We’re all aware of those wonderful woodsy aromas that snap, crackle, and pop and those fond family memories that last a lifetime. Around the fireplace, families gather, and life seems to move forward at a more subdued pace. If you’re burning wood, you can relate to this.

To make that wood-burning experience even more enjoyable, give special consideration to adding several of these accessories to your home. In no particular order, the list is broken down into two categories; “must have” and “safety and convenience” items. So, get that fire going. Sit back, relax, and consider how you might make your life a bit easier with beautiful and functional fireplace accessories. You’ll enhance the appearance of your living room, too!

MUST HAVE ITEMS FOR YOUR FIREPLACE:

Wood Rack: What’s better than dry wood? Convenient, dry wood! Keep a couple of days’ worth of wood next to the fireplace, stove, or insert for quick and easy fuel reloading. Log racks, hoops, or a large wooden box can keep your wood conveniently located near the appliance.
Log Carrier: You’re going to need some means to get the wood supply to the fireplace. Leather, canvas, and heavy denim log carriers will make this task much easier.
Fire Starters: Many folks make their own by slicing wood into ½” to 2” pieces. However, others have found that fatwood is a quick and easy way to get a fire going from scratch.
Poker: This tool will likely be your most used. Positioning and repositioning burning wood requires a well-designed and built-to-last tool. You’ll use a poker several times every day while tending a fire. Don’t skimp on quality.
Ash Rake and Shovel: Two more tools will be used daily. Stirring up the ashes with the rake ensures all chunks of wood are thoroughly burned before removal.
Ash Bucket: Proper burning practices include appropriately dealing with the ashes. The correct way to do this is to place the ashes in a metal ash bucket with a tight-fitting lid.
Gloves: Invest in a good pair; you’ll be wearing them a few times each day. Look for lined gloves with high cuffs, made from heat-resistant treated leather.
Fire Extinguisher: Just in case… it’s always a good idea to have a fire extinguisher nearby, in the kitchen and/or living room.
Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Alarm: Strategically placed alarms are essential, especially if you’re burning wood.
Damper: A damper is a required component for your fireplace. It opens and closes the chimney, sealing it when not in use to prevent warm air loss.

SAFETY & CONVENIENCE ITEMS FOR YOUR FIREPLACE:

Screen: If your fireplace has a screen, make sure it’s in good repair and use it every time you have a fire. Replacement screens are readily available.

Accessories by Minuteman

Doors: Evaluate older fireplaces for a set of doors to limit air loss and improve efficiency. Definitely worth it if your fireplace doesn’t have any.
Ash Vacuum: A good ash vacuum can make quick work of cleaning. Look for models with washable HEPA filters and adequate tank capacity.
Grate: A grate supports the burning logs and is essential for efficient burning. Your WE LOVE FIRE® dealer will have numerous options.
Hearth Rugs: A hearth rug is fire-resistant and adds a decorative touch while protecting the floor from sparks.
Broom: Keep your hearth area clean with a good fireplace broom, which can sweep up ash, wood chips, and other debris.
Bellows: Bellows blow air directly into the fire, helping it ignite quickly. They come in various styles and can add a decorative touch.
Hearth Center: A hearth center organizes your fireplace tools and accessories, keeping them within easy reach.
Mantel: A mantel showcases the fireplace and adds style. Depending on code requirements, a new mantel can transform your fireplace’s look.
Andirons: Andirons hold logs in place and add a touch of elegance to your fireplace setup while improving airflow around the logs.

Empower Your Kids: Top 15 Life-Saving Fire Safety Tips & Skills

Posted on September 21, 2024September 21, 2024

Fire safety tips for kids and families should start with education and awareness. Both are critical factors when discussing emergency and life-saving measures. Here are 15 life-saving fire safety tips and skills to teach kids, help your family in an emergency, and keep everyone safe.

But first, it’s essential to understand that a fire can start in or around your home in many ways.

THE TOP CAUSES OF HOUSE FIRES:

Unattended cooking in the kitchen
Heating appliances, including fireplaces
Electrical fires from faulty wiring
Careless smoking
Unattended candles
Poorly managed outdoor fires
Incorrectly stored flammable liquids
Christmas trees and decorations

Knowing how your kids will respond, with or without supervision, to these fire emergencies will save lives and property. If you haven’t considered it, NOW is the time to enlighten your family members with life-saving fire safety tips!

This advice and these drills can be broken into three categories. The first has to do with:

EQUIPMENT AND PLANNING:

Test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors
Discuss a family’s “Fire Escape Plan”
Practice fire drills
Fire extinguisher training
Memorize emergency numbers

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors: Teach your children what the smoke alarms sound like. Get in the habit of testing your smoke alarms and changing the batteries twice a year. Do it when you turn your clocks from standard to daylight savings time and vice versa. Or, do it on the first of the year and the 1st of July. Or, maybe change them out on the summer and winter solstice. The point is to do it regularly.

Escape plan: When developing a fire escape plan, make sure to have the whole family involved. Here are some points you can cover as a suggestion:

Have a family meeting spot.
Discuss escape routes using different scenarios.
How would you get out of the house in the morning? At mealtime? How about in the middle of the night?
What if Mom and Dad were not home? Or if you were alone.

Practice Fire Drills: Involving the whole family can make it a ‘fun’ experience for the kids. For example, you could review the family escape plan when you change the smoke detector batteries twice a year. Practice your escape plan with your family members and help them understand how serious a house fire can be.

If yours is a two or three-story house and the stairway is blocked, is there an emergency rope ladder that could be hung from a window? The National Fire Protection Association and other safety associations strongly recommend that each occupied room above the main floor have an escape ladder. They are compact and easy to store. Are your older kids able to assist and help supervise the younger ones?

Fire Extinguisher Training: Teach your older, more responsible kids how to use a fire extinguisher. This includes using the P.A.S.S procedure, which shows how to pull the safety pin, where to point an extinguisher, and how long it will last. Please ensure it’s easily located, charged, and ready to use.

CHILDREN’S DO’S AND DON’T IF A FIRE BREAKS OUT:

Don’t hide, seek help
Get out, stay out & stay alive
Leave belongings behind
Stay low in smoke
Do not open hot closed doors

Scared and younger children may tend to hide during a fire. Emphasize, especially to the youngest, to “get out and stay out” of a burning house.

Parents Notes: Do not return to retrieve any prized belongings. The important papers, those memorable photos, that expensive artwork on the wall, or a little one’s favorite stuffed animal isn’t worth the risk. “Stuff” can be replaced, but lives cannot.

Also, remember there’s less smoke near the floor. So, crawl if you have to. If a door feels hot, do not open it. It’s essential to quickly and efficiently account for all family members.

When you’re safely out of a burning building, stay out. Have an assigned meeting place outside. Only trained firefighters should enter a home that’s on fire.

OUTDOOR FIRE HAZARDS CHILDREN TRAINING:

Outdoor fire safety awareness
Campfire cooking classes
Stop, drop & roll
Survival skills practice
Fire pit construction

With backyard campfires so popular today, it’s a good idea to review safety precautions with all family members, not just the kids. If you’re planning s’mores or maybe something a bit more advanced, develop some fun cooking classes that everyone could participate in.

This could be part of a fun, family-orientated, ongoing survival skills exercise that could include many activities, including how to safely position, build, and use an outdoor fire pit. Start by learning how to safely make a fire, build a thick bed of coals for Dutch oven cooking, or cook on a grill over an open flame. Get creative with exciting recipes!

A most essential drill to teach youngsters is the STOP/DROP & ROLL technique if their clothes catch fire. Pray it never happens, but it’s always best to be prepared.

AVOID FIRE TRAGEDIES:

According to the US Fire Administration, the most recent 10-year average of house fires includes these startling statistics:

374,300 fires
2,720 deaths and more than 10,000 injuries
$9 billion in property damage

Sadly, fire departments respond to a fire somewhere in the US nearly every 30 seconds!

Meanwhile, in Canada, there are roughly 30 residential fires daily and approximately 200 fire deaths yearly.

Most of these tragic stories could have been prevented in Canada and the United States with the proper precautions and a safety plan. As parents, this knowledge comforts us, knowing that we can take steps to prevent such tragedies.

EMPOWER YOUR KIDS WITH THESE FIRE SAFETY RULES:

You can do many things to increase your child’s knowledge of fire safety. It starts with awareness and education. Please, at supper tonight, involve the entire family in a serious conversation about life-saving fire safety tips.

Discuss the importance of:

Never play with lighters or matches.
Have an escape plan and practice it with the whole family.
Stop/Drop & Roll if your clothes catch fire.
Knowing there’s less smoke near the floor. So, crawl to escape a fire.
Getting outside fast and go to the meeting spot. It’s scary when there’s a fire, but DO NOT hide.
Having your kids help remind you to test the smoke alarms routinely.

Protect your family with expert advice. Contact your local WE LOVE FIRE® dealer today for a free fire safety consultation and learn how to choose the safest appliances for your home.

Hearth Pads for Wood-Burning Stoves

Posted on August 17, 2024August 20, 2024

Hearth Pads for Wood-Burning Stoves

A hearth pad is “heat protection for your floor”. It’s a specific, dedicated, non-combustible surface that’s installed under and around all four sides of a wood-burning stove. Its purpose is two-fold. First, any hot sparks or burning embers that may pop out the appliance will fall harmlessly on the hearth pad and burn out. And secondly, a hearth pad can protect the wood subfloor from excessive heat.A hearth pad can be an interesting feature in your living room décor. It can blend with the color and style of your stove and will accent your appliance, but it must be made from something that cannot burn. Most popular materials are tile, slate, natural stone or brick.

Today’s EPA certified stoves burn cleaner than ever. Based on individual stove models, safety standards and building codes require the hearth pad to provide sufficient thermal protection. Because of the extremely high temperatures, a homemade hearth pad might not adequately protect the subfloor beneath your stove.

There are two types or levels of protection, based on the stove manufacturer’s requirements. A Type 1 hearth pad requires only protection from burning embers. Any non-combustible material will comply. It would probably look quite tacky, but even a large piece of thick sheet metal will fulfill this requirement!

Ember protection will not stop heat from burning the floor beneath the stove. The heat coming off the bottom and the sides of the stove can actually pass through a Type 1 pad and overheat the subfloor. A Type 2 hearth pad will prevent that heat from reaching the subfloor.

Type 2 hearth pads need a minimum protection of an R-value of 1.0 or more. Pads built with a material such as a micore mineral fiber board can provide a specific R-value to the hearth. Raising a Type 1 pad off the floor with a pedestal base built from metal studs is another way to get a higher R-value. The dead air space between the pedestal and the floor will offer an effective R-value. If you’re interested, the UL Standard for this information is UL 1618.

Wood Stove S Series by Napoleon

Final Considerations

It is critical to check the hearth or flooring requirements in the owner’s manual of your stove to ensure the proper protection is in place. The stove’s manual will state the type of floor protection that’s necessary. The manual will also specify the minimum size of the hearth pad and the minimum clearance requirements for the stove.

Remember that “more is always better” when it comes to clearance requirements and the size of the hearth underneath your stove. And, if you have “more” hearth, you’ll have plenty of room for a tool set, a wood rack, gloves and kindling. A larger hearth will protect more floor space and will make clean-up much easier, too.

To make things much easier and to take the work out of all of this, your WE LOVE FIRE® dealers offer various sizes of Type 1 and Type 2 hearth protection pads. There are loads of colors to suit your decorating scheme and still comply with the requirements from the stove manufacturer.

What about the space in front of your fireplace, does that need floor protection, too? Yes, they do and Type 2 hearth extensions for fireplace applications are readily available.

Most pellet stoves require a Type 1 hearth. Details for the size of the hearth for your model will be spelled out in the owner’s manual.

Since we’re on the subject, it’s also worth mentioning that many of today’s gas stoves do not require a hearth pad. It’s perfectly safe for them to be installed on a hardwood or laminate floor. But again, always check the owner’s manual for the requirements for your specific model.

Ultimate BBQ Accessories Guide: Elevate Your Grilling Game

Posted on August 6, 2024September 21, 2024

Ultimate BBQ Accessories Guide: Elevate Your Grilling Game

When it comes to mastering the art of barbecue, having the right accessories can make all the difference. Whether you’re a seasoned grill master or just getting started, these essential BBQ accessories will help you take your grilling game to the next level.

Gloves

Let’s start with the basics – gloves. Overcome the limitations of traditional mitts with gloves designed for barbecue enthusiasts. Made from materials like suede or aramid fibers, these gloves provide superior heat resistance and dexterity. They’re perfect for handling hot plates, grill grates, and other objects while ensuring a secure grip.

Wine-Soaked Cedar Grilling Plank

For a unique and flavorful twist to your grilled dishes, consider using a wine-soaked cedar grilling plank. Made from untreated wood, this plank imparts a delightful smoky wine flavor to your food. It’s an excellent alternative to traditional cedar boards and adds a touch of sophistication to your grilling experience.

Shredding Claws

If you love pulled pork, beef, or chicken, stainless-steel shredding claws are a must-have accessory. These versatile tools make shredding meats a breeze. Additionally, they can be used to hold foods in place while cutting or transferring them from the grill to your plate.

Vegetable Roast Rack

Even vegetarians can enjoy the wonders of the grill with a stainless-steel vegetable roast rack. Elevate your vegetables while cooking, thanks to its convenient openings of variable dimensions. Try it with a delicious recipe for grilled peppers stuffed with vegetarian chili for a satisfying meatless option.

Terrace Protection Carpet

Accidents can happen, but you can prevent them with a specialized fireproof carpet designed to protect your terrace. Not only does it shield your deck from stains and messes, but it also provides extra protection against fire hazards. Plus, it’s easy to clean, making post-grilling cleanup a breeze.

The Scraper

Say goodbye to grill brushes’ bristle problems with the innovative scraper. Crafted from renewable materials like cedar or maple wood, this spatula-shaped tool molds to your grill grates over time. It’s eco-friendly, safe, and effective at cleaning, making it a game-changer for grill maintenance.

Baking Sheet

A clean grill is essential, and a non-stick baking sheet is your best ally in achieving this. Cookina’s reusable baking sheet is not only eco-friendly but also easy to clean and capable of withstanding high temperatures. Say goodbye to grease-related flare-ups and hello to perfectly grilled delights.

Steam Brush

To keep your grill immaculate, consider a steam brush. Unlike traditional brushes, this innovative tool uses steam to soften residue on the grill, making it easier to remove. Its stainless steel bristles ensure thorough cleaning, leaving your grill grates spotless.

Himalayan Pink Salt Slab

Elevate your grilled or baked dishes with a Himalayan pink salt slab. Mined from the Himalayas in Pakistan, this natural, iron-rich mineral salt is renowned for its purity. When heated gradually on your grill, it imparts a unique flavor and presentation to your food that’s sure to impress your guests.

Wok by Napoleon

Vegetable lovers, rejoice! Woks aren’t just for stir-fries; you can use them on the barbecue too. Whether you’re cooking up a side dish or a whole chicken on a beer can, there’s a wok for the job. Experiment with diverse flavors and textures right on your grill.

Rotisserie Kit

Take your grilling adventures to new heights with a rotisserie kit. Perfect for evenly cooking large cuts of meat or poultry, this accessory ensures succulent and flavorful results. Whether it’s a chicken on a can of beer or a prime rib roast, the rotisserie kit has got you covered.

Additional Lighting

As the days get shorter, having adequate lighting is crucial for successful grilling. An LED light can illuminate your cooking area, allowing you to grill with confidence even after the sun goes down. Enjoy extended BBQ sessions and perfectly cooked dishes with the right lighting.

Cookina Reusable Grilling Sheet

This ingenious grilling sheet from Cookina is a game-changer. Reusable and easy to clean, it enables oil-free and fat-free cooking while preventing flare-ups. Ideal for protecting the environment and simplifying cleanup, it’s a versatile alternative to traditional aluminum foil.

Grill Thermometer

To achieve perfect doneness every time, a grill thermometer is an indispensable bbq accessory. Monitor the internal temperature of your meats with precision, ensuring they’re cooked to perfection and safe to eat.

Grill Basket

Grill small or delicate items like vegetables, seafood, or diced meats with ease using a grill basket. No more worrying about your food falling through the grates.

Marinade Injector

Inject extra flavor into your meats by using a marinade injector. This handy tool allows you to infuse marinades, brines, or flavorings directly into the meat, resulting in enhanced taste and tenderness.

BBQ Tongs

Upgrade your grilling utensils with BBQ-specific tongs featuring long handles for easy food handling. They’re designed for precision and control when flipping and serving your grilled creations.

ComboTong by Grill Grate

Smoker Box

Enhance the smoky flavor of your grilled dishes with a smoker box. Ideal for gas grills, these boxes hold wood chips, infusing your food with that irresistible smokiness.

Grill Cover

Protect your grill from the elements and extend its lifespan with a durable grill cover. It’s a simple yet essential accessory to keep your grill in top condition.

Grill Cleaning Tools

Keep your grill in pristine condition with dedicated cleaning tools. Options like grill stones, wipes, or cleaning sprays make maintaining your grill easier than ever.

Skewers

For delicious kebabs, invest in skewers. They come in various materials, including metal and bamboo, and are perfect for grilling meat and vegetables.

Skewers by Napoleon

Grill Mat

Prevent food from sticking to your grill grates by using a non-stick grill mat. These mats make grilling delicate items like fish or small vegetables a breeze.

Meat Claws

Make shredding meats like pulled pork or chicken effortless with meat claws. They’re designed for pulling apart cooked meats quickly and efficiently.

Grill Grate Lifter

If you have a grill with removable grates, a grate lifter is a handy tool for adding charcoal, wood, or maintaining the fire easily.

BBQ Apron

Stay clean and stylish while grilling with a BBQ apron. It’s not just practical; it’s a statement piece for every grill enthusiast.

Photo by Hearthstone

Ribs Rack

If you’re a fan of mouthwatering ribs, a ribs rack is a must-have. This accessory allows you to grill multiple racks of ribs simultaneously, optimizing your grill space and ensuring evenly cooked, tender ribs every time.

Grill Rotisserie Basket

Expand your grilling horizons with a grill rotisserie basket. Perfect for cooking delicate items like fish fillets or smaller veggies, this accessory ensures they’re evenly cooked and infused with that irresistible grilled flavor.

Grill Plancha

For a versatile cooking surface, consider adding a grill plancha to your arsenal. This flat-top grill accessory is excellent for cooking a wide range of foods, from pancakes to stir-fries, providing consistent heat and exceptional searing capabilities.

Fish Accessories

If you’re a seafood enthusiast, don’t forget fish accessories. From fish baskets to grilling planks, these tools make it easy to grill fish to perfection, preserving its delicate texture and enhancing its flavor.

Pizza Stone

A pizza stone is an essential BBQ accessory that enhances your grilling experience. This thick stone evenly distributes heat on your grill, ensuring crispy and perfectly cooked pizzas. It’s not just for pizza; you can also use it for baking bread and other delectable treats, making it a versatile addition to your outdoor cooking arsenal. Elevate your BBQ game and enjoy restaurant-quality pizzas and more right from your grill.

Pizza Stone by Napoleon

In summary, the world of BBQ accessories offers a wide array of tools to enhance your grilling experience. From essential items like gloves and grill thermometers to innovative additions such as wine-soaked cedar planks and pizza stones, these accessories elevate your outdoor cooking game. They provide precision, convenience, and safety, making your BBQ adventures even more enjoyable. So, whether you’re a seasoned grillmaster or a casual griller, these accessories can help you create mouthwatering meals and unforgettable moments. Upgrade your toolkit and become the ultimate grill enthusiast. For more information and to purchase these fantastic accessories or an amazing bbq, reach out to your local WE LOVE FIRE® dealer and take your grilling game to the next level. Happy grilling!