How You Should Use Fireplace Andirons

How You Should Use Fireplace Andirons

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How You Should Use Fireplace Andirons

One of the best features of traditional fireplace sets would be fireplace andirons that are placed on the sides of their fire chambers. Oftentimes, fireplace andirons are made with a decorative fashion from materials like wrought iron and polished brass lathe. A fireplace andiron is basically with two legs under their post at the front while a third leg extends down from a horizontal bar, which runs back from its post. The top of the post of fireplace andirons are often made with a shiny metal sphere, which is typically made from brass.

Aside from being decorative fireplace accessories, fireplace andirons also offer practical functions. They are used as racks to elevate firewood above the chamber floor of hearths. Moreover, they also prevent logs from rolling out of the fireplace. Fireplace andirons are made with a design that provides space underneath the firewood for the lighter and more flammable materials, which are used to start up a fire. If this you just bought your first pair of fireplace andirons and you don’t know how to properly use them, read on because I’ll be showing you the steps as to how you can do so.

The first step is to gather enough flammable materials for your tinder and kindling. Some of the best natural sources for tinder include leaves, dry grasses, bark, and conifer needles. Spruce needles and birch bark contain a lot of volatile oils, which can be used as a quickly ignitable source for tinder. Kindling on the other hand, is usually composed of small pieces of split wood or dry branches and twigs that easily catch fire but will burn for a much longer time than tinder so as to provide a good ignition source for large logs and cord wood. Cord wood is made up of split lengths from large cross sections of tree branches or trunks that have been cut into smaller sizes so that they can fit inside the width of a fireplace.

The next step you need to know about is the placement of tinder and kindling. You need to position the tinder directly on the floor, in between the fireplace andirons. Arrange the tinder in a loose manner with lot of airspace in their pile. You need to do this since materials that are tightly packed together are hard to ignite and usually produce a lot of smoke. Adjust the placement of your fireplace andirons so that they can cater to the length of your logs or cord wood. Next, place the kindling on top of the pile of tinder. Arrange them in a crisscross manner so that you can produce alternating layers that produce gaps for good airspace. Then, add some tinder to the first layers, sprinkling it in the gaps between the kindling. Build up the kindling and tinder until it gets just above the height of your fireplace andirons’ projecting horizontal support bars which are located at the back.

Next, place cord wood and larger logs on top of the pile of tinder and kindling. Rest them on the horizontal supports of the fireplace andirons. The last step you need to do is to insert a lighted match into the bottom edge of the pile of tinder and kindling.

About the Author:
Read more about <a href="http://www.georgetownfire-patio.com/fireplaces/";>fireplace andirons</a> at the Georgetown Fireplace & Patio website.



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