Open fireplace....worth using?

[Paul. W]

The new house we are moving into this weekend has an open fireplace, and the landlord is happy for us to use it. However it hasnt been used in a long time, and its up to use to sort it out if we want to.

Obviously its going to need a good sweep, and a fireproof rug for infront of it, and possibly a fireguard. I cant see myself lighting it up every day as such, but would like to use it for the odd weekend, and especially over Christmas

Does anyone here use an open fireplace at home? Are they worth the hassle? Any tips?

 

[Paul. W]

=Oh and it is very romantic and great for a bonk in front of.

Brilliant

We mostly burn wood in ours with a bit of coal when it's available cheap. We find that we can get a good wood pile collected over the summer when people are giving away wood for free (check freecycle etc or make friends with a tree surgeon). This usually lasts us through to the Autumn. If you buy wood then it can get expensive.

You also have an excuse to buy an axe

Yeah, i could do with sourcing some sort of local logs. Also, do people use wood and coal at the same time? I have a friend who works at the power station and has happily offered to get me coal. (can even pick what country its from lol)

And I DO need an axe!

Ill take a picture of the fireplace tonight and upload it. Although it was only a brief look last night, I couldnt see a 'damper' anywhere. Are all chimneys meant to have these?