how do you build a good fireplace fire with wet wood?

Answer 1

If it's all wet...you won't. Something has to be dried.

Answer 2

There are many good answers here, but I think you need to consider something else. The fire logs that can be bought this time of year at places like Wal-Mart would give a lasting fire to dry out your wood. Split the wet wood, if we are talking about "green" wood, not just rain wet wood, into very thin pieces. How wide it is, is not important, how thick it is, is important. What you are doing is drying out some wood to use to keep the fire going to make more dry wood.

Answer 3

Usually you can just split the wood to expose some of the dryer inner surface, but if the wood is really soaked all the way through there's not a whole lot you can do. However, if you have any dry wood to get a decent fire started, you can usually add on a wet log or two and the heat of the existing fire should evaporate enough of the moisture out of the wet wood to allow it to burn.

Answer 4

It is obvious that it is best to dry the wood out if possible both for the sake of the burn and the sake of your chimney. Wet wood stinks and can gum up the flue with residue and moisture/steam. If you absolutly have to use wet wood and you have a burning grate in the fireplace you can use a road flare to get damp wood to start. It is very effective but dont let the flare set on your firebrick or metal box surround while it burns or it can damage it. It is a good high power match in a pinch.

Answer 5

You really can't. Fire needs 3 things to exist. oxygen, heat and fuel. Well ,wet wood inhibits heat. Put the wet wood by a fire and let it dry out. Then put in on the fire. The wood will burn if you put it on a fire., but it will take a long time to catch. It must be dried before it can burn.

Answer 6

Check out your local Wal-Mart in the charcoal isle...they sell an electric charcoal starter (around ten bucks, if I remember correctly). It is just a loop of metal tuming that is an element and it plugs into the wall outlet. I use this all of the time in my smoker, works great. It heats up to a glowing red color and will evenutally dry out the wood and you will have a fire. If the wood is extremely wet, start with a piece of dry wood on bottom...it will help to dry the wet wood on top. Good luck!

Answer 7

Everyone is right, it has to be dry to burn. To help get it dried out, you can use some of those little "fire starter" logs . They won't burn up as fast as news papers, but neither will they give you the big flash of heat you get with news papers. Both combined would be your fastest bet. If you have neither, place your wood somewhere - out of the fireplace - and put a fan on it.

Answer 8

It's tough because the heat you would normally get from the burning of seasoned wood goes to boiling the water out of green wood. It will burn, but only after about 95% of the water in it has been boiled out. By that time, there isn't much wood-- or heat, left. Better to cut and stack your wood about two years in advance of burning it, if it's oak. Don't bother with pine-- not enough heat in it to merit the effort.

Answer 9

The only way is to use extremely hot burning kindling to start it, then it will dry the split wood in the fire place. Something like oak will work wonders.

Answer 10

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