The Best Thing about Firewood…and Fall

What is the relative value of different kinds of Firewood? No blog about firewood would be complete without some practical reference to BTUs! Firewood is any combustible flora or plant matter that is convenient and useful to burn in a fireplace or wood stove for heating purposes. In the American novel of the westward expansion of the mid to late 1800’s by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House on the Prarie, we read about the Long Winter. During this prolonged cold season there became a shortage of firewood. Due to the nature of the Mid West, straw was available and used for fuel to create heat in the little clapboard structure the family lived in. Evenings were spent twisting straw and braiding it into thin cords that would be fed into the wood stove. Thankfully, due to modern technology, all EPA Phase II stoves burn cord wood with around 60%-80% efficiency. It makes me wish I could transport one of these efficient wood stoves back into Laura Ingalls Wilder’s little house during the long winter and help her family stay warm!

The Firewood Poem

Beechwood fires are bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year,
Chestnut’s only good they say,
If for logs ’tis laid away.
Make a fire of Elder tree,
Death within your house will be;
But ash new or ash old,
Is fit for a queen with crown of gold
Birch and fir logs burn too fast
Blaze up bright and do not last,
it is by the Irish said
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.
Elm wood burns like churchyard mould,
E’en the very flames are cold
But ash green or ash brown
Is fit for a queen with golden crown
Poplar gives a bitter smoke,
Fills your eyes and makes you choke,
Apple wood will scent your room
Pear wood smells like flowers in bloom
Oaken logs, if dry and old
keep away the winter’s cold
But ash wet or ash dry
a king shall warm his slippers by.

— by Celia Congreve, c. 1930

What is the best thing about firewood?

We asked around and found that people love burning firewood in a fireplace because…

  • “It reminds me of my family”
  • “It brings back memories of Christmas time when we were all together and safe and warm during a cold winter”
  • “I love it when firewood makes a popping noise”
  • “I love to stare into the fire”
  • “I love going out in the woods looking for sticks and dry grass to start the fire. Anticipation of the close of day and the evening fire.”

What is the relative value of different kinds of Firewood?

No blog about firewood would be complete without some practical reference to BTUs! Firewood is any combustible flora or plant matter that is convenient and useful to burn in a fireplace or wood stove for heating purposes. In the American novel of the westward expansion of the mid to late 1800’s by  Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House on the Prarie, we read about the Long Winter. During this prolonged cold season there became a shortage of firewood. Due to the nature of the Mid West, straw was available and used for fuel to create heat in the little clapboard structure the family lived in. Evenings were spent twisting straw and braiding it into thin cords that would be fed into the wood stove.

Thankfully, due to modern technology, all EPA Phase II stoves burn cordwood with around 60%-80% efficiency. It makes me wish I could transport one of these efficient wood stoves back into Laura Ingalls Wilder’s little house during the long winter and help her family stay warm!

Chart of Helpful Information about Fire Wood

Species Relative
Heat		 Easy to
Burn		 Easy to
Split		 Heavy
Smoke?		 Throw
Sparks?		 General
Rating		 Aroma Weight of
Seasoned
Cord-lbs		 Heat
Produced
per Cord
M Btu
Hardwoods
Black Ash Med Yes/Fair Yes No No/Few Excel Minim 2,992 19.1
White Ash High Yes/Fair Yes No No/Few Excel Minim 3,689 23.6
Red Oak High Yes/Poor No No No/Few Excel Fair 3,757 24.0
White Oak High Yes No No No Excel . 4,012 25.7
Beech High Yes/Poor Yes No No/Few Excel Minim 3,757 24.0
Blue Beech High Yes/Poor Yes No No/Few Excel Minim 3,890 26.8
White Birch Med Yes/Good Yes No No/Mod Excel Minim 3,179 20.3
Grey Birch Med Yes/Good Yes No No/Mod Poor Minim 3,179 20.3
Yellow Birch High Yes/Good Yes No No/Mod Excel Minim 3,689 23.6
Paper Birch Med Yes/Good Yes No No/Mod Excel Minim 3,179 20.3
Black Birch High Yes/Good Yes No No/Mod Excel Minim 3,890 26.8
Hickory High Yes/Fair Bad No No/Mod Excel Good 4,327 27.7
Hard Maple High Yes Bad No No Excel . . .
Pecan High Yes Yes No No Excel . . .
Dogwood High Yes Yes No No Excel . . .
Red or
Soft Maple		 Med Yes No No No Good . 2,924 18.7
Cherry Med Yes/Poor Yes No No/Few Good Excel 3,120 20.0
Black Cherry Med Yes/Poor Yes No No/Few Good Excel 2,880 19.9
Walnut Med Yes Yes No No Good . . .
White Elm Med Med/Fair No Med No/None Fair Fair 3,052 19.5
American Elm Med Med/Fair No Med No/None Fair Fair 3,052 19.5
Sycamore Med Med No Med No Fair . . .
Gum Med Med No Med No Fair . . .
Aspen Low Yes Yes Med No Fair . 2,295 14.7
Basswood Low Yes Yes Med No Fair . 2,108 13.5
Cottonwood Low Yes Yes Med No Fair . 2,108 13.5
Chestnut Low Yes Yes Med Yes Poor . . .
Apple High Poor . . Few Med Excel 4,140 26.5
Hemlock Low . . . Many Fair Good 2,482 15.9
Black Locust High Poor . . None Good Minim 3,890 26.8
Sugar Maple High Poor No . Few Good Good 3,757 24.0
Eastern
Hornbeam		 High . . . . Excel . 4,267 27.3
Hackberry Med . . . . . . 3,247 20.8
Boxelder Low . . . . . . 2,797 17.9
Butternut Low . . . . Poor . 2,100 14.5
Softwoods .
Yellow Poplar Low Yes Yes Med Yes Poor . . .
Southern
Yellow Pine		 High/
Low		 Yes Yes Yes No/Mod Good Good . .
Douglas Fir High Yes Yes Yes No Good . . .
Cypress Med Med Yes Med No Fair . . .
Redwood Med Med Yes Med No Fair . . .
White Cedar Med/
Low		 Yes/Exc Yes Med Some Good Excel 1,913 12.2
Western
Red Cedar		 Med/
Low		 Yes/Exc Yes Med Yes/Many Good Excel . .
Eastern
Red Cedar		 Med/
Low		 Yes/Exc Yes Med Yes/Many Good Excel . .
Eastern
White Pine		 Low Med/Exc Yes Med No/Mod Fair Good 2,236 14.3
Western
White Pine		 Low Med/Exc Yes Med No/Mod Fair Good 2,236 14.3
Sugar Pine Low Med/Exc Yes Med No/Mod Fair Good . .
Ponderosa
Pine		 Low Med/Exc Yes Med No/Mod Fair Good 2,380 15.2
Tamarack Med Yes Yes Med Yes Fair . 3,247 20.8
Larch Med Yes Yes Med Yes Fair . . .
Spruce Low Yes Yes Med Yes Poor . 2,100 14.5
Black Spruce Low . . . . . . 2,482 15.9
Jack Pine Low . . . . . . 2,669 17.1
Norway Pine Low . . . . Fair . 2,669 17.1
Pitch Pine Low . . . . Fair . 2,669 17.1
Balsam Fir Low . . . . Poor . 2,236 14.3
Willow Low . . . . Poor . 2,100 14.5
Coals
Anthracite High No N/A . No Good Fair 2,000 25.4
Bituminous
Hi-Volat		 Med Med N/A . No Med Fair 2,000 22.0
Bituminous
Lo-Volat		 Med Yes N/A . No Med Fair 2,000 28.6
Lignite Low Yes N/A . No Poor Fair 2,000 13.8
Charcoal High Yes N/A . No Poor Fair 2,000 26.0

 

based on data from: U.S. Forest Products Laboratory. Weight and Heat content figures are based on seasoned wood at 20% moisture content, and 85 cu ft of wood per cord. A “cord” of wood is defined as a stack 4 feet high, 4 feet thick and 8 feet long. (A cord has about 85 cu ft of wood and not 128, because of the air spaces between the pieces). “Face cords” are often sold. These are amounts of wood that are still 4 feet high and 8 feet long, but of a lesser depth than 4 feet. Commonly, wood for sale is cut to 16 inches long, and stacked as a face cord. This is 1/3 of an actual cord, and it is also called a “rank” or “rick” or “stove cord” or “fireplace cord”.

 

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