I love winter. It allows
me to sit in front of a fireplace and smell the sweet aroma of burning
fruitwood. Wood that doesn't burn well may smoke, smell offensive or smolder
and destroy an otherwise pleasurable experience.
Most bad fires are caused
by wood that's not seasoned (aged) properly. Without proper aging, even the
best hardwoods will not burn.
For wood to be seasoned,
it must be cut into logs, split and stacked for six months to a year in an area
that has good air circulation. If you still intend to buy firewood this season,
find a reliable dealer by trying a small amount of wood before purchasing a
large quantity.
Firewood can be well
seasoned and still not burn because it’s wet. Wood that is moist from snow or
rain will typically dry overnight and easily light the next day. Bring enough indoors
for several fires to a heated part of the house a day or two before you plan to
use it. Don't keep it inside longer than a week to ten days or the life cycles
of insects that might live inside the dead wood will begin, and the creatures
may emerge. These insects aren't a danger to structures or people, but are a
nuisance.
The standard measure of
firewood is a cord -- a stack of logs four feet high by four feet wide by eight
feet long (128 cubic'). Cost varies widely. Stack away from your house in a
place where there is good air circulation. The optimum location, once seasoned,
is in a shed. If located outside, keep elevated off ground. Don't cover with
tarps that hold moisture. Expose wood to the elements and promote air
circulation to help it resist rot, stay dry and be ready to use.
Varieties of wood
available in the mid-Atlantic region are mostly oak mixed with maple, hickory,
ash, locust, walnut and cherry.
Conifers or softwoods,
such as pines, firs, spruces and hemlocks, if available, burn quickly, pop and
throw more sparks than hardwoods.
Some wood is not as
desirable. Tulip poplar or catalpa smolder and are so light that they break
apart when split. Mulberry is difficult to season and burn, and somewhat
malodorous when it does.
Specialty woods can be
found and are worth searching for. Apple, cherry, peach and plum add fragrance
to the air and make excellent firewood. Harder to find, you might have to call
an orchard to locate cut trees and remove the wood yourself.
To ensure you don’t import diseases
or insects, purchase only locally harvested firewood. Moving
wood from one part of the country to another can create pest infestations from
other areas. See the following web site http://emeraldashborer.info/firewood.cfm
Don't burn lumber found at
construction sites or leftover from home renovations. Plywood has glue in it
and creates unhealthy smoke that coats the inside of chimneys with goo. Painted
lumber also can have dangerous chemicals and shouldn’t be burned. Pressure
treated lumber is infused with various chemicals. As a rule, do not burn
anything in your hearth but unpainted, untreated, and unglued wood.
Artificial logs are
available for no maintenance fires made with environmentally friendly
materials. Try Java-Log Firelogs®, Ultraflame™ Firelogs and other
products from www.pinemountainbrands.com,
Enviro-Log, http://enviro-log.net and
Duraflame, www.duraflame.com. Other
products are available online.
GUIDELINES:
• Burn a few sheets of
newspaper in hearth before starting a fire to ensure damper in chimney is open.
• Close damper when
fireplace isn’t in use.
• Have an annual
inspection, inside and out.
• Always use a screen.
• Always dismantle fires
before leaving the house or going to bed. Cover coals with ashes, stand
smoldering logs against the back wall of the fireplace, and leave damper fully
open. There are always hot coals in the ashes after a fire.
© 2012 Joel M. Lerner
© 2012 Sandra Leavitt Lerner - Emerald Ash Borer traps are seen in many trees along roadways. This insect can be transported in firewood.
