Firewood is a wood material that is collected and used as fuel. Collecting and harvesting fire woods differ by culture and region. Firewood can be hard or soft. Hardwood gives less smoke and with more heat producing less creosote which is the root of most chimney fires. Softwoods are best in cutting and piling firewood, wood burner or warming up the cabin in an instant. The best time to cut firewood is when the trees shed their leaves
Newly-chopped firewood has approximately 60% water or more and won't burn in the fireplace. You must season first the woods in order to release the water content until the moisture is only 20% or less, by then, it is ready for burning. Seasoning firewood means letting the water content of the wood evaporates. Drying firewood can make it burn easily, safely and efficiently. Burning unseasoned firewood or partially seasoned wood is dangerous. It may cause fire due to creosote that may build up in the chimney. It takes time before the wood gets fully dried but it can be done in an easy way using some tricks and techniques to speed up the process.
In chopping wood, make the diameter 6-8 inches and 18" long as much as possible. Place the woods outside.
Pile the wood properly. Put a base under to keep it off the ground and to avoid soil's moist.. A pallet is a good base because it is a few inches higher on the ground.
Make or put side support to maintain the orderly of wood.
Put space from wood stack to the wall to maintain air passage. A pallet as base of your stack will also provide air flow to your stack. Air can speed up the drying process.
Do not cover the stack. Do not cover also ends to allow air circulation and release moisture. If the wood is still green, covering it will just hold in the moist and prevents air flow. Covering the stack too soon may increase drying time. If you really need to cover the pile, make sure it fully dried up.
Place your pile in a location with the most sunlight throughout the day. There are two beliefs about covering the pile while seasoning firewood. Other believes that you should cover the stack to protect it from rain. Others believed the above statements. They do not advise covering the stack no matter what. Most firewood is fully dried by the eight month but the longer is better.
Below are some firewood terms to easily understand facts about firewood:
Green - a newly cut and split firewood, it has not been kiln dried or seasoned. This state of wood is not yet ready for burning. If burned. This will result in a smoky fire or hissing.
Seasoned - firewood that has been cut and split and left out in the elements for at least nine months or more. It should have 20 percent moisture rate and the wood must be fairly lightweight.
Kiln Dried - firewood that has been cut and split and baked in a kiln to lessen moisture content. A kiln dried firewood is a premium firewood because it 100 percent bug free and wood underwent a 200 degree heat for several days. It is also cleaner than a seasoned wood.
Debarked/barkless - a firewood that was cut and split with no bark anymore. This is very clean firewood and moisture removes easily without the barks. This usually has ash, birch, beech, and other type of woods with a thin bark.
Compressed fire log - this is a compressed sawdust that is formed and held together using a type of resin to form a log. It is not real firewood but can be used as such. This type of wood doesn't get wet and falls apart easily. It produces more heat than the usual firewood but is more expensive.
Firewood is a good material to supply heat in your home when properly used. It is very useful if you have a fireplace and wants to spend time and bond with your family on comfortable cold nights leaving the rest of the house a little cooler for a good night sleep.
It is important to get the facts about seasoning firewood. If you burn wet firewood, you are going to have an increased level of creosote produced, and you will need to call a chimney sweep.
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