Tis’ the Season for Seasoned Firewood
Fires Burn at Different Rates with Different Scents
Not all firewood is created equal. Some wood burns gives off more heat and have their own scents. But in order to serve its purpose, firewood has to be seasoned. Hansen’s Tree Service is the place to get your seasoned firewood.
Seasoned Firewood:
Have you ever tried to burn the twigs in your yard? Notice how they have a hard time catching? That’s because they are not seasoned. Seasoned firewood is weathered by the elements and depleted of its moisture in order to burn like it should in your fireplace.
How can a novice tell if wood is seasoned?
To Burn or not To Burn:- When you pick up the stick of firewood, is it heavy or light?
- Hit two logs together and you should get a sense if it’s nice and dry and ready for your fireplace or still too green.
Hansen’s recommends the use of seasoned oak, hickory, ash and Applewood as firewood because of their aromas and heat characteristics. Wood not recommended for burning include: pine, spruce, balsam, cedar and juniper.
Firewood Aromas:
Some wood gives off a particular smell when it burns:
- Applewood and other fruit trees emit odors that are slightly fruity.
- Ash smells faintly like olive oil.
- White Oak has a please rich sent.
- Hickory gives off a strong sweet, almost bacony flavor.
The following is a list of woods that provide different levels of energy (BTU).
- High
21 million to 26 million BTU per log – Apple; American and Blue Beech; Black and Yellow Birch; Dogwood; Hickory; Ironwood; Black Locust; Sugar Maple; Black, Red and White Oak; Osage Orange and Persimmon. - Medium
17 million to 20 million BTU per log – Downy Serviceberry; Black, Green and White Ash; Gray and White Birch; Black Cherry; Red and Silver Maple; Longleaf and Red Pine; Sweet Gum; American Sycamore; Eastern Tamarack; Black Tupelo; Black Walnut; American Elm and Douglas Fir. - Low
11 million to 16 million BTU per log – Bigtooth and Quaking Aspen; Basswood; Box-elder; White Walnut; Catalpa; Cottonwood; Balsam Fir; Hemlock; White Pine; Balsam and Yellow Poplar; Red Spruce; and Black Willow.