The Southeast Texas 2011 summer drought has brought about the doom of so many of our beautiful trees, both of our loblolly pines and our many types of oak trees. We've been so busy lately helping our customers safely remove dead trees from their districts and properties. And our customers, typically being conservation-conscious, ask about putting the dead wood to some good use as firewood. Many ask, what's the the kind of wood best to use for firewood? That question can be answered in two phases: what kind of wood makes for good firewood, and what process must be done to be certain that good firewood burns well.
Talking generally, hardwoods are the best kind of wood for firewood. Hard wood is a denser wood, and this indicates that hard wood produces more heat as it burns (called firewood btu) than does a softer wood. Softer woods burn, obviously , but they have a tendency to burn faster and simply not keep you as warm in the process.
Given that our two sorts of trees here in Southeast Texas are the loblolly pines and the oaks, the oak firewood would be the chosen wood for the fireside. Oak firewood burns at anywhere between 22 and 24 firewood btu (thermal units) per cord, dependent on the exact species of oak, making all sorts of oak among the finest hardwoods for keeping warm. They burn clean, leave only slight residue, and perhaps most critically, oak wood has great scent. An oak firewood fire emits a wonderful smell, and adds a warm dimension to the comfortable atmosphere of firelight glow. Compare that with pine sorts of firewood, which about have a firewood btu between 14 and 18 thermal units per cord, and tend to pop and fume while it burns.
Making sure that good firewood burns well is making sure it is well seasoned. Well seasoned is merely a fancy way of asserting that the firewood should be utterly dry. It generally takes split wood between one and two years to become completely dried of internal moisture after being cut. Till firewood is dry, trying to burn it will end up in wood that sizzles and pops because of the moisture that is literally boiling as it burns. It will also emit the creosote (a smoke residue) that will gunk up a chimney and become a fire hazard.
So if you have the capability to split firewood and stack it for correct drying, shoot at oak firewood. Otherwise, ensure that you get your wood from a firewood provider who sells hardwood variations, like oak firewood, and that he does a good job of drying out his wood for sale. Then go home and cozy up in front of a warm and comfortable fire, and enjoy some firewood warmth this winter!
Talking generally, hardwoods are the best kind of wood for firewood. Hard wood is a denser wood, and this indicates that hard wood produces more heat as it burns (called firewood btu) than does a softer wood. Softer woods burn, obviously , but they have a tendency to burn faster and simply not keep you as warm in the process.
Given that our two sorts of trees here in Southeast Texas are the loblolly pines and the oaks, the oak firewood would be the chosen wood for the fireside. Oak firewood burns at anywhere between 22 and 24 firewood btu (thermal units) per cord, dependent on the exact species of oak, making all sorts of oak among the finest hardwoods for keeping warm. They burn clean, leave only slight residue, and perhaps most critically, oak wood has great scent. An oak firewood fire emits a wonderful smell, and adds a warm dimension to the comfortable atmosphere of firelight glow. Compare that with pine sorts of firewood, which about have a firewood btu between 14 and 18 thermal units per cord, and tend to pop and fume while it burns.
Making sure that good firewood burns well is making sure it is well seasoned. Well seasoned is merely a fancy way of asserting that the firewood should be utterly dry. It generally takes split wood between one and two years to become completely dried of internal moisture after being cut. Till firewood is dry, trying to burn it will end up in wood that sizzles and pops because of the moisture that is literally boiling as it burns. It will also emit the creosote (a smoke residue) that will gunk up a chimney and become a fire hazard.
So if you have the capability to split firewood and stack it for correct drying, shoot at oak firewood. Otherwise, ensure that you get your wood from a firewood provider who sells hardwood variations, like oak firewood, and that he does a good job of drying out his wood for sale. Then go home and cozy up in front of a warm and comfortable fire, and enjoy some firewood warmth this winter!
About the Author:
Katherine Parker is the Southeast Texas Trees LLC information contributor, giving information here about what wood makes for good firewood. One of the finest methods to evaluate good firewood is by knowing the firewood btu of diverse trees.
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