Wood Burning Tips : How to Make Your Wood Stove a Happier Experience

A warm fire on a winter's night after a snowfall is one of those little known comforts that most people do without. But I was in a Home Depot a few days ago and I saw some people admiring one of those faux gas fireplaces which look "just like the real thing." They don't look at all like the real thing to me, but it's easy for me to understand why someone would buy one.

That warm flickering flame is a comfort, something that ignites the ancient DNA in all of us, descended from the early people who, bedecked in animal skins, gathered around the warmth of the hearth. These electric and gas faux hearths require no great effort to operate, nor do they require the regular cleanup required by real wood burning. There's no point in gilding the lily. Burning real wood, in a real wood burning system, is not a passive activity. However, the inconveniences can be minimized and even turned to advantage if one adopts a proactive approach. Here are some ideas that may appeal to the economy-minded authentic rustic lurking in many of us:

Dry hardwood wood is key to the happy hearth experience, but even dry hardwoods will absorb moisture from the air and be less burn-efficient. All firewood should be split to provide more drying surface. Of course, a fire hot enough will burn even unseasoned wood, but dry is best. You will hear people say different things about what constitutes dry hardwood. Many people say wood needs to be dried for at least six months, others say a year. Very dry hardwood burns most efficiently. If you've seen those colorless, grey logs neatly stacked in someone's back yard and covered by a tarp, you've seen hardwoods thoroughly seasoned.

I have a covered hardwood supply outdoors which lets air circulate underneath, keep a small stack in the garage, and a woven basket containing very dry logs which are to be used for a period of 4 to 8 hours.

A fine strongly woven basket can enhance the wood-burning experience. After all, most wood-burners are in a family room, so why muck things up with something that looks like it came from the refuse pile?

Another necessity is a set of good quality fireplace tools. The ones I use most are the hearth broom and the poker and the shovel. I wish the broom and shovel were just a bit wider. We rarely use the log-grabber but it looks good as part of a set.

The outdoor weather conditions affect fireplace efficiency and burn rates. A cold dry evening will create the best air flow conditions for efficient burning; still, humid weather and middling temperatures will require you to open the draft a bit further to stimulate efficient burning.

Even the most careful wood carrying into the house will create debris so the best way to deal with it is with a routine. The hearth broom is near and convenient so I clean up small amount of debris each time I put firewood into the fire box. We vacuum every day whether we're burning wood or not.

There's a difference of opinion regarding whether to leave the bottom of the fireplace with a bed of ashes or to clean it out daily. In our small fire-box, a light bed of ashes poses no problem but a deep base of wood ashes can smother the fire. Fires burn more efficiently when there are air pockets created in setting in wood.

Wood starter materials are sold in Home Depot, Lowes, Ace Hardware and other home products stores, but most of these make little economic sense. Some are messy or cumbersome, and I think they make you pay a premium for your laziness. I've tried several of these products but there is only one brand and type I've found which is worthwhile. That product is made by Rutland, comes in a box of 24 starter squares, and one little square is enough to start any kindling fire without mess. Cost is $1.75 per box of 24.

I make a little pyramid of kindling, open the draft, set the Rutland square in an air space beneath the pyramid, and light it up. If you do it right, there's no need of balled up newspaper.

When building a fire, go from kindling, then to smaller pieces of hardwood, and when the fire's hot enough, use larger logs.

Wintertime temperatures often fluctuate in many areas. There are times when it warms in the afternoon and you may want the fire to go out. For a fire of shorter duration, there's more control of shorter split logs of smaller diameters.

Make no mistake about it-wood burning is not for everyone, especially if you're cutting your own firewood. I'm doing it not only for the economic benefits but for the health benefits, too. It's great exercise in the outdoors and taxes your body in ways only pioneers can imagine. It can also be a little dangerous, inasmuch as I'm not a pioneer, and I make use of modern mechanical devices like a log splitter and two chain saws. It's best to wear protective gear for your eyes, chaps for your legs, and a hard hat, too. There's nothing that makes a guy (or a gal) feel more important than a hard hat.

I'm not a master tree surgeon but I've learned a lot and continue to improve my methods and efficiency. If I didn't like the smell of the outdoors, the animals, the terrain, and the elements so much, I'd probably hand over my chains saws to a Saudi potentate in exchange for about 20 barrels of crude.