Hey Maine: Before You Fire Up That Woodstove, Check These 5 Things!

I grew up with wood heat. We used it as a kid in many of the houses I live in. As an adult, I made sure the house I purchased had a woodstove (it was a must after living through the Ice Storm of '98) and I have burned wood for the last 15 winters.

While I'm not cocky enough to call myself a pro by any means, I'm not a wood-stove novice either. I know enough to know there are things you do and things you don't do when it comes to burning wood in a wood stove.

Here is a list of 5 things you're going to want to check if you plan to heat with wood fire this winter.

1.) Burn with seasoned wood.

Get wood from someone you trust, and make sure it's had time to season. What does "seasoned" mean? Seasoned wood is wood that has had time to sit out and dry for a while. The moisture content of wood that has been freshly cut versus wood that has had time to "season" is much higher. The less moisture in the wood, the hotter and cleaner the wood will burn, which is more efficient and helps keep the creosote production in your chimney down.

2.) Safety is no joke (says the two-time burn victim!)

I accidentally pulled my arm "up" instead of "out" of the stove once, after adding a log to the fire. There was a split second of pain and then nothing. I figured I'd dodged a bullet.but what I had actually done was give myself a third-degree burn, which resulted in a pretty gnarly scar on my arm!

Safety is key when it comes to burning wood.

Get yourself some sturdy fire-proof gloves and when moving around the stove, especially when loading it with wood, be very aware of your surroundings. Protection for your skin is important. But it's also important to protect your chimney and your woodstove, too.

Get your chimney cleaned and inspected before you burn anything.

Also, smoke/carbon monoxide detectors are life-savers. They should be in any home, regardless of what you heat with. But for homes burning wood, you should definitely have these installed.

Fire extinguishers should always be within arm's reach of where your fire is. It may not put out a roaring fire, but at the very least it could buy you precious time if something were to go awry!

Install a screen and a gate around your wood stove, as an added measure of protection. They help to keep kids and pets from getting too close to that super hot surface.

3.) A thermometer can help you burn in the right zone.

Too little heat and you run the risk of creosote build-up, too much and you could start a chimney fire. There is a balance, and a thermometer can help you find it.

4.) Fans can help move the warm air throughout your house.

The blueprint of my house is ridiculously inconvenient, especially if you're trying to move air about. Fans are key. They make fans that sit right on top of the stove. Some woodstoves have built-in blowers you can plug in, but they tend to get very loud.

5.) Get some helpful wood stove/fireplace tools.

A good poker and shovel will help you keep on top of loading and cleaning things up, and help keep your arms, hands, and fingers further away from the fire.

Bonus tip:  if you stick a metal kettle filled with water on the stove, it acts as a room humidifier and keeps the air from drying out too much.

Be safe this burning season. It's better to plan ahead to be cozy than risk putting you or your loved ones in avoidable danger this winter.