Now that winter is here, it’s fireplace season again. When the snow starts to fall and the weather turns cold, it’s time to light a fire and relax in front of the warm glow. But there is a lot of work involved in building a fire, and it starts back in the springtime or even earlier. The first step is to get the right firewood, and that means that it needs to be properly cured. If you cut your own firewood, you’ll need to start gathering that wood at least six months before you’re going to burn it to give enough time for the moisture level to drop. You have to bring it home and stack it, then let it set until it’s time to bring it in the house to set up your fire. You’ll need to lay the firewood, add some kindling, open the dampers, and get that fire lit! While you’re enjoying the fire, you’ll need to keep tending the fire by adding firewood. When you’re ready to go to bed, you’ll want to make sure that the fire has burned down to make sure that a house fire doesn’t break out.
Wood Stoves and Gas Logs
If all of this sounds like too much trouble to go to, you might want to think about switching over from a wood fireplace to a different method of alternate heat. Two excellent options are gas logs or wood stoves.
If you love the smell and crackle of a real wood fire, than a great option for you might be a wood stove. One benefit of a wood burning stove is that you can use your existing chimney system to vent the stove. On the other hand, if you want to place it somewhere else, wood stoves are designed to be able to be vented anywhere where there is access to run a vent pipe outdoors. Another benefit is that you can use the stove during power outages, so you can be kept warm and cozy during severe weather systems. Wood is more friendly to the environment than fossil fuels as well.
If, however, you hate to give up the look and feel of a fire burning in your fireplace, then gas logs might be your best bet. WIth gas logs, you get the look of a real wood fire without the hassle of burning real wood. If you’re thinking that the fire of a gas fire looks weak and blue, then you haven’t seen the newest versions of gas logs. Today’s gas logs look realistic and cozy, and all it takes is a flick of a switch to get the fire burning.