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How to Remove Bark From Firewood

Mason Howard

Everyone enjoys sitting by a warm fire on a cold, wintry night while relaxing and enjoying the company of friends and family. However fireplace owners should always follow certain safety precautions. One precaution includes removing the bark from the firewood. Bark has creosote, which can build up in the chimney and cause a chimney fire. Removing bark will also help you avoid insect infestations in firewood. Remove bark with ease by using a bark spud. A bark spud is a long, skinny tool with a flat blade on the end for inserting behind and prying off bark.

Ensure fireplace safety by removing the bark from your wood.
  1. Put on gloves to avoid cuts or splinters. Set the firewood upright on the firewood block to work on it.

  2. Try to find an area around the edge of the log where the bark is already loose.

  3. Insert the blade between the bark and the wood. If there are no loose areas, position the blade somewhere on the cambium layer. The cambium layer is the layer of tissue between the bark and the wood. Push down on the tool to cut into the cambium layer and insert the blade.

  4. Hold the log in one hand and tilt the tool with the other to pry the bark from the wood. The bark may come off all at once, or it may come off in chunks.