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The air is crisp, the nights are cooling down as fall arrives in earnest. What better way to complete the cozy picture than to build a roaring fire in the hearth? If you haven't given your fireplace a thought - or a cleaning - since last winter, now is the perfect time to come clean.
Here's how to get your hearth and home ready for the crackling nights ahead. Start by opening the damper. Grab a flashlight and see whether anything is blocking the chimney. Animals sometimes take up residence in the warm confines of a chimney left idle for months. Falling leaves also tend to build up in the chimney. If you see a blockage, call to arrange a professional chimney inspection and cleaning. (You really can't do this one yourself.) Next, clean the stove or firebox of any ashes, dirt or debris that might have accumulated during months of nonuse. Now you're ready to start firing up for those cozy nights ahead.
A few tips first, however, can help ensure your hearth is churning out heat that's as healthy as possible for your family:
1. Contain Air Pollutants
That warm fire crackling in the hearth creates smoke that contains carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds. These toxins can adversely affect anyone who has asthma or other breathing problems. The cleanest choice is to switch from a wood-burning to a gas fireplace if possible. There are new gas-fueled hearths that look as though they're burning real firewood. Some self-contained units can even fit into existing masonry fireplaces.
Wood-burning fireplace inserts certified by the EPA are also available in sizes and styles that can fit into an existing masonry fireplace. The fire is visible through the heat-resistant/glass screen - a definite aesthetic plus - and it provides excellent heat output and very little of that dirty smoke you'd prefer your family avoid breathing.
2. Go for Greener Composition Logs
For those who eschew the gas-fueled fireplace, composition logs - such as Duraflame and Presto - are the next best thing. These composition logs produce up to 50 percent less smoke and pollutants when burned than wood does.
And if you're a purist who simply cannot fathom fall without the earthy aroma of a fine wood fire? Well, at least learn to light it the most effective way possible.
All firewood is not created equal. It pays to know your firewood when you're stocking up this fall. Here's a look at a few of the most popular types available:
- "Dry" wood burns more efficiently and causes less smoke. Firewood should be dry, or seasoned, six to 12 months after splitting.
- Hardwoods, such as oak, dry slower than softwoods such as pine and fir - some may take a year or more to dry.
- If you store firewood outside, make sure it is a foot or more above ground, away from your home and in a sunny, well-ventilated area. Cover the top to keep out dew and rain, but leave the sides open to drying breezes.
- Choose cords with dark-colored, cracked ends. They should be light in weight, as this confirms that most of the wood's natural moisture is gone. (Hardwood will always weigh more than softwood, however.)
- Check wood for dryness before you buy (or burn). Clap two pieces together, and you should hear a crack sound, like a baseball bat hitting a ball, not a dull thud. Thud equals wet wood - which means keep looking for the dryer variety. (Of course, anything visibly green isn't ready for burning.)
- Burn only clean, seasoned wood, manufactured logs, and non-glossy white paper in your fireplace.
- Garbage, plastics, rubber, painted or treated wood, particle board, plywood, coal, charcoal briquettes and colored paper produce toxic fumes - the kind that can harm your lungs and clog your flue.
- Open the damper wide when you're ready to burn, and start with a small, hot fire. (You can create such a fire by crumpling a few pages of newspaper, add some small pieces of softwood kindling such as pine or fir, then lighting it.) Add bigger kindling, a few pieces at a time, as the fire grows.
- Once the fire is burning briskly, add two or three hardwood logs placed close enough to keep each other hot, but with enough room for oxygen to circulate.
- The idea is to create a small, hot fire first, which keeps the dirty smoke to a minimum.
4. How to Know You're Burning Clean
Simply put: Where there's smoke, there's a bad fire. Excess smoke is a good indicator that your fire wasn't lit properly or isn't burning correctly. How do you tell? Walk outside your home and take a look at your chimney about a half-hour after lighting a fire. A good fire will give off only a thin wisp of white steam or smoke. If you see dark smoke, come inside and adjust your dampers or air inlets to let in more air.
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