Success or failure with wood heating depends a lot on the fuel

All wood, regardless of species, has about the same energy content per pound. The different species vary mainly in density. Traditionally, the favored trees in central North America were oak and maple because they are very dense and produce long-lasting coals. But these are valuable trees and in many areas are not plentiful enough to burn. No problem, just use softer woods like birch or poplar (aspen) or any other tree that is readily available.

By far the most important characteristic of any firewood is its moisture content.

Keep in mind that people living in the coldest areas of North America have no hardwoods to burn and they get along just fine - their main firewood species are spruce and aspen. Ultimately, it is more important to have wood that is cut and split to the right size and properly dried than it is to get the hardest wood available.

It's been said that a long straight row of firewood standing in the yard in springtime is like money in the bank. It is indeed. As it dries in the summer sunshine, you're collecting interest.

Firewood with a moisture content higher than twenty percent will burn, but it will be hard to light and keep burning and will make a lot of smoke. Plus, much of its energy content will be wasted right up the chimney. Firewood should be between 15 and 20 percent moisture to burn properly, and to get that dry it must be split and stacked in the open for at least a full summer.

Firewood pile OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder): once the wood pile has achieved a steady state and is well stocked, the tendency of the caretaker to obsessively view, think about, brag on, and tend the "work of art".
gggGary, contributor to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Lots of people have been mislead by old timers who say that white ash (for example) can be burned green. Sure it will burn, but very badly because it has a natural moisture content of over 30 percent. While that is lower than most species, it is still much too wet for efficient burning. Some advice from old timers is helpful, but not in this case.

What is the best tree species for firewood? While there is always room for debate, we like to suggest that the best species in your area is the one that is most plentiful, easy to split and doesn't cover your hands and clothes with sticky sap.

There are lots of resources here to help you to buy, process and store firewood successfully.

Energy content per air dried full cord, in 000s of BTUs.  The hardest species are at the top of the list.

Rock Elm

32,000

Shagbark Hickory

30,600

White Oak

30,600

Bitternut Hickory

29,200

Sugar Maple

29,000

Beech

27,800

Red Oak

27,300

Yellow Birch

26,200

Red Elm

25,400

White Ash

25,000

White Elm

24,500

Red Maple

24,000

Tamarack

24,000

Black Cherry

23,500

White Birch

23,400

Black Ash

22,600

Green Ash

22,100

Silver Maple

21,700

Manitoba Maple

19,300

Large Tooth Aspen

18,200

Hemlock

17,900

Trembling Aspen

17,700

Butternut

17,400

Balsam Poplar

17,260

White Pine

17,100

Basswood

17,000

White Cedar

16,300

White Spruce

16,200

Balsam Fir

15,500

Img1-alastairheseltineThis is a wonderful firewood sculpture by Alastair Heseltine, a Canadian living in the Pacific Northwest. Visit his web site: http://www.alastairheseltine.com

 

 

Img2-woodhouseThis is a house in Annecy, France. Although it looks like a firewood house, it is actually a stone house with its generous roof overhang used as a convenient and effective place to store firewood. The picture was taken by our friend Tex McLeod, on a trip to Europe.