How to light a fireplace is a question that frequently bewilders homeowners who want to install a fireplace in their homes but do not know how to start. For safety reasons, a fireplace should only be turned on when the fireplace cleaner has been applied to it and not while it is burning. Also, while a fire is burning, it is highly flammable so you should avoid putting your hand too near it or else you may catch fire. For best results, you should follow these instructions exactly.

Get some wood – After you have decided where you will place the fireplace, find a suitable spot for it. You should ensure that you do not hurt yourself while carrying out this activity so you should take all precautions. Dig up the kindling bushes from where you will be cutting the wood. Cut the wood into uniform length pieces and then stack them one on top of the other.

Light the top-down method – In this system, you have to start by lighting the first log that starts to burn. Then, move the rest of the wood to the same position and continue burning the second log until it catches fire. As soon as the second ember catches fire, change the direction of the logs and continue this process until all the wood logs are completely burned.

Use a stack of bricks – In the traditional method, wood would be stacked one on top of another, with each pile placed directly on top of the previous one. This kind of arrangement produces lots of ash, which is the major reason why most fires in fireplaces end up burning unevenly. Instead, use a big pile of cut wood in order to provide more room for air to circulate. This way, the temperature inside the room will be uniform and consistent.

Add One More grate – To prevent the back draft that usually happens with an open fireplace, it is advisable to build in a chimney damper. A chimney damper is made out of copper and is added at the top or at the bottom of the chimney. The thickness of the chimney damper depends on the height of the chimney.

Build a grate over the chimney – The grate is basically used to keep the smoke from going out of the chimney. You can choose to add more than one grate depending on the amount of smoke that your chimney needs to stop.

If you want to have a more even burn, then put in more than one. Remember to include this step if you plan to build a smoke stack in your chimney.