Low Temps and High Flames: Tips on Firewood

We’ve been asked to provide some tips and tricks for burning wood.  So here goes!

There are three kinds of firewood: green, dried, and seasoned.  Green wood is freshly cut wood and contains the most moisture.  A freshly cut log is heavy and you should not attempt to lift one unless you know what you’re doing or like to visit the chiropractor.

Dried wood is anything that was cut several months ago.  This wood is much easier to lift because the moisture has left the wood but we would recommend you wait a bit longer before you throw this material on your fire.  Seasoned wood has rested for multiple seasons, possibly a spring, summer, fall, and two winters.  Because this has the least amount of moisture, you will get the best heat from seasoned wood.

How do you know if your delivery has dried or seasoned wood in it?  Wood changes color as it loses moisture over time, getting darker and darker.  That color can go from a light tan to a dark, almost black color.  If you’ve been burning fires for several years, you’ll develop a level of experience that will help you realize if you have received good value for your money.  If you’re as green as the wood you don’t want to burn, find a trusted arborist who will give you what you expect and need.

We have a few other tips for you.

• Be sure to regularly check and clean your chimney to reduce the risk of a flue fire.

• Pallets and branches will help keep your firewood off the ground and allow air to circulate, which will add to the efficiency of your firewood.

• Grab yourself a pair of thick gloves to wear as you tend your fire.  Welding gloves should allow you to pick up a hot log if you do your research and buy a correctly rated pair.

• Make sure your smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and carbon monoxide detectors are in good working order and never leave a fire unattended.

If you’re worried that mid-winter is too late to order firewood, fear not.  Tree-Scape and Fitch is busy taking care of trees all year round so we’re always ready to deliver pieces ready for your fireplace or wood stove.  Heck, we’ll even swing by with a load in the dog days of summer so you can enjoy s’mores and the glow of a fire as it matches the reddish hue of a late setting sun.