What is the secret to burning logs - can't get it going?!

[Decaffe]

I have tried all sorts of kindling and all sorts of logs and I just can't find a decent combination. What do you use for a guaranteed burn?

Pretty much exactly this.

Also it tend to go easier if there's a bit of ash in from the day before, not freshly cleared out. If its still warm in there from the previous day it goes easier too.

Great tips thank you! Any recommendations for firelighters? I used to love the Mountain Griller bricks but the price has tripled in the past year. Waxed Twizzlers often just burn out.

I normally use the ones which come in a block. I do use the wood shaving ones, as well.

You can get a fire going with the smallest amount of paper, firelighters unnecessary, as long as your kindling and wood are properly dry and you allow enough space under everything for air. Smother it and there's no chance it will catch properly.

My trick was always to criss-cross the kindling and have one very dry medium log on top. One or two bits of scrunched paper (or all the used tissues in winter), and it should catch happily.

Once you've got a good bed of embers it should keep going happily, as long as you allow air underneath any logs you add.

Wood burns where the sticks cross - e.g. the centre of an X.

Wood that has been split lengthways will catch light easier than circular pieces with the bark attached. This also applies to old bits of furniture, which can make great kindling.

Scrunch up five or six sheets of newspaper.
Criss cross this with dry kindling making sure there are lots of points where the wood crosses.
Light it.
Wait until you get a good fire going.
Start adding larger bits of wood.

Are you me?

Uncannily similar firefighting technique! I thought the egg box was my unique master stroke 😂

I can anything dry burning.
I start with crumpled up balls of newspaper, then very fine kindling built up into a crisscross pile - quite a lot of them and then 2 or 3 firelighters, put a couple of very small logs on top. If you don't have any very small logs chop a big one up.
When it's all burning merrily and the small logs are burning really well then start putting the big logs on.
I usually chuck in a few pieces of coal when its going properly.

Make sure the hearth and ash tray are completely clear before you start, You can get attachments for your hoover to clear out the grate. So much easier.

www.machinemart.co.uk/p/ash-can-filter-for-vacuum-cleaners/

These from Amazon. Only need 1 or 2 and odourless.

I use one of those instant fire logs along with kindling and those natural fire lighters, you don’t really need to use those bits if you use the instant fire logs but it gets it going quickly. Don’t even wait longer than about a minute for it to get going, put 3 dry logs on top in a triangle sort of formation and away it goes. We gave up on coal years ago when it was hard to get anything other than that smokeless stuff which just seemed utterly crap.

Oo I find it much easier to start with an ash bed.. not too deep but if I empty it it's much harder.

Certainly Wood flamers

the cheaper alternatives are a false economy in my experience.

Interesting. My woodburner was having none of it!

GrouchyKiwi

You can get a fire going with the smallest amount of paper, firelighters unnecessary...

We always used to do that, when I was a kid, but with modern wood stoves, they advise you to use firelighters.

Also, I though ash bed mean a bed of ash wood!

Wood stoves work on a fairly restricted air supply, which means that the wood burns slowly. Modern ones also recirculate the fumes, (dunno how, it's just in our manual...) to make them more efficient. Id say that ash on the grate would restrict the circulation of air and impede the burning process.

The fluff from tumble driers helps to assist the kindling

Blimey, what a faff!
6 sticks of kindling in 3 layers, 2 pieces of scrunched up newspaper in the middle of them + 2 firelighters, 2 logs on top of it all. Light the firelighters, open the vents and sit back. When it’s lit, close the vents a bit.

the key is using very dry logs.

We only clean out the ash about once a month.

Soontobe60

We only clean out the ash about once a month.

Blimey! Ours needs doing every time.

We use paper strips, then a wigwam of kindling then two logs.
Once it's burning properly add more logs.
Make sure to open both air inlets/ outlets first then close the internal one once fires burning well and leave the top one half open.
My ds lays the fire backwards but I can never get that going so stick to the above.

I've never tried firelighters, always worried the room will smell.
The main key is to have very very dry logs.

when I used to begin, I'd stand the kindling upright as it burns better, same way with the logs, then inbetween the logs and kindling is use either the fire lighter blocks, or id use an empty milk carton, as the plastic melts and sticks to the wood. Sometimes it's a mix of materials.

This post has brought back something in my memory. I recall my late Dad setting the fire, and getting a double sheet of newspaper and covering the fireplace. The draught going up the chimney got everything going.

Is it ok to burn both wood and coal at the same time?
I dunno why I thought it damages the chimney lining. I can never get coal burning properly so have left the bag on the side and just use logs but I know coal lasts longer.

Dry as poss wood
Kindling and newspaper to light and chimney swept yearly

This is the first year I’ve tried the upside down (aka Scandinavian method) and it’s worked really well. I use a different construction method than you, but the end result is the same. Apparently, it heats up the stove pipe quicker, which then increases the chimney draw which really gets things going.