Know Your Wood - Video Vignette
Cooking up a good fire is like cooking anything else—the best results come from starting with the right makings. Burning the right wood, the right way in the right stove—these are the three must dos when it comes to building a fire that is hotter, cleaner and burns more efficiently.
But how do you know what type of wood is the right wood? Not all species are the same and different types of wood burn differently.
Although you always want wood that is dry, there are also other factors to consider. Let’s start with the BTU content. BTUs measure the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree. The higher the number of BTUs per chord of wood, the higher the heat output will be.
But not all wood is the same. Each species has its own firewood value and the heating potential depends on its density, moisture content, and how hard or soft the wood is. Hardwoods come from trees that have leaves. In Alaska these are quaking aspen, paper birch and balsam poplar. Softwoods have needles instead of leaves, and include cedar, hemlock and spruce, which are also common throughout the state.
Dense or heavy wood has higher BTU heating values than lighter, softer woods, and releases more heat per firebox load. Dense logs also make the best fuel because they produce long-lasting fires and more coals that last longer than soft woods. Softer woods are less dense, burn faster and do not produce a long-lasting coal bed when burned.
The variation between different species can be significant. One heavy wood log will produce as much heat as two units of softer, lighter woods. This means twice as much soft wood is needed to produce the same amount of heat.
Driftwood that has been soaked in salt water is not recommended for burning in wood stoves. The salts that have soaked into the wood are highly corrosive to wood stoves and venting systems.
Dry wood is another characteristic of the right wood. It burns hotter and cleaner, is 30 percent more efficient than logs with a high moisture content, and produces fewer harmful chemicals. Dry firewood still has a fair amount of water in it. About 20 percent of its weight comes from moisture, which helps regulate the combustion process.
The higher the moisture content, the slower the wood breaks down when heated. Conversely, very dry firewood breaks down more quickly, which causes dense smoke and burns so intensely that it can damage the stove. Wood that has than a 10 percent moisture content is too dry and will burn too quickly and could damage your stove. If you have very dry firewood, mix it with slightly wetter firewood so that the overall moisture content of what you are about to burn is about 20 percent.
Burn wise and breathe easy by burning the right wood, the right way, in the right stove. For more tips on burning wisely visit Burn Wise Alaska.
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