Types of Firewood
It's generally believed that hardwoods make the best firewood. These include the following.
- Ash burns at medium to high heat and very easily. It emits very little smoke or sparks. It is easily split and overall, is judged an excellent firewood.
0 - Black Birch burns fairly well at medium to high heat. It is easy to split and does not smoke much or release many sparks. Overall, this is another excellent firewood choice.
0 - Chestnut is often considered the worst of the hardwoods for firewood. It burns at low heat, it smokes somewhat heavily and throws a good amount of sparks. It is easy to split.
- Maples burn at medium heat levels. While easy to burn, maples are not all that easy to split. They do not smoke or spark too much.
0 - Oak burns at a high heat. It emits little smoke or spark, but it is not easy to split. Because it
produces a lot of heat, it is considered an excellent firewood.
0 - Walnut burns at medium heat levels, is easy to burn and does not throw a great deal of smoke or sparks.
Soft woods burn more quickly. You will use up your firewood faster, without the same level of heat produced by the hardwoods. Some soft woods that are considered a poor choice are Cedar, Pine, Spruce and Hemlock because they burn fast and put out a lot of smoke and sparks.
Treated wood: Never burn wood that has been treated; toxic chemicals may be released into the air, causing a potential health hazard.