Association for Ecological Wood Heating

Proper kindling: 4 steps to a smokeless fire

One of the stonemason's commandments would go something like this: "Thou shalt not smell under thy neighbour's nose or in his windows." Anyone who follows this commandment should then know the proper procedure for starting a fire in their fireplace or stove without everyone in the vicinity thinking they are sending smoke signals.

Do not underestimate the preparation 

Proper kindling starts in the shed. Prepare about 33 cm long logs. From the eye, this length is equivalent to three fists side by side. Then split the logs into triangular prisms.

Dry wood, good wood 

    The wet wood smells. Let it dry thoroughly under shelter first. It takes quite a bit of patience, about 1-2 years. The maximum moisture content of the wood should be within 20 %.

    Newspapers belong in the collection 

      Habit is an iron shirt, but let's direct the newspapers to the collection instead of the stove. It's much better to use an eco-friendly lighter. 

      Borders defeats the pyramid 

        The pyramid will still be suitable for the campfire, but you should put a border in the stove. Leave some ash underneath, the fire will burn better. And light an eco-friendly fire starter from the top.

        Voilà! A beautiful, clean flame without clouds of smoke. 

        But if all you see is smoke, then we recommend you go back to point 2.

        TIP for the end: Are you going to clean already smoked glass? Never spray the cleaner directly on the glass, but first on a cloth. The droplets could run into the seal, damaging it and the glass could easily crack. More tips in the next article.