WOOD TO BURN IN WOOD FIREPLACES COMPLETE GUIDE
All the wood is used to burn, but not all woods burn in the same manner or provide sufficient heat. There are different kinds of wood. Some burn slower; some burn hotter and cleaner than other woods. As we all know, some woods emit smoke and have a lot of sap or resin that blocks your chimney quickly. Choosing the suitable wood to burn in the wood fireplace is essential for your ease and comfort, giving you more heat and burns completely. Below is the blog article; we will discuss some great woods for fires, their different types, and some tips regarding selecting the wood.
Twelve Great Kinds of Wood for Fires
Firstly, we will discuss twelve great kinds of wood for fires that follow;
Apple: The Apple wood is excellent for cooking, burns slowly when dry, and has a fragrant scent.
Ash: For the high heat and steady fire, these woods are best. Although ash burns green, it burns better when seasoned.
Birch: Birch also has excellent great heat and smell or burns quickly. You can burn it when it is unseasoned, and it creates a gum deposit in the chimney over time. That's why you should avoid using non-seasoned wood.
Blackthorn: Blackthorn firewood burns well with a low smoke profile and is one of the best.
Cherry: Cherry firewood is famous for its wonderful smell and slow-burning wood, so you season this wood.
Hawthorn: It is excellent for wintery fires, and this wood burns slowly.
Maple: Maple is a kind of wood found in different regions of North America; it is a popular hardwood for burning fires.
Oak: If you seasoned this wood well, it burns slowly and steadily for a long duration.
Pine: This softwood burns well and smells festive, so you should try it for sparking or outdoor fires.
Sycamore: Sycamore is a wood that will provide good flame and moderate heat if you season it properly.
Walnut: A Walnut is a hardwood that burns long and hot with little smoke. Walnut works well in wood-burning stoves.
Yew: Yew produces a lot of heat with a pleasant smell and burns wood slowly.
What Are The Different Types Of Firewood?
Knowing how many types of firewood are and which ones are the best wood you should buy for wood fireplaces is crucial. If you are buying seasoned wood, it's best to know what type of wood you are buying. Because every wood has its characteristics, like burning duration, aroma, and more. Woods are divided into two categories
Hardwoods
Softwoods.
Some Examples of Hardwoods
Oak. Ash.
Maple. Birch
Apple. Cherry.
Sycamore
Some Examples of Softwoods
Fir. Pine.
Spruce. Aspen.
Butternut. Willow.
Cedar
Which wood is best, Hardwood or Softwood Better?
Hardwoods are the best type of wood as they burn firewood for a long time and are far denser than softwoods. Undoubtedly, both kinds of wood take longer to burn, but hardwood burns hotter and produces less smoke than softwood logs. If you want to burn straightforward firewood, then buy hardwood just like oak, but if you want something mixed kike aroma and longevity of burning time, then purchase woods like cherry, which provides a sweet aroma. Hardwood vs. Softwood Most serious fire lovers like to invest in hardwoods like madrone, live oak, ash, hickory, walnut, and fruit trees like apple or cherry. It burns hotter and for a longer time even though they are denser woods than softwood, but you have to season them for over a year. Ash is an exception and can be burnt earlier, although the wood burns best when seasoned. Hardwoods are more expensive than softwood like pine and fir. One main benefit of hardwoods is they burn longer, which means you will only need to buy a small quantity if budget is a factor. I burn a fire every once in a while; go for a seasoned softwood-like fir. You'll like how stress-free it is to get started, and the aroma is pleasing. But these softwoods will only keep burning if hardwoods are adjusted to keep feeding the fire.
Tips
You should follow some tips about the woods which burn best.
Green Wood Doesn't Burn Well
According to experts, which are good woods? Woods stored for one year are the best woods, and if you want oak wood, you have to season it for two years or more for better performance. Greenwoods are sold at higher levels and need another year to season. Green wood is unseasoned wood that is hard to light and keeps burning on rarely basis. That's why you are burning green wood when wood emits smoke and burns poorly with minimum heat. It produces a lot of smoke as it is unseasoned and has fluid inside. It contains moisture content of up to 25%, which is the leading cause of corrosion in the flue. On the other hand, seasoned wood is better to burn than green wood as it produces high heat and minimum creosote built-up in the fireplace.
Seasoned Wood Has A Look.
Inspecting the wood for signs of ageing, such as a grey and dusty exterior and a lighter interior, can help determine if it has been seasoned. If seasoned wood is not accessible, using ash or fir as alternatives can offer improved burning characteristics. Nevertheless, proper seasoning remains essential for the best results when using wood in a wood-burning fireplace. On the other hand, new wood looks like it came fresh from the lumber mill with the same color throughout the wood. It's ideal for burning correctly seasoned wood for optimal efficiency and heat output; ash and fir can still provide better burning performance compared to other green woods. However, it's important to note that even these woods will burn best when correctly seasoned.
What Makes Good Firewood?
Finding good quality wood fire that is ready to burn is the biggest challenge, and you need one thing to keep in mind, which is log moisture content. Always buy firewood with low moisture content because you have to remember the cord of wood logs was once a tree, and they spend years drawing water from the ground. So moisture must be dried out. Always opt for seasoned wood, which avoids creosote accumulation and chimney fire.
For Your Safety, You Should Always Avoid Burning:
Many people have allergies to some woods, like aromatic cedar, so do not use them if you have any allergy issues. For your safety, avoid burning these woods, such as
Painted or varnished wood, trim, or other wood by-products
Pressure-treated lumber
Driftwood
Engineered sheet goods, like plywood, particleboard, and MDF
Hardboard or other compressed paper products
Conclusion
Choosing the suitable wood for your wood-burning fireplace is vital to enjoying a warm and cozy atmosphere while maximizing heat output and minimizing smoke and creosote buildup. Opt for seasoned hardwoods like oak, maple, and birch, and ensure proper storage and drying. Following these guidelines and practicing good fireplace maintenance can enhance your wood-burning experience and create lasting memories around the hearth.