Tips on how to use your wood-burning stove
A wood-burning stove is a pretty addition to any living room, as its orange embers fill the room with warmth and a cosy glow that is sure to keep you feeling snug on a winter's night. However, having a fire within your household can always be potentially dangerous, so it's important to understand how to properly use and manage your stove. Here are 3 tips to keep you safe and ensure that you're getting the most out of your wood-burning stove.
Make sure you're equipped
Before you even begin to use your stove, it's important that you have all the equipment you need. As a minimum, a good quality pair of fire-resistant gloves are a must for anyone with a wood-burning stove to ensure that logs are placed onto the fire safely. A poker and some tongs are also good base tools. To save some money, you can purchase fire tools as part of a set, and additional tools such as a dustpan, a shovel and a brush all come on a handy stand.
Kindling is key
To get your fire going, you have to start with a good base. Some small kindling dispersed evenly amongst some eco-wood briquettes will get your fire started, or if you'd prefer, crumpled newspaper can do the trick. Light the briquettes or newspaper with some extra long matches, and ensure that there is plenty of airflow going into your stove. Leaving the door open for the first few minutes can be beneficial. Once it's closed, make sure that both airflow valves on your stove are open.
Logs, logs, logs
There are two different types of logs that can be purchased for your stove, hardwood and softwood logs. Hardwood logs create a lot more heat than softwood and burn for much longer, so they're perfect for the colder seasons. Softwood logs burn quicker and aren't quite as hot, so are better for the warmer seasons. Once you've selected your logs, gently place them on top of your kindling using your fireproof gloves, ensuring that they're loosely stacked to allow the oxygen to continue to flow. After a while, close the values so that they're almost fully shut, and keep the logs topped up throughout the evening to ensure a steady blaze.