Kinds of Wood to Burn in a Fireplace
A roaring, crackling wood fire not only warms a room but provides a homey, comfortable ambience. Selecting the right type of wood to burn is essential if you want a fire that throws out plenty of heat but doesn't produce excessive amounts of smoke that coats the chimney with sticky creosote. The best wood for burning in fireplaces is dry, seasoned wood that has been left for at least six months after cutting. Does this Spark an idea?
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Seasoned Wood
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Wood burns well when its moisture content falls below 20 percent, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Always burn dry, seasoned wood in fireplaces; unseasoned wood can smoke badly and produce a build-up of sticky creosote that clogs chimneys. Dry the firewood outdoors for at least six months to one year to season it properly. If necessary, cover the woodpile with a tarp to protect it from rainfall. Seasoned wood is dark gray and cracked on its ends; look for these signs when you purchase firewood.
Hardwoods
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Hardwood is dense and burns brightly, producing plenty of heat. It usually burns for longer than softwoods. You can choose from a range of hardwoods to burn in fireplaces, including oak, ash, beech, hickory, birch, maple, pecan, apple and almond. Some hardwoods, including oak, need at least one year of seasoning before burning; others, such as apple, give out a fragrant aroma as they burn.
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Softwoods
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Starting a fire with softwood is often easier to do than with hardwood because softwood is resinous and easier to light and burn. However, softwood is less dense than hardwood and usually produces less heat. Conifer trees, such as pine, produce softwood; many plantations cultivate these trees specifically as firewood. Popular softwood firewoods include fir, spruce, southern yellow pine and cypress. Softwood is a good choice if you need a fire to last just a few hours.
Kindling
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Short splints of wood that you place at the bottom of the fireplace and light to get the fire started, kindling is an essential part of lighting a wood fire. Many people prefer to ignite the fire with wood kindling rather than chemical-based commercial firelighters. Effective kindling, such as red cedar, is easy to burn and produces lots of sparks. Pine is also regularly used as kindling.
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References
Resources
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