A fire basket can very well serve as a patio heater, when it cools down a bit in the evenings. It also creates a cosy atmosphere. Of course, it is important that this is done safely. In this blog you can read how to safely make a fire in a fire basket at your garden house.
Tips for safely lighting a fire
- Lugarde’s garden houses are made of wood, so they are flammable, and it would be a shame if the garden shed caught on fire. Some tips for placing a fire basket near a garden house:
- Place the fire basket at least 10 metres from the garden house.
- Make sure that the fire basket is solid and stable.
- Do not light the fire basket when the wind is very strong.
- Always place a bucket of water or something with water near by your fire basket.
- Only untreated wood should be placed on the fire. So, no wood that has been painted or varnished.
- Light the fire with firelighters or other safe materials. So, don’t use petrol or turpentine, this will cause a flare-up.
- Make sure that children and animals do not play near the fire basket.
- Keep the fire in the fire basket small, do not rough it up.
- Never place a fire basket under a canopy.
- Do not leave a fire basket unattended.
Different fire baskets
There are many different fire baskets for sale. You can choose from a sleek modern model or a model with a classic look. You can also choose a fire bowl. Most fire baskets are made of steel and they are coated with a black, heat-resistant coating. There are also fire baskets made of stainless steel and heat-resistant stone. Fire baskets can also be combined with a grill grid. When you have finished with BBQ, you can put wood on the fire and then you have a fire basket.
Which wood can you use to put in the fire basket?
To make an open fire, not every wood is suitable, first of all the wood must be dry. Wood that is well dried contains between 18 and 22 percent moisture. By hitting two logs against each other, you can hear whether the wood is dry enough. When you hear a dull sound, the wood is still too damp. If you hear a “Tok” then it is well dried. There are 2 different types of wood, hardwood and softwood. Because the tree grows slower, you get hardwood, hardwood ensures that the wood does not burn to fast. Hardwood trees are: Oak, beech, chestnut, ash and teak. Soft wood burns up a bit faster, when you don’t burn a lot, soft wood is a good type of wood. Softwood trees are: birches, poplars, willows, alders and lime trees.
Tips for lighting your fire basket
Tip 1: Oxygen
It is important for a fire that there is sufficient oxygen present. Build up the fire slowly, starting with small pieces of wood.
Tip 2: Wood
Use clean and dry wood for your fire. Build up your fire by first placing two large logs at the bottom of the fire basket, where you can place some smaller kindling on top.
Tip 3: Lighting
Put some fire starters between the logs (or something else that burns easily and quietly). Light the fire with a long match or a long lighter.
Tip 4: Patience
It’s important to be patient now, the fire has to do the work. So, don’t put any extra wood on the fire until the wood burns really well. The fire must now get enough oxygen.
Tip 5: Adding wood
When all blocks of wood burn well, you can add larger wood, do this in a controlled way. Make sure that the fire receives sufficient oxygen at all times.
The last tip: Good fire doesn’t smoke! When a fire smokes it means it doesn’t get enough oxygen or you use wood that is wet. A nice fire will burn quietly and without smoke.
Now you can enjoy a nice and safe fire at your garden house.