Six Tips For A Cozy Winter: How To Use An Indoor Fireplace

There’s something cosy and homey about a crackling fire on a cold winter night. It’s the kind of scene you see in movies or read about in cosy books. They give off a comforting heat and light that makes even the bleakest of evenings feel like home. Indoor fireplaces aren’t just for keeping your house warm during winter; they can be used all year round to add elegance to any room. Even if you don’t have one built-in, it is easy enough to make your fireplace with some bricks, some stones and a little bit of knowledge on how to use an indoor fireplace. Here are six tips for using an indoor fireplace that will keep your home cosy this winter…

Make sure your chimney is clean and free of blockages

The first thing to do before you try to start a fire is to make sure your chimney is in good condition. You don’t want to start a fire and then have it blocked by a mess of soot or creosote. The chimney should be swept twice a year at a minimum, preferably once in autumn and once in the spring. Creosote can build up in the chimney from wood-burning or gas furnaces. It’s not just an eyesore, but can be a fire hazard as well. Creosote is very combustible and can catch fire very easily. Having your chimney swept and inspected is a cheap investment that can save you thousands of pounds in the long run.

Use eco-friendly fire starters

If you plan on starting your fire with lighter fluid, remember to extinguish the flame before adding logs to the fireplace. Even if you don’t see the lighter fluid, it is still there and can cause a lot of damage to the interior of your home if it ignites. There are many eco-friendly fire starters on the market that are made from recycled materials and are a much safer alternative to lighter fluid. You can find fire starters in a variety of scents and flavours, so you can pick one that matches your room.

Open the Damper

Depending on where you live, you may have a damper on the top of your indoor fireplace. If you do, make sure to open it before you start a fire. The fire needs to be able to draw in a lot of oxygen to burn properly, and the damper is there to let the oxygen in and create a healthy fire. If you don’t open the damper, the fire will go out quickly.

Ventilate the room by opening doors.

Indoor fireplaces are great for warming a room, but they can also make the air inside very stale and smoky very quickly. You don’t want to open a window, as that will only let cold air in. Instead, open a few doors. This will cause the stale air to be pushed out of the room and fresh air to flow in from other parts of the house.

Use hardwood logs for longer and hotter burning.

When you head out to pick up your firewood, don’t grab the first log you see. You want to look for a hardwood log that is cut thick and has a low moisture content. These types of logs burn longer and hotter than other types of wood. They are also generally cheaper than other types of wood, which makes them even more attractive.

Warm up the air in the chimney before starting a fire

The best way to do this is to get a rolled-up newspaper and light one end and hold it inside the fireplace. this will warm up your chimney before burning wood or gas. this will help reduce any chance of a cold draft pushing the bad gasses back down into your heart, into your room and your lungs

Conclusion

Hopefully, this has given you some excellent tips on how to use an indoor fireplace. Using an indoor fireplace is a great way to keep your home warm and cosy during the winter months. When you use an indoor fireplace, make sure that you have cleaned out the chimney and opened the damper. After that, you can start a fire by placing hardwood logs on the embers in the fireplace. Opening up a few doors in the room will help to circulate the air and remove any smoke. Finally, make sure that you warm up the air in the chimney before you start a fire so that you can get it burning as quickly as possible.