As fall turns into winter, there’s nothing cozier than a toasty fireplace.
Gathering around the fire is the perfect way to spend time with friends and family. Why not do the same at your vacation rental?
Safety is essential whenever you’re making a fire, whether you’re camping or enjoying your vacation indoors.
Follow these tips to enjoy a toasty (and safe) winter vacation!
Your Fireplace Checklist
Before you light a fireplace fire, there are a few things to square away. For example, not just any wood will work. There’s also a long list of do’s and don’ts to follow to avoid injuries, respiratory problems, and smoke damage.
Your vacation home’s wood-burning fireplace may not have everything it needs. Make sure you have the following basics first:
- Firewood log holder
- Fireplace tongs
- Bellows
- Ash shovel
- poker
- Fireplace gate
- Ash bin
- Safety gloves
- Fire kindling
- Firewood
- Matches (or large fireplace lighters)
This next part is crucial: make sure your vacation rental has a working smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector, and fire extinguisher. It doesn’t hurt to have another fire extinguisher on-hand, so add that to your pre-vacation shopping list!
Remember, there are different fireplace styles. Check out fireplace experts like SOMD Hearth to familiarize yourself with different designs, so you can best tend to the fire.
What’s the Best Type of Firewood?
If you can’t use just any type of wood, what can you use?
Your vacation rental may already come with firewood; if not, you can purchase fireplace-ready firewood from a local grocery store, convenience store, or hardware store. Fireplace wood, also known as “fire logs,” is designed to burn longer with less smoke.
If you can’t buy fire logs, dry wood will work. Aged, dry logs are even better. Wet or damp logs create more smoke and clog the chimney.
If you’re using regular dry wood, break it up into smaller pieces. Small pieces will burn more evenly and generate less smoke.
Don’t forget Your Kindling!
Just like a campfire, you need kindling to ignite your fireplace fire.
Like fire logs, you can buy fireplace kindling from a local store. If you don’t have any handy, small wood scraps, narrow sticks, and twigs will work.
Next, crumple up newspaper and stuff it under your log holder or fireplace grate.
Making a Fire in Your Fireplace
The goal is to create a long-lasting fire with as little smoke as possible. Stack your wood, keeping larger pieces on the bottom and smaller pieces (and kindling) on top.
Don’t leave the fireplace. Someone must tend to the fire to poke and adjust the wood as needed. Children shouldn’t be left alone with the fireplace either.
Enjoy Your Toasty Fireplace
Start a new tradition this winter.
Book a cozy vacation rental with a toasty fireplace, and make new memories with loved ones. Remember these tips as you build a safe, long-lasting fire.
Need more tips for mastering the art of leisure? Check out the blog to discover even more tricks for enjoying your vacation to the fullest!
