How to Light a Wood Stove: Top-Down Method

Before you can enjoy the warm and cosy glow of your fire or stove, you have to light it first! In our previous guide we covered the traditional bottom-up method, this time we're flipping it. The traditional method starts at the bottom with tinder and kindling, building up to larger pieces as the flames grow. The top-down method literally turns all that on its head.

Why should I use the top-down method?

If you haven’t tried starting your fire this way, it’s worth a go. The idea behind this method is that you’re lighting at the top, so all the air flowing up through your fire is travelling through flame. This can help to reduce smoke that would have otherwise formed when smouldering fuel on top of a fire isn’t being ignited by the flames lower down.

Top-down is recommended by the Stove Industry Association (SIA) and most modern manufacturers partly because Ecodesign stoves have airwash systems that benefit from a hotter, cleaner initial burn.

How do I build a fire using the top-down method?

Before you start building the fire, ensure your stove or fireplace is clear of excess ash, and if using a stove, ensure the air intake is fully open – this can be adjusted once your stove is hot.

-              First, put a couple of logs into the base of your fire or stove.

-              Stack some kindling on top of the logs, putting the larger pieces in first.

-              Build this up, making sure to leave some space at the top if you’re using a stove.

-              Finish the build with some tinder or firelighters.

Once everything is built, light the tinder or firelighters at the top of your stack and pull the door to, leaving it slightly ajar for the first few minutes.

After a few minutes, the fire should have enough heat and draw for you to be able to close the door, ensuring your air controls are open.

Your fire should then burn and spread downwards through your stacked fuel as it progresses, until everything is alight. The heat radiates downwards and pre-heats the fuel below for a clean ignition.

Once the fire is hot enough, there should be a good steady draw of air. If you’re using a stove, it’s now a good time to adjust the air intake to regulate your burn. You can slow the burn by reducing the air intake, just not too much so that the fire smothers and smokes. After some trial and error, you should feel comfortable with your air controls – it can take a few burns to find your stove’s sweet spot.

Top-down needs dry wood

When a top-down fire is spreading, less of the rising heat from the flames is travelling through the un-ignited fuel. This means there is less heat and less capacity to evaporate any moisture from the fuel. To have success with this method, use kiln-dried or well-seasoned logs with a moisture content of 20% or less, ideally lower. You can use a moisture meter if you’re not sure about your log’s moisture content.

So which method should I use?

Both methods work, but top-down has real advantages: less smoke during lighting, a cleaner initial burn, and less faffing once it's going. Worth trying for a few burns to see how it suits your stove.

If you haven’t tried the top-down method, give it a go.  Make sure you use dry fuel, start with the bigger logs, adding smaller kindling and tinder at the top. Enjoy.