Our Tip to Finding Cheap, Quality Kindling

This is a prized secret of the business, but here it is. Home-improvement stores such as Lowe’s and The Home Depot offer the most affordable kindling option out there. You just need to put in a bit of effort on your end, but it is well worth the time. Trust us.

Tools Required

Keep in mind, you will need a couple of tools on hand: a circular saw and a hand hatchet. If you don’t have them, ask a friend or neighbor to borrow their equipment. They’re fairly common.

Here are the 4 Steps to Getting Your Bargain

Once you’re ready, drive over to your nearest home-improvement store.

1. Within the lumber section, you should be able to find a damaged or warped lumber bin. It is also known as cull lumber. Often, this bin will offer generous discounts, around 70% off.
   
2. You can pay for 12 feet of warped 2x4 wood for $0.65, literally. Place your purchase, and then, while still at the store, ask for it to be cut into four sections so that you can fit the pieces into your car. 

3. Once at home, you’ll need access to a circular saw to cut those boards into 6-inch sections. 

4. Next, use a hand hatchet to split those 6-inch sections into smaller pieces.
   

That’s it! At the end of this process, you should have 120 pieces of kindling (sized 2x2x4 inches), all for approximately $0.65.

The Ideal Fire Starter

The reason we love to buy damaged or warped kindling is not just for the price, it is for the convenience. You will hear our team talk about the importance of moisture content – how you can’t start a fire with damp wood (above 25%). Well, the wood in these bins should contain between 0-5% moisture content. This is great news for you, as it will burn very well as soon as you bring it home!

Final Recommendation

We suggest using a handheld blowtorch to ignite your kindling and logs. We urge you not to use newspaper because it makes a lot of heat quickly, and then it burns out just as fast, creating lots of smoke in the process. And, with this kindling, you shouldn’t need to add any additional fire starter.