by Tom
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by Tom
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While burning seasoned firewood is important, the type of wood you burn will also affect the quality of your fire. What are the best types of firewood to burn in a fireplace? These are the best types of firewood because all
- light easily,
- produce a lot of heat,
- split easily, and
- emit minimal smoke.
9 Best Types of Firewood
- Ash
- Red oak
- White oak
- Beech
- Birch
- Hickory
- Sugar maple (hard maple)
- Pecan
- Dogwood
For more information on how well different types of wood burn, visit the Forest Products Laboratory website.
Birch
The United States celebrates National Bioenergy Day each October. It recognizes and encourages the use of renewable and sustainable bioenergy sources. In 2021, National Bioenergy Day is October 20. When any organic material with few or no productive applications is used to generate energy, we call it “bioenergy.” The biomass can be any organic low […]
Traditionally, knowledge based on teachings and experiences about selecting and burning firewood was passed along verbally. Often such information was put into a rhyming format to make it easier to remember. Thus were born firewood poems and firewood songs to address the question, “Which Firewood Burns Best?” As with most things passed from generation to generation, […]
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We celebrate Arbor Day in the United States on the last Friday of April. The holiday celebrates the joys of trees. Trees provide both people and animals with services as well as goods. Planting trees on Arbor day is a traditional way to honor forest, ornamental and fruit trees. To those with wood-burning fireplaces or […]
What about burning seasoned Eucalyptus? Is this not a good wood to burn in an inside fireplace?
Thanks,
Sandy
Hi Sandy, that’s a great question. I did a bit of research, and it looks like eucalyptus is an excellent firewood, provided it is well seasoned and you take care not to overheat your woodstove, if using one. Eucalyptus contains a lot of oils that burn very hot and can actually damage woodstoves if not used carefully. If you’re worried about your fire getting too hot, simply mix in some less dense wood with the eucalyptus. Enjoy your fires this winter!
[…] Hardwoods, which are recommended for your fireplace as they produce less creosote build-up in flues than softwoods such as pines, take up to a year to season. See our list of the best types of firewood. […]
What about Almond wood? I just moved from the East Coast where I am used to burning oak and maple, to California. My chimney sweeper recommends Almond. They sell for about $350 to $450 a cord… is that a reasonable price?
Thanks.
Jennifer
Hi Jennifer,
From my research, almond appears to be an excellent and popular firewood, especially in California. This article (http://cekern.ucanr.edu/newsletters/Green_Scene_Newsletter41705.pdf) from the UC Cooperative Extension lists it as having some of the highest heat output of any wood. Almond is also said to burn cleanly, leaving little ash behind.
Price per cord will likely vary by area, but from what I found $350-$450 is the right ballpark for a cord of almond. It never hurts to shop around, though. Check out our article on buying firewood: https://www.fireplacemall.com/2012/09/how-to-buy-firewood/