Best firewood to burn

It may come as a surprise to you, but not all firewood is equal. Some woods burn hotter and for longer than others. Knowing the types of wood and how to best care for your firewood will allow you to get the best value from your firewood, or in other words make sure you get the hottest and longest lasting wood stove or campfire fire for your dollar.

So what do I mean by caring for your firewood.

Well once you select the type of wood you need to store it, split it, and then allow for it to dry. Get any of these components wrong and you will not get the best value (highest amount of energy) from your firewood, and possibly even have trouble lighting your fire or extracting any meaningful amount of flame and heat, other problems include excess smoke and creosote build-up in the chimney.

Selecting your wood. What is the best firewood to burn?

The best firewood to burn will largely depend on your location, as this will determine what type of wood is available. As a general rule the harder the wood, the more energy it will release in the burning process. This is because hard woods are denser, heavier, and therefore have more fuel to provide.

Soft woods will burn hotter than equivalently dry hard woods, with a taller flame. But the hard woods will burn for much longer. When averaging an equivalent amount of hard wood versus a soft wood (by size not weight) the increase burn time of the hardwood is valued by most people burning wood in a stove for heating and cooking.

The below table shows firewood types and its average BTU (British Thermal Units) per Cord. BTU is used to measure energy, in our case temperature. One BTU is equal to the amount of energy used to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit.

Due to inconsistencies with available data sets, the figures represented in this table are an average of information from each data set. Use the figures as a guide only to compare one variety of firewood to another. Additionally the chart represents the weight / cord of the firewood, when dried to 20% moisture content. Green firewood is much heavier that seasoned firewood, sometimes by as much as double the weight depending on the variety.

Note that a firewood cord is a volume measurement (128 cubic feet). The figures in the below firewood BTU chart are expressed in Million BTU’s (MBTU).

Common Name	Species Name	Average Weight lbs / cord (Dry) 20% Moisture Content	Average MBTU / Cord
Alder	Alnus glutinosa	2540	18
Alder, Red or White	Alnus rubra or rhombifolia	2380	15
Almond	Prunus dulcis	4350	30
Apple	Malus domestica	3803	24
Ash, Black	Fraxinus nigra	2941	19
Ash, Green	Fraxinus pennsylvanica	3145	21
Ash, Oregon	Fraxinus latifolia	3230	20
Ash, White	Fraxinus americana	3539	23
Aspen, American (Poplar)	Populus tremuloides	2210	14
Avocado	Persea americana	2712	19
Balsa	Ochroma pyramidale	935	6
Bamboo	Poaceae bambusoideae	1615	10
Basswood (Linden)	Tilia americana	2210	14
Beech, American	Fagus grandifolia	3655	23
Beech, Blue (Ironwood)	Carpinus caroliniana	3825	24
Birch, Black	Betula lenta	3895	26
Birch, Gray	Betula populifolia	3156	20
Birch, Paper	Betula papyrifera	3179	20
Birch, Yellow	Betula alleghaniensis	3630	23
Boxelder (Maple Ash)	Acer negundo	2890	18
Buckeye, Ohio	Aesculus glabra	1964	13
Butternut (White Walnut)	Juglans cinerea	2125	13
Catalpa (Catawba)	Catalpa speciosa	2380	15
Cedar, Eastern (Redcedar)	Juniperus virginiana	1955	12
Cedar, Western Red	Thuja plicata	2000	20
Cedar, White (Whitecedar)	Thuja occidentalis	1870	12
Cherry, Black	Prunus serotina	3013	20
Chestnut	Castanea sativa	3000	16
Coffeetree, Kentucky	Gymnocladus dioicus	3077	20
Cottonwood (Poplar)	Populus trichocarpa	2040	13
Dogwood, Pacific	Cornus nuttallii	3995	25
Elm, American	Ulmus americana	3014	19
Elm, Red	Ulmus rubra	3077	20
Elm, Siberian	Ulmus pumila	3128	20
Elm, White (Russian)	Ulmus laevis	2890	18
Eucalyptus (Red Gum)	Eucalyptus camaldulensis	2975	18
Fir, Balsam	Abies balsamea	2181	14
Fir, Concolor (White)	Abies concolor	2231	14
Fir, Douglas	Pseudotsuga menzies II	2896	19
Fir, Grand	Abies grandis	2359	18
Hackberry	Celtis occidentalis	3196	20
Hemlock	Pinaceae tsuga	2474	16
Hickory, Bitternut	Carya cordiformis	3825	24
Hickory, Shagbark	Carya ovata	4140	27
Holly, American	Ilex Opaca	3995	25
Honeylocust	Gleditsia triacanthos	3832	27
Hop Hornbeam (Ironwood)	Ostrya virginiana	4250	26
Juniper, Rocky Mountain	Juniperus scopulorum	3146	22
Juniper, Western	Juniperus occidentalis	3050	26
Larch	Genus Larix	4016	21
Locust, Black	Robinia pseudoacacia	3815	26
Locust, Honey	Gleditsia triacanthos	3791	25
Madrone, Pacific (Arbutus)	Arbutus menziesii	3825	24
Maple, Big Leaf	Acer macrophyllum	2890	18
Maple, Black	Acer nigrum	3400	21
Maple, Red	Acer rubrum	3128	20
Maple, Silver	Acer saccharinum	2787	18
Maple, Sugar	Acer saccharum	3749	24
Mesquite	Prosopis cineraria	4050	27
Mulberry	Morus rubra	3731	25
Myrtle, Oregon (Pepperwood)	Umbellularia californica	3485	22
Oak, Bur (Mossycup)	Quercus macrocarpa	3655	23
Oak, Gamble	Quercus gambelii	3818	28
Oak, Live	Quercus virginiana	4840	37
Oak, Oregon (Garry)	Quercus garryana	3655	23
Oak, Post	Quercus stellata	3825	24
Oak, Red	Quercus rubra	3632	23
Oak, White	Quercus alba	3944	26
Olive	Olea europaea	4205	27
Osage-orange	Maclura pomifera	4728	33
Peach	Prunus persica	3533	22
Pear, Bradford	Pyrus calleryana	3490	22
Pecan	Carya illinoinensis	4122	25
Persimmon, American	Diospyros virginiana	4165	26
Pine, Eastern White	Pinus strobus	2236	14
Pine, Jack (Canadian)	Pinus banksiana	2380	15
Pine, Lodgepole	Pinus contora latifolia	2465	17
Pine, Norway (Red)	Pinus resinosa	2890	18
Pine, Pinyon	Pinus edulis	3074	25
Pine, Pitch	Pinus rigida	2652	17
Pine, Ponderosa	Pinus ponderosa	2380	15
Pine, Sugar	Pinus lambertiana	2270	20
Pine, White (Idaho)	Pinus monticola	2236	14
Pinyon	Pinus edulis	3000	27
Plum, European	Prunus domestica	3404	21
Poplar, Yellow	Liriodendron tulipifera	2080	16
Redwood	Sequoia sempervirens	2572	18
Sorrel (Sourwood)	Oxydendrum arboreum	3060	19
Spruce, Black	Picea mariana	2474	16
Spruce, Engelmann	Picea engelmannii	1955	13
Spruce, Sitka	Picea sitchensis	2380	15
Sycamore, American	Platanus occidentalis	2890	18
Tamarack	Larix laricina	3247	21
Tanoak	Notholithocarpus densiflorus	3695	27
Walnut, Black	Juglans nigra	3276	22
Willow	Salix	2198	15

Of course there are different purposes for firewood, if you are starting a fire you will want to use kindling (thin lengths of woods that will catch alight quickly. It is better to use softer woods for kindling as it will catch alight easier. Once the kindling is well alight, you can start to add increasingly larger pieces of hard wood for a longer burn. Good firewood to use for kindling includes birch, cedar, pine, and fir.

Good Firewood Has Low Moisture Content

Moisture is the enemy of firewood. Excessive moisture will reduce the heat that a wood will burn at, it will also affect the amount of smoke produced. A wood that is not sufficiently dried will create excessive smoke and creosote, additionally the fire will not reach its maximum temperature, and much of the energy in the fire will go towards rapidly drying out the wood. This leads to an inefficient fire and cold fire.

Creosote produced in a wood stove is basically a sooty burn, the more soot produced the higher the creosote content. Creosote lines chimneys and over time will reduce the airflow from a stove thereby reducing the stoves efficiency, and in some cases creating unsafe conditions to operate a wood stove. It is creosote residue that lines the chimney and requires cleaning.

Contrary to popular belief creosote is not an inherent problem with different wood types if the firewood is properly seasoned. Creosote is no more prominent from burning soft wood than it is from hardwoods.

Burning dry firewood eliminates the creosote issue by creating a hotter fire and reducing soot. Wet firewood is not just inefficient but reduces the efficiency of the stove over time.

How much smoke is produced by firewood?

Different woods will produce different levels of smoke. As per above, if wet firewood is used you can expect excessive smoke in your stove or campfire.

Assuming the wood has been dried then again hard wood wins out as the best wood to use, hardwood typically creates far less smoke that soft woods. This is useful in poorly ventilated areas of when a chimney is not working well.

Common Name	Species Name	Smoke	Sparks
Apple	Malus domestica	Low	Low
Ash, Green	Fraxinus pennsylvanica	Low	Low
Ash, White	Fraxinus americana	Low	Low
Basswood (Linden)	Tilia americana	Medium	Low
Boxelder (Maple Ash)	Acer negundo	Medium	Low
Buckeye, Ohio	Aesculus glabra	Low	Low
Catalpa (Catawba)	Catalpa speciosa	Medium	Low
Cedar, Eastern (Redcedar)	Juniperus virginiana	Low	High
Cherry, Black	Prunus serotina	Low	Low
Coffeetree, Kentucky	Gymnocladus dioicus	Low	Low
Cottonwood (Poplar)	Populus trichocarpa	Medium	Low
Elm, American	Ulmus americana	Medium	Low
Elm, White (Russian)	Ulmus laevis	Medium	Low
Fir, Concolor (White)	Abies concolor	Medium	Low
Fir, Douglas	Pseudotsuga menzies II	High	Low
Hackberry	Celtis occidentalis	Low	Low
Juniper, Rocky Mtn	Juniperus scopulorum	Medium	Medium
Locust, Black	Robinia pseudoacacia	Low	Low
Maple, Silver	Acer saccharinum	Medium	Low
Mulberry	Morus rubra	Medium	High
Oak, Bur (Mossycup)	Quercus macrocarpa	Low	Low
Oak, Red	Quercus rubra	Medium	Low
Oak, White	Quercus alba	Medium	Low
Osage Orange (Hedge)	Maclura pomifera	Low	High
Pine, Ponderosa	Pinus ponderosa	Medium	High
Sycamore, American	Platanus occidentalis	Medium	Low
Walnut, Black	Juglans nigra	Low	Low
Willow	Salix	Low	Low

Does resin or oil content effect firewood?

In a word, yes.

Wood oil and resin is flammable, wood with high levels of oil and resin may be good for kindling, but caution must be exercised when used as these types of wood can pop, spit and throw sparks. Obviously care must be taken if using an open camping stove so that sparks are not thrown that will ignite surrounding bush lands.

What is the best smelling wood to burn?

This is a question that is asked more often than you might think. Part of the joy of a fire or stove is the natural beauty of the flames, evoking the senses with its warmth and flickering light. An off putting smell will detract greatly from a fire.

Unfortunately there is no simple answer to this question, because it is subjective to the tastes of the individual. However there is no reason why if this is important to you, you can’t experiment for yourself.

Some aromatic woods that many people report as the best smelling when burning are; apple, ash, cedar, cherry, hickory, maple, pear, pecan, and walnut.

The lowdown on how to split firewood

Splitting firewood prior to storing is always a good option, as is splitting prior to burning.

Wood is much easier to split when it is green. If you know you are going to have to split firewood before you burn it, why not split it before storing. The last thing you want to do is start splitting dried firewood, when it is cold and raining outside.

If buying firewood, split firewood usually stacks and dries much better, therefore allowing you to get much more for your money. Split firewood also catches fire much better and is usually easier to handle and load into the fireplace.

All that is left then is to determine how to split firewood, if you don’t buy it pre-split. You can split firewood with an axe (dangerous if you slip), or the many different dedicated splitters, either a simple wedges, hydraulic or electric pressure.

Here are a few videos using different methods to split firewood and kindling. Some of the more popular methods of splitting firewood are, a maul, an axe, or an auger.

Splitting fire wood with a maul

Using a kindling cracker to safely split fire wood into kindling

Using a drill mounted auger is another safe way to make kindling from fire wood

How to store and stack firewood

Firewood doesn’t take much effort to look after, but it must be stored correctly to maintain it\’s integrity, or at least remain useable. Incorrect storage could result in too high moisture content, mold, attract white ant or many other issues.

• Ensure air can flow around the wood.
• Keep the firewood dry.

To maintain these rules, the best firewood cover is a structure with a solid roof, and with a base that keeps the wood directly off the earth. A roof can be a simple tarpaulin cover but is better to be a solid structure. Keeping the firewood off the ground can be simply achieved with stacking pallets, bricks, long logs or similar.

Make sure the wood is not stored in a damp basement that has no airflow, or piled up against a house.

More specifically, these points will keep you firewood stored in good order.

• Cover firewood. Keep rain and snow off the top of the wood, again assists seasoning.
• Prepare the ground. Keep firewood off the ground to prevent ground moisture seeping into the firewood.
• Split logs before stacking. Split logs stack easier, dry quicker, and burn better. Many wood types split easier when wet.
• Keep airgaps between lengths of firewood. Stack layers of wood perpendicular to the previous layer. Good airflow assist in quicker firewood seasoning.
• Stack firewood layers at right angles to above and below layers. Depending on the cut length and depth of the pile, this will usually help air flow through the stack to aid drying, and provide stability to the stack.

Stacking Firewood

Bonus tip, indoor firewood storage

An indoor firewood storage rack can be located next to the wood heater. If this is loaded up and stored close it will help dry any wood that has been wet by rain. Note, it will not be able to season firewood, this takes much longer than the firewood would be stored indoors.

How to season and dry firewood

Another general rule with firewood is that as the moisture content of wood decreases through the drying process, the energy released through burning increases. This can be easily seen with charcoal, charcoal has a reduced moisture content which allows for a higher temperature. This is the main reason that firewood should be dry before being burnt in your stove.

Learning how to dry firewood, also known as seasoning, is one of the keys to getting the best value from your heater or stove. As the name implies it takes about a season to reduce the moisture content of the wood to the level that will allow the best burn.

As stated in the storing section above the way the firewood is stored is important for the seasoning process. If the firewood is stored on the ground then moisture from the ground will seep up through the stack and it will take too long to dry out.

Additionally airflow around the stack allows for evaporation into the atmosphere, wood stacked atop itself will act as an insulator, preventing moisture dry air from extracting the moisture.

If the wood is not covered then sure the sun can help to dry it out but this could also be undone by rain and snow.

After setting up the storage area the job is pretty much done. It’s just a matter of time now. Usually at least six months, often more. Allow the wood to dry in the setup storage area for at least six months before it can be used as firewood.

Note that some wood may take as much as twelve months depending on variable factors such as log size, if it’s pre-split, storage conditions, ambient weather, and exposure to weather.

How to know when firewood is dry enough to burn

Most experts will suggest a moisture content of below 25% (20% is better) before wood should be burnt in a stove for firewood. Here’s how to tell if your firewood has reached a minimum amount of seasoning.

No two seasons and no two woods are the same, so drying times may vary. Thankfully the following is a basic guide to understand if firewood is ready to burn.

• Cracks will start to appear, most notably at the outer edges, but more cracks in the grains will indicate further levels of drying.
• The wood will be lighter in color that when it is holding water, this may be difficult to tell unless you have some new wood to compare against.
• Knocking two logs together should give a hollow sound; water contained in the wood will deaden the knocking sound.
• Will be easier to split than wet wood. You can hear the difference when splitting dried wood; the splitting will have a crisp sound to it.

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