Selecting and Storing Firewood

Selecting and Storing Firewood

If you place wood that is too dry on a bed of coals, it will instantly give up its gases as
smoke, wasting unburned smoke and producing creosote buildup.

However, if you own a wood stove equipped with a catalytic combustor, the gases are
captured, burned and turned into heat.

All species of wood have a similar heat (Btu) content on a per pound basis when
completely dry. Therefore, denser woods will generally cost more and burn longer.
Woods like oak, hickory, and pine will burn overnight. Aspen builds a hot fire, which
helps clean the chimney.

When selecting wood, you might also want to find out whether the supplier uses
sustainable harvesting practices. Unsustainable practices can negatively impact the
environment, causing soil erosion and loss of biodiversity. At least as certain that the
wood was not the result of clear-cutting. Clear-cutting is when all, or nearly all, of the
trees are cut down on a piece of land.

Store your wood away from the house in case termites discover the woodpile. The top
of the pile should be covered, but leave the sides open so air can circulate. If possible,
store the wood a foot off the ground (on concrete blocks, for example) to keep it dry.

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Because a lot of energy can be
wasted burning wet wood,
you should use wood that has
been properly seasoned.
Properly seasoned wood is
harvested in the spring and
allowed to dry throughout the
summer.

Select firewood that is of even
color, without any green. It
should have a moisture
content of just over 20%–
25% by weight.

Some well-seasoned wood
can in fact be too dry for
today's airtight modern stoves.

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