subject: Lighting a Fireplace while Maintaining Home Security [print this page] Lighting a Fireplace while Maintaining Home Security
A fireplace is an enjoyable part of any home but can unfortunately go wrong if it is not handled properly. Knowing the proper way to light a wood fireplace is extremely important in order to prevent danger to your family's home security. Installing a home alarm system is also important to alert you of a threat from your fireplace or anything else.
When used properly, a fire can create a warm and inviting atmosphere in your home. Your home instantly becomes more comfortable for your family and friends, especially during cold winter days when you need the extra warmth. In order to properly light your fire and enjoy it to the fullest without worry of a threat to your home security, follow these steps:
1. The first step is to open the damper. Since the damper manages the smoke and air flowing through the chimney, it must be open in order to let the smoke out of the top of the chimney. If it is closed when the fire is going, all of the smoke will have nowhere to go except for into the room, creating a smoky, uncomfortable, and dangerous situation. Before starting the fire, reach into the fireplace and you should find the handle that controls the damper, moving it one way to open it and the other way to close it.
2. Once you are sure the damper is open, you can set up all of your newspaper, kindling, and wood, to get it ready to be lit. First put crumpled newspaper on the bottom of the fireplace. You can also use straw or grass. Kindling, which is small branches and small pieces of wood, goes on top of the newspaper. Next come the logs, which are to be added using a certain technique. The logs should be stacked horizontally in criss-crossed layers. Leave room in between the logs to allow air to move through them. Mixing some of the kindling with the logs is not a bad idea.
3. Now that the dry paper and wood is stacked and ready, it is time to light it. First, light the newspaper at the bottom of the pile. Once the newspaper is lit, the kindling will catch on fire. The color and direction of the smoke in the first half hour is very important. If you cannot see the smoke clearly, then that means it is headed in the right direction. If it is black, the fire needs more oxygen. This can easily be fixed by using the poker to move wood and sticks around, allowing more air to flow through. If the smoke is grey, there is not enough burning, which could mean the wood is wet, or there is too much oxygen.
4. Once your fire is properly going, sit back and enjoy it. About a half hour before you want it to go out, start breaking up the wood and material and spreading it out, allowing it to burn out faster.
Lighting a fire the proper way, as well as installing a home alarm system, is the best ways to enjoy a fire in your fireplace without threatening your home security.
