Firewood - what do I need to know?

BlueC

We've had our chimney swept and its all good to go, so what do I need to know about firewood for an open log fire? Looked at buying it online and it is confusing and seems expensive!

Softwood or hardwood? Kiln dried? Seasoned? What is the difference? How do I store it? Can I put it in the basement or do I need to build some external storage?

I guess I want something clean burning (don't want a house full of soot) and that gives off a good heat for as long as possible. Obviously the best value for money possible too.

What do others use? Anyone have some experiences they can share? I never realised it could be so complicated!

TIA!
C

paddyrg

Just from my own experience

Hardwood grows slower but burns longer
Heat emitted varies with how quickly it burns, which varies with the amount of air you get into the fire
Fresh-cut wood generally burns badly (except holly and ash which can burn fresh cut) - so you 'season' it in your dry shed/cellar for a year and it is good to go. Just make sure you have decent air flow, and not getting rain on it. Or buy already seasoned wood, pay more. Kiln dried is like artificial seasoning.

ormus

as above.
generally speaking the more expensive woods burn longer.
also rarer and or slow growing woods cost more, and some peeps like the smell of certain woods.

Gloomendoom

If you want something clean burning then I would recommend a gas fire. Open fires create dust. Dust from the ash and dust from handling the fuel.

You can keep coal in the basement but I wouldn't store wood there. As has been said, it needs to be kept in a dry, well ventilated store.

suisidevw

Yup, if you can get your own wood from gumtree, picking it up etc like I have, make yourself a store out of pallets etc as below..... The wind/rain/sun get to it

If you already have dry seasoned wood feel free to keep in your basement ready to use.

I burn wood I source from gumtree and season myself so it's completely free. If you buy wood in, especially the Kiln dried stuff you will be paying some pretty hefty prices! Dont' be put off buying soft wood too mind. It burns extremely well, often hotter and is cheaper.

Good luck, my fires the favourite part of my home

3v3

My (albeit limited) understanding is that you need "seasoned" logs for burning. This is because "fresh" logs still contain moisture thus most of the heat is spent on drying out the logs of any moisture rather than emitting heat. "Seasoned" logs are those which have been left for a year (or more!) and therefore have had any remnants of moisture removed. So, seasoned logs are preferrable

Hardwood (apparently) leaves less carbon deposits in relation to softwoods. To me, that means, you need to clean your chimney less

As I drive from home to Uni, I have noticed signs from private homes/land offering "seasoned wood" for sale. These smaller commercial avenues do seem to be the cheaper route than buying online. But, that is subjective.

You also need to check your local council regulations; some insist on "clean air" burning fuels.

Any and all fires create a degree of soot/dust/carbon. Open fires are so romantic, but rarely efficient or dirt/dust free - unless you have a source of very cheap fuel

Out of curiosity ... how much were you charged for having your chimney swept? We have an open fire but, because it hasn't been swept, we haven't been able to harness its potential, so a rough idea would be enormously helpful! TIA

suisidevw

I pay £38 for a chimney sweep on our open fire. I didn't have it done last year (overlooked) but when he came in September, the soot that was removed was minimal, definitely down the to fact I only burn well seasoned wood.

As has been said, make sure you're not in a 'smokeless' zone, or you'll have to burn this type of fuel.

People are negative about open fires. Ours was less than £350 all in, and installed, warms the living room beautifully and as has been said is very romantic. The dust/dirt factor is extremely minimal.

The_ICT_Engineer

This old firewood rhyme will be of use.


Beechwood fires burn bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year
Store your beech for Christmastide
With new holly laid beside
Chestnut’s only good they say
If for years ’tis stayed away
Birch and firwood burn too fast
Blaze too bright and do not last
Flames from larch will shoot up high
Dangerously the sparks will fly
But ashwood green and ashwood brown
Are fit for a Queen with a golden crown.


Oaken logs, if dry and old
Keep away the winter’s cold
Poplar gives a bitter smoke
Fills your eyes and makes you choke
Elmwood burns like churchyard mould
Even the very flames burn cold
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread
So it is in Ireland said
Applewood will scent the room
Pearwood smells like a flower in bloom
But ashwood wet and ashwood dry
A king may warm his slippers by!


If you live in the Fens, Try and get your hands
on some bog oak. Often dug up by local farmers,
It needs to be cut while still wet, When it drys out
You find that is as hard as iron. The logs burn for hours

spannerzone

Just to highlight something that happened to me just recently with firewood- I had some well seasoned wood left over from last year, didn't think much about it after last winter and left the unused bits next to the fireplace ready for this year - just the other night I heard some faint noises coming from the wood (thought it might be drying out as the room was warming up) but being the suspicious sort I listened closely and picked up the log I could hear making these noises and pulling off the loose bark revealed some very large bore holes and 3 grubs wriggling around in trenches that they'd eaten between the bark and the wood!

The bore holes were about 3-4mm across and quite some dust fell out, so all wood now lives in a shed far from the house as I dread to think what might have already turned into beatles and flown somewhere in the house to lay some new lavae!

I noticed that on some of my newly delivered (seasoned) firewood also had some bore holes in the bark so am now suspicious that my supplier has a wood worm or wood boring beatle problem at the storage area.

Previously I'd thought that bore holes mean long since flown beetles but having seen the wringglers still under the bark made me nervous!

Ectophile

BlueC wrote: »

We've had our chimney swept and its all good to go, so what do I need to know about firewood for an open log fire? Looked at buying it online and it is confusing and seems expensive!

Softwood or hardwood? Kiln dried? Seasoned? What is the difference? How do I store it? Can I put it in the basement or do I need to build some external storage?

I guess I want something clean burning (don't want a house full of soot) and that gives off a good heat for as long as possible. Obviously the best value for money possible too.

What do others use? Anyone have some experiences they can share? I never realised it could be so complicated!

TIA!
C

I know several people have already answered, but I'll have a go.

You may well find you can get wood cheaper locally.

It must be well seasoned before it will burn. Don't buy unseasoned unless you have plenty of storage to keep it for at least a year.

Your wood storage must be dry and well ventilated. If anything, the well ventilated is the most important. If your cellar is at all damp and isn't well ventilated, then the wood will go mouldy - I had that problem keeping wood in a garage last winter. An outdoor store is likely to be better.

hardwood burns longer, but different woods are different (e.g. birch burns quite quickly). Softwood is cheaper but burns quickly.

BlueC

Some awesome info here thanks everybody... too much to respond to everybody individually so apologies! I think we'll look locally and try to get seasoned wood this year and maybe next year I can build something to store the wood outside to season it ourselves then maybe we can start building a stock of freebies!

ICT engineer - Love the poem - it's not easy to remember it all though!

Spannerzone - grim!

3v3 - we paid £35 cash for the chimney to be sweeped (swept?)

suisidevw - tbh our open fire seems to heat the room very little. i wonder if a more modern fireplace might help? i even read that some open fires have negative efficiency because they draw warm air out of the rest of the house - not sure if this is stove manufacturer propoganda though!

Thanks everyone. Any more tips appreciated.