Best Firewood- Types and Finding the Right Mix

Finding the right mix of firewood is very important. Choosing the right firewood to burn in your home is not just about the tree from which you get your wood. It entails consideration of whether the wood is unseasoned or seasoned. It also involves considering whether the wood is softwood or hardwood as well as the best situation for burning the wood.

The best firewood to use in your home is always seasoned firewood. This is because the firewood is drier and it burns at higher temperature. It also takes longer time to burn which gives you the best value for your money. Green and wet firewood burns slowly. Their fire is also weak and they will cost you more money. This is true especially when it comes to burning greed hardwood.
Hardwood firewood is dense. When burnt, it produces glowing coal that gives out a lot of a radiant heat that will last longer as compared to softwood. It is suitable for use although there are some exceptions. Softwood firewood is less dense. It also has resin and it usually burn fiercely finishing quickly.

If you have two loads of the same softwood, they will produce similar amount of heat as a single load of a hardwood. Thus, you do not get similar value for your money when you burn hardwood and softwood. However, kindling for seasoned firewood is good. If you are interested in getting blazing fire, seasoned firewood will provide one quickly.

To most people, seasoned hardwood is their preferred firewood choice. Sometimes, they prefer it during or at the end of winter. This is the reason why seasoned hardwood is always unavailable in most places.

When it comes to finding the right mix of firewood, it is advisable that you try mixing semi-seasoned or seasoned softwood and hardwood. Softwood burns at higher temperature while helping hardwood to burn more producing more heat. However, you should be cautious when you burn semi-seasoned softwood.

This is because the high amount of resin deposits more tar as well as soot inside the chimney. In extreme cases, this can cause chimney fire. This is also the case for the unseasoned softwood. Nevertheless, the mix can be really economical while providing you the home that you need in your home.

There are many factors that you should consider before choosing any firewood type. Among the most important factors to consider include the following:

•    How easy the firewood is to use
•    The amount of heat that a specified volume of firewood produces
•    The duration that the firewood takes to burn
•    Sparks produced
•    Rarity and scent produced by the firewood

Going by these and other factors, there are different types of firewood that are recommended by most users in every category of firewood. For hardwoods, the recommended trees to get your firewood from include ash, beech, birch, hazel, hornbeam, hawthorn, oak, sycamore, maple, rowan, blackthorn yew, and walnut. For softwood, the recommended trees to get your firewood from include cedar, larch, Douglas fir, spruce and pine.

It is important that you consider other factors as well before you choose the type of firewood to use in your home. For instance, consider the availability of a tree or its firewood in your local area. This may determine the price at which you purchase the firewood. You also need to consider the regulations on the use of different types of firewood in your area to avoid trouble with local authorities.

Category: Firewood