How do I open my fireplace up for the first time and tips on using it properly?

Question

We have lived in our house for some time now but never used the fireplace. In fact, the fireplace has never been used before. I don't want to burn my house down. I have never been very good at building fires. What things do I need? Thanks!

Answer 1

Isn't it a little warm for a fireplace? Aside from that... make sure everything is open. Light a piece of newspaper, hold the flame up the chimney so it will warm up the air inside it. If you don't warm it up, the smoke will go into your house. Make sure the temp in the house is cooler than the temp outside or again... the smoke will go into your house. Use a clean burning wood, or you'll have a mess to clean up.

Answer 2

The first question is, why do you suddenly want to use your fireplace? If the answer is, to heat your house, that's a bad idea. Fireplaces suck heated air out of the house, so they make a net loss for home heating. Even if it feels a little warm and cozy right next to the fire, a few feet back, and way back in the bedrooms, the (heated) air is being drawn up into the chimney and sent out into the sky. If you want to burn wood for heat, get a fireplace insert ($1500-$2000). It's a special kind of wood stove that will use the same chimney as your fireplace. You can get models with glass doors so that you can watch the flames. Inserts will actually produce heat and save on your home heating bills. Although the purchase price sounds high, if your heating costs are high, payback can come in 7 years or less. Since you are not used to heating with wood, have a professional install the insert, and inspect your chimney at the same time (or better yet, have him or her inspect the chimney before you purchase the insert).

If you simply want the fireplace for effect, then have a chimney professional inspect it before you use it. He or she can explain how to use the flue and build a fire. But don't expect a lot of heat, and remember that you will be producing an exceptional amount of pollution, which may cause problems with the neighbors.

Answer 3

First, make sure there's nothing like birds nest, hornet nestes, or any other obstruction BEFORE lighting a fire.