Do you use a fireplace to heat your home? A wood fireplace is mandatory for an off-grid setup, but the need to burn wood can save money, even for those with power. Energy prices are very high, so having a fireplace helps offset the utility costs and adds a special touch to any home.
Beyond the flame’s allure, a fireplace can maintain heat throughout the night if set up properly. Not sure how to achieve this? Here is how to keep a wood fireplace burning all night.
Be Safe
Flames and combustible materials in house construction are fiery friends you never want to get together. Fireplaces and wood stoves should never be left unattended, but to have them going all night and overnight warm, you must set them up properly to be safe.
Ensure that your fireplace has nothing combustible nearby, so the only thing that burns is what you put inside it. Also, it needs to be able to close securely or be screened appropriately.
Get Your Tools and Supplies Together
Having a successful fire takes a little know-how and the right materials. This includes:
- Seasoned Wood This needs to be dry material ready for burning so it doesn’t smoke out your home. Hardwood is best, so choose oak, ash, cedar and maple.
- Kindling is your fire starter and can be any dry wood and paper scraps without colour printing.
- Igniter This can be a matcher or a lighter to ignite the paper and kindling.
- Screen A screen keeps everything inside the firebox.
Prep the Fireplace
Prepping involves cleaning out all the ash from the previous fire. Starting with a clean slate is important as it doesn’t help start a fire and just gets in the way. Clean it into a metal container if it is flammable and catches fire. Your flue should also be primed by introducing warm air into the cold chimney.
With the damper open, you can use a rolled-up newspaper to burn into the chimney. You can also open the damper a few hours before to allow warm air to flow up the chimney. This will help prevent you getting smoke in the house.
Sprinkle a little ash back on the bottom of the firebox and replace the grate. Stuff some loosely crumbled newspaper underneath and add a layer of kindling onto the grate in a crisscross pattern so air can get through.
You can follow the same process for a wood stove, but if there is no grate, stack two pieces of cut wood on either side and place your newspaper in between with the kindling balanced across the logs.
Light Your Kindling and Logs
This is where fun meets flame. Ignite your paper so the kindling starts, and then add some dry, split logs leaned together or in a crisscross pattern so you don’t stifle the flame.
You can nurse it to ensure it keeps burning well without sputtering. Only add more wood when the fire starts burning down, and make sure there is plenty of room for air to flow around the logs.
Allow for Airflow
We talked about leaving room for air to flow around the logs, which is the key to constant burning. As you add logs, maintain enough space between them and continue to build a solid base with larger logs below and smaller ones on top.
Make sure not to overload, as this restricts the movement of air. Once you load up your logs, close the door or put up the screen, allowing it to produce a slow burn.
Enjoy Your Fire All Night
Now that you have built it correctly, sit back and enjoy it. If you share an intimate evening with a loved one, watch the flames and relax. If you are busy with other duties, check the fire occasionally to see if it needs more fuel.
It only takes a few seconds to add a few logs, and then your fire will continue to provide warmth and dancing flames all night.
Over Night
Logs burning unattended for an open fireplace are not recommended. Make sure it is well burned down and tighten the screen or metal covering so it can still expel heat without worrying about a spark escaping. You can close the door securely for a wood fireplace and let it produce heat into the house overnight. If the ashes are cool, clean them out the next day, and you are ready for the next fire.
This is how to keep a fireplace burning all night. It does take some attention, but by following these methods, you will experience your amazing fireplace in all its glory.
