The Ultimate Guide to Preparing Your Log Burner for Winter
The Ultimate Guide to Preparing Your Log Burner for Winter
When the temperature drops across Essex and Hertfordshire, your log burner quickly becomes the favourite feature of your home. But if your stove has been sitting idle all summer, you can't just throw in a log and strike a match.
To get a log burner ready for winter: book your annual chimney sweep, check the door rope seals, inspect the firebricks and baffle, clean the glass, stock up on dry wood under 20% moisture, and test your carbon monoxide alarm. Skipping these steps can lead to a smoky room, wasted fuel and dangerous chimney fires.
To help you get maximum heat and efficiency from your stove this season, the Sweep Sisters have put together the ultimate winter preparation checklist.
Your 6-step winter checklist
Book your annual chimney sweep
Soot, ash and highly flammable creosote build up in the flue, and birds often nest in unused chimneys over spring and summer. Before your first fire, have a HETAS certified sweep clear the flue, check the draw and issue an updated certificate for your insurer.
Check the fire rope seals
The rope seal around the door keeps the stove airtight, so you control the airflow and how fast the wood burns. Over time it can fray, flatten or come loose.
Inspect the firebricks and baffle
Firebricks line the sides and a baffle plate sits across the top, protecting the stove body from intense heat. Check them for deep cracks or crumbling.
Clean the stove glass
Nobody wants to stare at black, sooty glass all winter. There's a simple, free way to get it sparkling again.
Stockpile the right wood
What you burn matters as much as how you maintain your stove. Never burn treated, painted or wet wood.
Test your carbon monoxide alarm
Press the test button, replace the batteries if needed and check the expiry date on the back of the unit.
How to check your rope seal: the paper test
Open the stove door, place a sheet of ordinary paper between the door and the stove body, and close it. Then try to pull the paper out.
- Slides out easily: the seal is compromised and the rope needs replacing.
- Tears, or pulls out with heavy resistance: your seal is tight.
- Repeat the test at a few points around the door, especially the corners and hinge side.
Checking firebricks and the baffle
Before winter, give the inside of the stove a gentle clean out. Leave a thin bed of ash on the bottom, as it actually helps wood burn better. Then check the bricks and baffle.
Fine hairline cracks are normal. If a brick is crumbling, has a deep crack or is exposing the metal behind it, it needs replacing before you light a fire. We can check and replace firebricks as part of a stove service.
Cleaning stove glass for free
Pro tip: You don't need expensive chemical cleaners. Dip a damp piece of newspaper into cold, leftover wood ash, rub it over the glass in small circles, then wipe it off with a clean, damp cloth. Only ever do this with the stove completely cold.
Choosing the right wood
Wood with a high moisture content (unseasoned wood) gives off poor heat, creates excess smoke and quickly builds up creosote in your chimney. Read more in our guide to what creosote is and why it's dangerous.
- Buy Ready to Burn certified kiln-dried logs, or
- Make sure seasoned wood is under 20% moisture. A cheap digital moisture meter will tell you in seconds.
- Store logs off the ground, under cover, with air flowing around them.
- Never burn treated, painted or wet wood, or household rubbish.
Test your carbon monoxide alarm
Carbon monoxide is invisible, odourless and deadly. Every room with a wood burner or open fire should have a working CO alarm, and one is a legal requirement when a new stove is installed and in rented homes. Test it before your first fire of the season and replace it if it's past its expiry date.
Common questions
When should I get my log burner ready for winter?
Late summer or early autumn, before the first cold snap. Booking your sweep then beats the winter rush and gives time to replace any rope seals or firebricks before you need the stove.
How do I know if my stove rope seal needs replacing?
Use the paper test. Close the door on a sheet of paper and try to pull it out. If it slides out easily, the seal isn't airtight and the rope needs replacing.
Are cracked firebricks dangerous?
Fine hairline cracks are normal. Bricks that are crumbling, have deep cracks or expose the metal behind them should be replaced before you light the stove.
What moisture content should firewood be?
Under 20%. Look for Ready to Burn certified logs or check seasoned wood with a digital moisture meter.
Related guides
What is creosote?
The three stages and how to prevent them.
Birds nesting in chimneys
The signs, the law and bird guards.
Chimney services and prices
Sweeps from £95, CCTV, cowls and repairs.
Book a sweep in your area
Book your pre-winter sweep
A little preparation goes a long way in keeping your home safe and your heating bills down. Our female-led, fully insured team covers towns across Essex and Hertfordshire.