Beginners Guide To Buying Firewood
More than just a source of heat, a fireplace, wood stove, campfire, or outdoor fire pit serves a variety of purposes. It's lovely to kick back and relax next to a roaring fire, and if you're feeling social, hosting a party around one is a blast. Clean, long-burning fires that don't emit a lot of smoke can be made with dried hardwood bundles or prepackaged logs. I like the simplicity of split firewood. It's pretty cut and dry. Pun intended. Kidding aside, this article will help you know more about firewood.
This buying guide for firewood can help you choose the best kind of firewood for both your indoor and outdoor requirements.
What Are The Best Types of Firewood?
Among the best types of firewood are:
Hardwood
The term "hardwood" refers to a group of trees that grow slowly and produce solid wood. The leaves of hardwood trees often fall off in the autumn and are replaced by new ones in the spring. The following are the most common types of hardwood, all of which are derived from flowering trees:
Oak
Oak is great firewood since it burns slowly. Oak is a thick North American hardwood.
Birch
Although birch is a great fuel, it burns quickly, so it is best combined with Elm and Oak.
Ash
The best wood for a consistent flame and efficient heat. Ash can burn when it is still green, but seasoned ash burns more efficiently.
Walnut
Medium-density walnut firewood burns easily. It's clean-burning, easy-to-start, and aromatic firewood.
Softwood
Gymnosperm trees, or those that produce softwood from externally unencased seeds, are the source of softwood. Conifers, or trees that produce cones, are by far the most widespread type of softwood. Softwoods have a lower density than nearly all hardwoods. Most typical softwoods used for firewood include:
Cedar
The wood will burn, but it should only be utilized in an open location outside where explosive heat and smoke are less of a worry.
Pine
Pine firewood is great for outdoor kindling. Its sticky sap makes it a great fire starter.
Larch
Larch is an easy-to-light, long-burning wood. Larch is a medium-density wood that lasts longer than Pine.
Manufactured Firewood
Depending on the retailer, some firewood logs are sold by the log or in cases of logs. A variety of materials, including real wood charcoal, recycled agricultural fibers, recycled and waxed cardboard, and others, can be used to create these. You can get manufactured firewood in two forms:
Wood Bricks
Wood bricks are a good firewood option. Bark-free wood fibers are compacted into bricks.
Wood Pellets
Compressed wood fiber becomes wood pellets. Wood pellets are generated from sawmill residuals when logs are turned into lumber and other wood products.
Types of Firewood You Should Avoid
Wood-burning fires are the best ambiance-creating devices, whether you're telling stories around the fire pit or curling up inside on a wintry night. However, utilizing the incorrect wood will quickly choke up the scene and may result in long-term harm to your home, health, and the environment. The sorts of firewood to stay away from including the following:
Non-local Wood
Foreign firewood spreads invasive insects and diseases. One log can threaten a forest or species.
Green Wood
New, green firewood that’s fresh and moist. It's awkwardly hard to light.
Treated or Painted Wood
Keep painted and treated wood out of your fireplace to avoid hazardous fumes.
Driftwood
Ocean driftwood is salty, and chlorine is a salt compound. Burning driftwood releases dioxins.
Big Wood
Buy firewood that fits your fireplace or fire pit. If it's larger than 5 inches, you must recut or split it.
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Tips For Buying Firewood
Buy Small At First
It is best to start out by making modest purchases and not buying a full cord. You will have a decent notion of what to anticipate from the firewood that you have selected, and there is often no difference in pricing between options. Purchase firewood from a trusted firewood supplier like Splitz Firewood and Mulch. You might also want to consider checking out Facebook marketplace.
Dried Firewood Vs. Fresh Wood
Wood that has been allowed to dry entirely burns faster, creates less smoke, and puts out more heat than fresh, green, or damp wood. Six to nine months of seasoning reduces wood's moisture content.
Hardwoods Vs. Softwoods
Oaks, beech, hickory, and ash make good fuel. Long-lasting but harder to light than softwoods. Poplar, spruce, and pine are suitable fire pit and outdoor area woods. Softwoods are cheaper than hardwoods but last less. Even so, their ignition is easier.
The Best Time to Get Firewood
Buying firewood in the spring will ensure that it is ready for the winter by October. Your wood should be exposed to the sun's rays and strong winds to properly mature. For optimal air circulation, stack the wood in a crisscross pattern.
Get the Optimal Size of Wood Pieces
Splitting firewood into chunks of 3-6 inches wide and 16 inches long is ideal for use in home fireplaces and stoves since it is easy to handle. Logs that are too thin will burn too rapidly, whereas logs that are too thick will require more time to season (dry out). Larger firewood can be used in outdoor fires because there are no log size restrictions.
Is Gas Station Firewood Good?
One of the worst kinds is wood from a gas station or a store. Most of the time, this firewood is sold by the cubic foot or by three-quarters of a cubic foot.
Go For Split and Seasoned Firewood
Seasoned, dry wood is simpler to split than damp wood. Dry wood has less moisture; thus, cutting and splitting it is easier, regardless of the type of tree from which it was taken. Dry good has a hollow sound, while wood that is still green, has a muffled, thick sound.
Buying Firewood By Weight vs. Volume
The safest option is to purchase by weight because you know exactly what you are getting, but you must ensure that the wood is dry. The higher the density of the wood, the better value you will receive when purchasing firewood by the cubic meter (volume).
How To Properly Store Firewood
Storing firewood outside is ideal. If you want your wood stacked, it should be neatly preserved with the outside exposed to air. Plastic and wooden log storages are the proper ways to store firewood outside. Avoid tree cover and don't pile logs. Firewood usually takes at least one full year to properly season.
How Much Space You Need
Ideally, you should store wood in a well-ventilated, open-sided shed. Storing wood on a pallet, bricks, or plastic prevents moisture absorption. This cleans the wood and reduces insects and spiders.
Storing Firewood Safely
Store firewood 20 feet from your home's door. To maximize airflow, stack wood a few inches away from a structure.
Understanding Firewood Measurements
Besides simply measuring the weight or volume of a firewood order, suppliers and sellers typically handle units unique to the firewood industry.
How Much Is A Cord Of Wood?
If you're going to buy wood, you're going to buy it by the cord or in fractions of a cord. Expect to pay the cost of a half-cord. Full cords are generally sold at $300; thus, a half cord is $150, and a third cord is $100.
Other Firewood Measurements
Here are some other ways a firewood seller can classify shipments of firewood:
Tonne Bag of Firewood
There is a wide range of bulk bag sizes available, from 80 cm to 90 cm in height and 75 cm to 85 cm in width, and it can hold between 200 and 330 logs.
Retail Bags of Firewood
These bags hold 20-25 pounds of wood.
FAQ
Wood is normally sold by the cord or in fractions of a cord (commonly a 13 or 12). Expect to pay the price of a divided cord. If a full chord costs $300, a half cord costs $150, and a third cord costs $100.
A face cord is just another name for a third of a cord. A face cord measures 16" across, 8' long, and 4' high. For instance, 4' wide by 8' long by 4' high is the size of a complete rope, which is 128 cubic feet.
Are you ready to buy the best firewood? We hope that this guide helps you understand the basics of buying it for your home or any event you are organizing. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact our team at Splitz Firewood & Mulch, where we are always happy to answer all your doubts!
