Lots of people have fireplaces in their homes, but keeping them clean and smoke free takes some maintenance and effort on the part of the homeowner. The fireplace will not maintain itself, even though there are some fireplace cleaning logs on the market these days. These will not completely replace a professional cleaning, though, so you should have one of these done at least every year or two.
You should always have proper tools next to your fireplace in case you need to access them quickly. Fireplace tools come in many materials and styles and cast iron is a solid and reliable material but is also available in pewter, nickel, brass, and etcetera. There is a large selection on the market and you will be able to find a style and material that match your home and needs.
A fireplace blower will help build up the fire and increase the heat output. These can make starting your fire and getting it to a roaring romantic fire much quicker.
You should always have proper tools next to your fireplace in case you need to access them quickly. Fireplace tools come in many materials and styles and cast iron is a solid and reliable material but is also available in pewter, nickel, brass, and etcetera. There is a large selection on the market and you will be able to find a style and material that match your home and needs.
A fireplace blower will help build up the fire and increase the heat output. These can make starting your fire and getting it to a roaring romantic fire much quicker.
Fireplace tongs can be used to move around logs and restack them for maximum burn while the fire is going. Logs that shift or fall to close to the edge will require the use of the tongs to put back on to the fires center.
A fireplace poker can be used to move around coals and spread them so that the heat is more evenly distributed. This helps larger logs catch on fire quicker than they normally would. These when used with a fireplace blower can get your fire up and roaring in 1/2 the time then would normally be possible without their use.
A shovel is used to clean up the ashes that are left after a fire has burnt out and a small broom is necessary to keep the area immediately around the fireplace cleaned up.
If you are experiencing problems building a fire that does not release smoke back into the room, you need to make sure that nothing is blocking the chimney on top of the house and that the flume has been opened from within the fireplace, before starting the fire. Leaves, bird nests, and other debri can clog up chimneys and make it tough to get a fire going and to keep your room smoke free.
Using the correct wood that has been properly prepared for burning is also important; logs that are freshly cut (called green wood) and have a lot of moisture still in them will smoke and pop sparks, instead of catching and burning a solid fire. Use logs that are dried out (either over a long period of time or have been dried in a kiln) and always store them in a place where they will not get wet.
Start the fire slowly by building it up with small firestarter logs and small sticks that come with most firewood deliveries. This will help warm up the chimney which is important so that the air inside it becomes warm instead of cold and causes what is known as a draft. Cold air pushes the warm air and smoke down and back into the house causing an undesriable back draft.