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When to Burn Wood?

Few things are as inviting as sitting before a crackling wood fire, or the toasty feeling you get when your wood stove fills the entire house with warmth. And if the property you own includes a woodlot, your firewood is essentially "free" for the taking. But knowing what wood varieties to burn and when to burn them can make a big difference in both the heat and ambiance departments. All firewood is not created equal.

  1. Good Wood

    • When burning wood as a heat source, BTUs (British Thermal Units) per ton is the critical factor. And no class of wood provides more BTUs than deciduous hardwood. Wood types such as oak, maple, ash, black locust and hickory are BTU powerhouses and should be among your first choices. Each of these species is dense, relatively free of resins and close grained. The only drawback is drying them until their moisture is low enough to permit efficient combustion.

      Of the species cited, black locust produces roughly 15 percent more BTUs per ton than oak, maple or ash--locust actually produces roughly 5 percent more BTUs per ton than anthracite coal. But for heat output, hickory wins the blue ribbon. The downside to hickory as firewood is that it takes nearly two years to season properly.

    How Long Does Wood Take To Dry?

    • Any of the wood types mentioned require sufficient drying time. Green logs, dropped in late winter, split immediately and stored indoors will age out in seven to nine months. If stored outside, that same cordwood will require nearly a year to properly season. Your firewood needs to dry down to a moisture content of 10 to 15 percent to burn with the maximum heat output while producing a minimal amount of smoke. Too dry, and it burns too fast. To wet, and it smokes and sputters.

    When Is The Wood Ready?

    • When split wood or small rounds begin to "check," it's a signal that the wood is dry enough to burn. When checking occurs, small cracks begin to form and gradually widen on the ends of the pieces. The presence of these cracks indicates the wood fibers have are begun to dry and separate along the grain lines. Pick up a couple of pieces and smack them together. If the sound reminds you of a bat striking a baseball or two bowling pins colliding, the wood is ready to burn.

    Get Ready

    • As fall and cool autumn nights approach, get proactive. Find the driest wood in the pile and transfer it to the house. Fill the wood box or ring. Once the frosty nights arrive, build a fire in the stove or fireplace and enjoy the warmth. The only thing left to do then is break out the popcorn popper.

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