How to choose your wood?

It is important to understand the significant factors that effect the ability of logs to burn well. The two predominant aspects are wood density and moisture content, these both dictate the calorific value (CV) or available heat of the fuel.

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Moisture content

The most important factor by far is the moisture content which has the greatest effect on CV. If the wood isn't seasoned well enough it'll burn slower and cooler, releasing the moisture as smoke and tars which can have a corrosive effect on your chimney flue as well as increasing the chance of a chimney fire.

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Softwood or Hardwood

There is much controversy over what type of wood to burn so it is important to understand the difference in the way softwood burns to hardwood.  As long as all your wood is seasoned well both wood types have their place.  Softwood is great for burning and will burn faster helping to bring the fire box up to temperature and hardwood will burn longer as it's more dense.

 

The Firewood Poem

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Beechwood fires are bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year,
Chestnut's only good they say,
If for logs 'tis laid away.
Make a fire of Elder tree,
Death within your house will be;
But ash new or ash old,
Is fit for a queen with crown of gold

Birch and fir logs burn too fast
Blaze up bright and do not last,
it is by the Irish said
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.
Elm wood burns like churchyard mould,
E'en the very flames are cold
But ash green or ash brown
Is fit for a queen with golden crown

Poplar gives a bitter smoke,
Fills your eyes and makes you choke,
Apple wood will scent your room
Pear wood smells like flowers in bloom
Oaken logs, if dry and old
keep away the winter's cold
But ash wet or ash dry
a king shall warm his slippers by.