There are hard, medium and soft wood species whose logs are used to heat stoves and fireplaces in private houses and cottages.
To heat houses, using hardwoods is more profitable in terms of heat production. Because of the density of wood, they have high heat transfer. These trees include: Birch, Oak wood, Beech. oak These woods have the most heat transfer, but there is a valuable and expensive type of wood for heating. A cost-effective option is called birch wood. They provide much more warmth than pine and aspen. It ranks second in terms of popularity and demand after oak and birch.
Which one is more cost-effective to use and what are its features?
Which wood is best for burning?
Firewood with medium hardness (pine, spruce, larch) and fruit tree species (pear, apple) has proven itself as burnable wood. Logs made from them ignite quickly, emit a pleasant aroma. These sticks are perfect for barbecuing.
However, hardwood gives less heat than firewood. Firewood for apples, pears, and cherries is only good if the tree is old and well-dried. But they are hard to come by.
Softwood species, including aspen and alder, have low heat transfer but are very dry. Therefore, they practically do not form soot when burning. It is an ideal option for fireplace firewood. The fireplace is not a heating device, but a decorative element in the interior of the house.
Note: Remember that the logs of any freshly cut tree will burn poorly due to high humidity. Dry before use. If you plan to dry wood at home, read the wood drying article.
What wood can I burn in a wood burner?
birch
Birch firewood has great heat. But in the bark of this tree there is a lot of resin, so a lot of soot is released during combustion. Therefore, it is rarely used to light the oven. There is a large amount of tar in birch that is released when the tree is burned, but this is more of an advantage than a disadvantage.
Birch is an incomparable friend of the Russian people and takes first place here. Birch wood is easily flammable, burns evenly, does not spark or crack. It heats the gas stove completely, it has high heat transfer. The heat of this type of wood disinfects the air, softens the air with a delicate aromatic scent that facilitates breathing, and is especially suitable for people with a weak cardiovascular system.
How to Determine What Type of Firewood Is Best For Your Woodburning Needs?
Spruce, pine, larch
The heat transfer of conifers is less than birch, but it is quite enough to heat the house. Such logs burn explosively due to high resin content in them. The warmth and aroma of these types of wood are saturated with essential oils, which are found in abundance in this particular type of wood. Inhalation of these oils is very useful.
firewood ash
This tree dries very quickly, so ready wood can be obtained in a short time. Due to its low resin content, ash is safe against fire and does not pollute the chimney when it burns. However, they are not suitable for cleaning pipes contaminated with other woods.
pine firewood
The sauna, heated by pine wood, is warm enough and filled with a pleasant resinous aroma, thanks to which you can cure a cold. Prevent respiratory tract inflammation, calm your nerves and relax.
Oak
Oak will be the best choice for fireplace or kitchen. And although this reputation is well-deserved, firewood has its own characteristics. For firewood, middle-aged trees are harvested, because they burn well and retain heat for a long time.
When burning wood, it not only gives heat, but also a fresh aroma. Many people also talk about the healing properties of this perfume: it improves health, relieves diseases. Firewood prepared from old trees has low heat transfer, makes the air heavier when burning and fills it with a specific smell of coal.
Read more about: red oak wood
aspen
It glows for a long time, burns quickly, emits a small amount of heat, but does not form soot.
Alder
It heats more than fir and does not create soot. Used in symbiosis with birch, it perfectly retains heat and gives magnificent shades to the flame.
In general, using the combined method of burning gas stove, fireplace has the most effect. You can first warm the stove with apple logs, then continue with spruce and birch wood.
Selection of firewood for gas stove and fireplace
An important indicator that determines the quality of firewood for a fireplace or gas stove is the density or hardness of wood. Hard wood has the highest heat transfer and soft wood has the lowest heat transfer.
When choosing wood, you should pay attention to the size of wood. The dimensions of the logs for the fireplace insert are usually chosen depending on the width of the insert.
Conclusion
Do not forget that trees that grow near water, swamps, plains, have high humidity. For this reason, when preparing firewood, you must cut down trees that grow far from water. Dries faster.
When cutting the wood, make sure that the size of the wood corresponds to the size of the stove. Do not cut down the trees that grow near the roads. Choose old, dry trees and cut them down in late summer, before the rainy season.
