cshenk wrote:
"mm" wrote

Someone told me a good way to start a draft in a fireplace ...

Shouldnt be needed actually.

But often is...

But someone told me the newspaper thing is not a good idea. True? and
if true, why not?

Ash and creosote development. It's possible to ignite the chiney that way
if it hasnt been cleaned properly. ...

Many things are possible, but if the chimney buildup is that bad, the
fire to come is certainly far more likely to do the trick. Newspaper
doesn't burn very hot and a single sheet or two isn't much of a fire...

....

I can hazard a guess that your log rack is too far to the front. You may
need to shift to more towards the back a few inches to gain a proper draft
with no need for the paper trick up the chimney.

Possible, but many fireplaces just don't draw well owing to many factors
-- too large, too small, etc., etc., etc., ...

The prime reason any more is the house itself is sealed too well so
there's insufficient draft available--the almost certain 'trick' is to
crack open a window.

The sign of a chimney that draws well enough once a warm column is
started to counteract the downdraft of the cold air column is a pretty
good sign of insufficient air flow available.

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