One of the questions most often asked b nearly everyone who plans to build home is: "Should I have a fireplace1? Well, there’s no cut-and-dried answer Different people place different value on fireplace utility and appeal. However one intangible quality that weighs heavily in its favor is the friendliness of fireplace.
STARTING THE BLAZE
Before lighting the kindling, lay about a half-sheet of newspaper on top of the logs and set fire to it. This warms up the flue and establishes a draft. While this piece is still burning, light the loose ends of the kindling paper. Close the screen and your fire is started.
A FIRE NEEDS AIR
Burning fuel in a fireplace requires a good deal of air. Tight weatherstripping with storm sash may not permit enough air to enter the house to sustain the fire properly, open a window a little way . . sometimes leaving the door to the basement open will do the job.
Watch out for the effect of ventilating fans. Even a small kitchen fan exhausts a good deal of air from the house. If there is no way to replace this air. except down the chimney, your fireplace will smoke and. in extreme cases, ashes may be drawn out (into the hearth extension even through the closed screen.
TO BED FOR THE NIGHT
If your fire hasn’t burned itself out by bedtime, use the tongs to stand any un burned logs up on end in the corners of the fireplace. In this position they will soon burn out and you will have some good kindling ready for the next fire Be sure the screen is closed to keep random sparks and embers off the floor or rugs
SOME DOS AND DON TS
Don’t be disappointed or impatient if the fire seems to die out in its early stages. A first-of-the-season fire may need more kindling or perhaps another half-sheet of newspaper burned in the flue.
Most important — let a bed of ashes accumulate under the fuel. Not too thick — about an inch or so deep — hut spread around evenly over the whole hearth area The ashes insulate the cold hearth and your later fires will start much more readily
Don’t try to build too big a fire. Three logs are ideal and four should he all you will ever need for a comfortable, cozy evening. As the top and front logs burn up. turn them around a bit with the tongs and place a fresh log on top.
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Keep your fireplace screen closed, espe- cially when leaving the nx»m or whenever sparks might pop out unobserved to smol- der on floor or rug.
