Choosing The Ideal Firewood To Light Up Your Night

Sitting beside a cozy, crackling fireplace can be one of life’s most satisfying experiences. You may not have given much thought to your firewood, but the type you choose makes a difference in the quality of your fire. Let’s shed some light on the subject.

The type of wood matters

The best fires burn slowly and provide even generous heat. That requires seasoned firewood with a moisture content of no more than 20 to 25 percent. The best firewood does not contain large amounts of oils and resins.

Denser firewood, such as various breeds of oak, birch, hickory, white ash and ironwood, burn more slowly than other woods and generate heat more evenly and for longer because they contain less sap and resins. The ashes left after these woods are burned will contain pebble-like chips called clinkers.

Softer woods, such as pine, balsam, cottonwood, aspen, cedar, juniper, alder and hemlock, burn more quickly than their harder counterparts. That means they generate less heat. These woods burn down to a fine ash and can coat the inside of your chimney with a by-product called creosote. This substance can cause dangerous chimney fires.

This doesn’t mean there is no use for softer firewood. You can use small amounts for starter kindling. Or use these woods…