider the damper opening, the higher the heat output, as more oxygen will get to the fire. A narrower gap will provide less oxygen, so if your fire is getting too hot, close the damper up a little bit to reduce the heat output.

As your fire burns, keep an eye on it to help you determine if you need to open or close the damper further. If your stove has a secondary damper, make sure to adjust this as well.

Safety first: We've already mentioned it, but it's worth reminding you never to fully close the damper while your fire is burning. This is essential to avoid smoking and creosote in the chimney.

8 – Close the stove door

Your fire roars and your damper is open just the right amount. It's time to close the stove door, sit on the sofa, and admire your handiwork. Make sure that the stove door is completely closed. There are several reasons why this is important. Closing the door will keep the heat inside the stove, increasing burn efficiency.

On the other hand, heat can escape if your stove door is even a little open. It causes the fire to work harder to maintain the temperature you want. Plus, a cooler fire can lead to a build-up of creosote in the chimney, which, as you already know, is essential to avoid to reduce the risk of a chimney fire.

What's more, a closed door prevents draughts. This will ensure your fire roars happily for as long as you need it to. If the door isn't shut, it can lead to the fire going out or puffing smoke into the room.

Safety first: Invest in a good pair of stove mitts or get a tool to help you open and close the door safely. Some stoves have cool-touch handles, but it's always best to be extra safe. The body can get very hot.

9 – Keep an eye on your stove

Now everything's burning as expected. All you must do is keep an eye on your stove – and enjoy it, of course! Monitor your fire; if it's dying out, add more wood or kindling as needed to keep it going.

Ensure that any existing logs are burning well before adding extra wood to your fire. This prevents the fire from being smothered and makes controlling the heat output easier.

It’s also worth keeping an eye on the ash pan – once the ash reaches a depth of around one inch, you should remove it. An ash build-up in the pan will restrict the airflow and cause the fire to burn less efficiently.

Safety first: Never leave your wood stove unattended when a fire is burning. If you're going out or going to bed, give yourself plenty of time to put the fire out safely.

10 – Putting the fire out

Once you're done with your fire, let it burn down until only embers are left. Once it reaches this point, close the damper to prevent oxygen from getting to the fire. This will suffocate it and avoid reignition.

Before you leave the room or go to bed, ensure that the stove is cold. Keeping the door open if the stove is still hot will cool it down faster by allowing the heat to escape.

It's also a good idea to get into the habit of quickly checking over your stove after a fire. Ensure that the ash pan is cleared and that there are no apparent signs of damage.

Now that you know the steps in lighting your wood burner, it's time to put your knowledge into action! Always be aware of the fire risk and approach this task cautiously. If you need more clarification on specific parts of your wood burner, always consult your manufacturer's handbook.

Got a question? Our friendly team are always happy to help. Contact them at 0161 516 3698 or email: [email protected].

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