November 2025 - Magazine - Page 12
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Best Firewood to Burn
Chances are, if you're using firewood to heat your home, you're looking to generate the
maximum amount of heat possible so that your house is warm throughout the winter. So, it
only makes sense to burn a species of firewood that has the highest BTU rating, which in turn
will create more heat for your home.
BTUs or British Thermal Units, are measured by the amount of energy needed to heat one
pound of liquid water by one degree Fahrenheit. A species of firewood that has a higher
BTU rating will supply more heat, per similar sized piece of wood, than a species with a lower
BTU rating.
Wood density plays a very important roll in BTU rating. Heavy, dense wood will have a higher
rating than a soft, lightweight piece of wood.
Burning Dry Firewood
No matter what species of firewood you burn, it needs to be seasoned. Seasoned firewood
is described as wood that contains a moisture level of 20 percent or less. Wet wood, or
wood that has been freshly cut from a living tree contains too much moisture to effectively
burn. Also called green firewood, wet wood will sizzle, hiss and burn at a very low tempera-
ture (if you can get the wood to burn at all).
Since wet firewood burns at a very low temperature, the leftover unburned particles adhere
to the interior of your chimney in the form of creosote. As creosote builds up, it increases the
possibility of a dangerous chimney fire. A lot of people think softwoods are the primary
cause of creosote buildup, however, it's green firewood that causes creosote, not necessarily the type of firewood you're burning.
What's the best way to season firewood?
Firewood should be stacked in rows and elevated off the ground in a location that receives
plenty of sunlight. By stacking the wood in a firewood rack, on wooden pallets or on top of
2x4 runners, it allows the wind to flow under the wood and penetrate all sides of the firewood stack. It also stops the bottom row of wood from soaking up ground moisture, along
