12/03/2026
On a stormy day like today, it can be tricky to get your wood burning stove lit and stay lit!
One of the most important things when lighting your stove is ensuring the flue gets hot quickly which is more difficult in windy conditions.
Make sure you build a really good jenga pile of kindling across the bed of the stove…don’t scrimp on it…it definitely requires more! Then place 2 or 3 firefighters on top. Before lighting, make sure the air vents on the stove are at the fully open position. Light the fire lighters and leave the stove door slightly ajar for 5 minutes or so (please check your stove manufacturer’s user manual for their recommendations on lighting the stove).
Let the fire get well established and you may need to add some more kindling to make sure the flue is hot enough. You can then start to add logs gradually to the fire…don’t be tempted to put multiple logs on in one go as you risk smothering the fire!
When the fire is properly established, gradually adjust the airflow until you find the right level of burn for your stove and the outside conditions.
If you live in a very exposed position, it’s worth considering an anti downdraught cowl or similar. Stove installers can do a lot of things but they definitely can’t control the location of your property or the weather!
