Beautiful The Weather is Turning Cooler ? Time to Ready the Fireplace Accessories

The summer is turning to fall and the Friday night lights are lit up all over the country. In a few more weeks the windbreaker and sweaters will come out of the closet.  We might even splurge and get a new jacket for those football games.  We probably will not be thinking about the hearth. But this is prime time to do just that, do we need accessories for the fireplace? Preseason sales are all over the place.  Yes, you have a single fireplace screen, a half circle hearth rug and a Uniflame log rack stacked perfectly out back but do you need anything else?  Having a fireplace that functions well and with ease is a pleasurable experience.  Tools where you need them and fire starter and a fireplace match holder in close reach are needed.  Also handy is a set of fire bellows to help get the fire going quickly.  These are just a few items that help and contribute to the ease of the fireplace. 

This may sound obvious but you need a match or lighter to start the fire.  Making a choice to keep a fireplace match holder in close proximity to the heath is a good idea.  You don't have to run to the kitchen to get a handful.  The needed tools are right there in arms reach.  Match holders come in a variety of styles and kinds.  Some like the old safety match box holders that were in the kitchen when I was growing up to cast iron holders with a stag on the front.  Decorative holders of copper or brass with long reach matches.  Quite a range of choices in fireplace match holders. 

What do you want to use to start the fire:  newspaper, kindling or whatever?  Well the well outfitted home hearth fire starter should use just that, firestarter.  Fatwood sticks or starter is the answer.  This is a product of wood with very high oil content that will start with a match like presoaked charcoal briquettes and will last plenty long enough to get the main fire going. 

Well, you have a flame in the hearth; not quite a fire yet.   Do you fan the flames in a manner of speaking or get on your knees and thank the high school band director for keeping you playing low brass instruments?   No, grab your handy battery powered power blower.  This practical piece of equipment will turn any small flame into a hearty family pleasing fire without delay.  Now you could use a fire bellow like the smithy of old and get the same result.  Power bellows like power tools rate high in my book. 

Now you can sit back and relax and enjoy your creation of fire safely in your own home. Just remember to get the flue cleaned and checked prior to heating season and check the batteries in the smoke alarms. 

James Dahlberg