What's the best firewood to burn in a fireplace?

Hardwoods such as maple, oak, ash, birch, and most fruit trees are the best burning woods that will give you a hotter and longer burn time. These woods have the least pitch and sap and are generally cleaner to handle.

What kind of wood should be burned in a fireplace?

The best kind of wood to burn is one of the hard woods, such as oak, hard maple and birch because they release more heat and produce less creosote deposits.

What kind of wood should not be burned in a fireplace?

Watch out for any wood covered with vines. Burning poison ivy, poison sumac, poison oak, or pretty much anything else with "poison" in the name releases the irritant oil urushiol into the smoke. Breathing it in can cause lung irritation and severe allergic respiratory problems, the Centers for Disease Control state.

What wood burns the longest in a fireplace?

Hickory is the Longest Burning Wood

It's simple, really: it takes longer for the fire to consume hardwood because there is more fuel “packed” into each log. Hickory has the highest density among firewood (37-58 lbs/ft.³), and therefore burns for the longest time.

What makes the best firewood?

What Makes Good Firewood? The best firewood to burn will excel in these two categories: density and dryness. Denser wood tends to burn better because it gives the fire more substance to consume. However, if that high-density wood is too moist, the fire will have to expend extra energy burning off the excess water.

What is the BEST Firewood to Burn? | Stack-N-Chat Fire Wood Stacking | #66

What wood burns cleanest?

Hardwood Firewood

Hardwoods such as maple, oak, ash, birch, and most fruit trees are the best burning woods that will give you a hotter and longer burn time. These woods have the least pitch and sap and are generally cleaner to handle.

Which firewood produces the most heat?

The basic rule for home heating: The higher the heat value of the wood, the more efficiently it will warm your home. According to fireplace, hearth, and chimney supplier Northline Express, sugar maple, ash, red oak, beech, birch, hickory, pecan and apple are among the hardwoods with the highest heat values.

What type of firewood burns the slowest?

Oak. Oak is the slowest wood to season, at approximately 2.5cm a year and ideally should be seasoned for a minimum of two years. Because of its density, it is a wood that's slow to burn as firewood and is best used in a mix of faster-burning logs. This wood can help to keep the fire burning at night if required.

What is better to burn ash or oak?

Most types of hardwood, for instance Ash (generally regarded as the best), Birch, Beech, Oak and Elm can be used. However, avoid burning woods with a high resin content. As a rule of thumb, the heavier the wood, then the greater the heat output and the longer burn time – the time between refills.

How do you make logs burn slower?

If you are finding that your fire is burning fast and is therefore extinguishing quickly, you need to restrict the air into the chamber. Simply start closing the vents off once you add your logs (without completely shutting them down) and your fire will burn slower which means it will last longer.

How can you tell if firewood is bad?

Is pine a good firewood?

Pine is terrible when it comes to coal production and it is, by far, one of the worst wood types to burn if you want a consistent overnight fire. However, it does make it a good type of wood for outdoor fires because it will burn out quite fast and you won't have to stay up for too long to supervise it.

How long does firewood need to season?

Spring is a good time to start seasoning firewood, as it takes at least 6 months to reach optimum dryness. This means if you start in April, you can have it ready to go by the first cold October nights. How long it takes to season wood actually depends on what type of wood it is.

What wood causes the most creosote?

Softwoods like fir, pine and cedar make more smoke, and therefore more creosote. That said, these evergreens contain fragrant resins and oils that easily ignite even without a fire starter and are perfect for kindling.

Which firewood has least smoke?

Is oak the best firewood?

1. Oak: Known for its long, slow burns, oak is likely the best firewood wood. Oak is a dense hardwood available throughout most regions of North America. While oak wood can take a little longer to become properly seasoned than other firewoods, the fire from well seasoned oak in your wood stove can't be beat.

Is ash or birch better to burn?

Ash logs offer a longer sustained burn and are more suitable for medium usage – 5-6 hours per night, for example. The only other real difference in burning characteristics other than heat output and burn time is that birch produces slightly more smoke than ash – nothing significant, but a fact none the less.

Does hardwood burn longer?

Hardwoods are denser woods that burn hotter and longer than softwoods, but you'll need to let them season more than a year. Ash is an exception and can be burnt a bit earlier although the wood burns best when seasoned. You'll find that hardwood is more expensive to purchase than a softwood like pine and fir.

What burns longer oak or hickory?

With over 600 different varieties, it's easy to find a type of oak firewood to suit your needs. Although it doesn't burn as long as hickory, oak produces bright and steady flames that will light up your backyard for hours.

Should you leave ash in the fireplace?

Ash is extremely acidic and, when combined with moisture, can be extremely destructive. It is best to remove all ashes from your fireplace and stove at the end of the heating season to prevent this from happening.

Is hickory a good firewood?

Hickory firewood is one of the best woods for burning. Hickory is even hotter burning than oak, maple and other popular hardwoods. Hickory is a dense hardwood that can be tough to split, but holds little moisture and burns very well. Hickory is also very popular for cooking.

Is cedar a good wood to burn in a fireplace?

You should not use most cedar species in any stove or fireplace you value. Obviously, the wood will burn, but it should be used only in an open outside area where smoke and explosive heat are of less concern. Remember that most cedar species are loaded with volatile oils that are extracted for many uses.

What is the best smelling firewood?

Do potato peels clean chimneys?

Potato peels and acorns help prevent creosote buildup in your chimney. Save your potato skins and collect acorns in the autumn. Just a handful thrown on top of a burning fire can help keep your chimney in good shape.