What Wood Is Best to Burn in a Fireplace?
The most important choice you can make when buying firewood is to choose seasoned wood. The best age for firewood is between two and three years. Wood that is cut the year you burn it will create creosote and burn poorly. Wood older than six years won't produce significant heat. Does this Spark an idea?
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Honeylocust
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This wood is easy to split and creates few sparks. Honeylocust can be found in most areas of the country.
Maples
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Maple is fragrant and easy to split. It produces a good amount of heat.
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Oaks
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Oak is easy to split, but is somewhat smokey. Certain species of oak burn hotter than others--burr oak is best.
Apple
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Apple is the most fragrant of the hardwoods. It is easy to split and produces few sparks. It is not readily available in all parts of the country.
Ash
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Ash has no fragrance when it burns, but it is easy to split and produces excellent heat. It is a clean and easy-to-burn wood.
Woods to Avoid
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Avoid willow and softwoods like pine or hemlock. Hardwood are much denser, provide more fuel per log and burn longer than softwood species.
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