What kind of wood is better to heat the fireplace in the house. What wood is best for the stove? Calorific value of firewood from different types of wood. Optimal wood size

A competent approach to the question of which firewood is better for a fireplace allows not only to warm the room, but also to extend the life of the heating structure.

The fireplace in the dwelling is used not only for decoration, but also carries the function of heating. It is a heating structure, the effectiveness of which depends on the type of firewood used.

There are some requirements for firewood used to fire a fireplace. And the most important of them is that during combustion a sufficient amount of heat is released so that it remains for a long time. The features of some types of wood are also taken into account.

What is the best wood for a fireplace?

Many fireplace owners are wondering what kind of wood is best for a fireplace with glass? You can kindle the hearth with various types of wood, such as oak, aspen, birch. But you need to know that not all firewood burns the same way, the burn-out rate depends on the density of the wood used.

Hardwood firewood has small pores, because of this, it will burn out more slowly, while maintaining heat longer.

Birch firewood is distinguished by excellent thermal performance. But you need to know that such firewood burns quite quickly, so you need to be prepared for the constant supply of firewood.

Preferably oak firewood without bark. Chopped firewood from fruit trees can be considered an ideal solution. When they burn, a favorable aroma spreads, creating an atmosphere of comfort. A wonderful choice would be pear, apple or cherry.

You also need to know what not to use. Use plums as firewood with caution. When it burns, a bitter smell is released.

Fireplace fuel

It is best not to use soft woods such as poplar or willow. The use of conifers is also not recommended, because they contain resin that forms soot and clogs the chimney. In addition, when burning such firewood, sparks fly strongly, which, if not properly controlled, can lead to a fire.

Important - you should not heat the fireplace with a variety of chemistry-based compositions

Principles of fireplace insert

When you have decided on firewood, you need to remember a couple of important points. It is undesirable to use wet firewood. They flare up poorly, and when kindling, condensate forms inside the chimney, which impairs the performance of the entire heating structure.

The best firewood for the firebox will be firewood with 20% moisture content. To do this, the felled tree must rest indoors, with good ventilation, for at least two years.

What should be the logs themselves?

Firewood should not be very thin, the best option would be 6-8 cm in diameter. Firewood should be stored in woodsheds under a canopy, in the fresh air. This method will give the wood the right moisture. Firewood should not be overdried. If the logs are very dry, then instead of even burning, you can get an “uncontrolled” fire, which is dangerous if there is no door by the fireplace.

Decorative firewood for the fireplace

Currently, much attention is paid to the interior. Fireplaces are often installed not for heating, but more for the interior. Habitual materials for a fire chamber are replaced with biofuel or gas. And against this background, artificial firewood for the fireplace has become relevant. Also, imitation of firewood for a fireplace fits perfectly into various interior styles that use a fireplace.

firewood stand

Another important attribute of the interior can be considered a stand for firewood, which is included in the package. Such a design can be made of various materials from forging to using wood. Many models of fireplaces are equipped with a firewood box.

If such a box is not provided, and the interior feature allows you to place firewood in the room, then you can make a stand with your own hands, which will be an ideal solution.

The success of winter holidays in the country depends on the choice of firewood

Not all owners of suburban real estate put their houses in winter conservation. Staying in the country in autumn and winter largely depends on the quality of firewood, so their choice should be given special attention.

The harder the better
For centuries, people have stoked stoves with wood, and many owners of suburban real estate have remained true to this habit to this day. So what kind of firewood is best to choose for heating a country house?

If you do not have a traditional stove installed in your country house, and not an open fireplace, then you can heat with any firewood, just the use of certain types of wood requires increased attention to the chimney. Today, there are 4 main types of firewood on the market of our region: oak, birch, pine and mixed.

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Oak firewood is the most high-calorie. Oak burns slowly, but gives off a lot of heat. Oak wood contains almost no resin, so the soot inside the chimney hardly settles. But oak firewood emits a lot of carbon monoxide, so special attention should be paid to the chimney damper. When burning the stove with oak wood, the pipe must always be open.

Birch firewood is a bestseller. This is due to the prevalence of this tree in our latitudes, besides, birch grows much faster than oak, so such firewood costs less than oak. Birch wood is excellent for furnace fireboxes. Such firewood burns faster than oak and gives off heat very quickly. But birch, especially its bark, contains a lot of resin, so soot is deposited in the chimney, and it needs to be cleaned much more often than when using oak firewood. True, if you rarely visit the country house in winter, then you don’t have to worry about the cleanliness of the chimney. Soot will not clog it for several years.

Pine wood can only be used out of desperation. Pine wood contains a lot of resin, which adversely affects the condition of the chimney. The market mainly sells waste to sawmills, which consist mainly of bark, which means that the resin content in this firewood is even higher, and the chimney will clog even faster. So you should refrain from using such firewood.

Mixed firewood is made up of different types of wood and is obtained from the pruning of urban green spaces. When buying such firewood, you should pay attention to which species prevail in the total mass. If it is aspen, then you can buy, but it is better to refrain from buying poplar. Poplar burns poorly, and it emits a bitter smell that can ruin a weekend. In addition, such firewood does not burn well and emit little heat.

Aspen is more suitable as firewood. Although it does not produce as much heat as birch, it contains almost no tar, and its use does not cause soot to settle on the walls of the chimney.

food for the fireplace
If you are a happy owner of a fireplace, then you should approach the choice of firewood more carefully. Pine and birch will not work, this wood “shoots” with sparks and throws burning chips out of the flame. In addition, such firewood burns out very quickly - given the voracity of the fireplace, your vacation can turn into a work shift for a stoker.

It is best to use oak firewood without bark. The ideal option would be the wood of fruit trees. Such firewood exudes a pleasant aroma when burned and creates a particularly pleasant atmosphere in the room. As firewood for a fireplace, you can use an apple tree, pear, cherry. Plum should be discarded, its wood emits a slightly bitter smell when burned, which not everyone likes.

Firewood for the fireplace should not be thin, logs with a diameter of 6-8 centimeters are best suited. Firewood should not be too dry, otherwise you will get a blazing fire instead of a calm, even flame. Firewood for such a heat source should be stored outdoors under a canopy, this storage method will provide them with optimal humidity.

Painting the flame
The flames in the fireplace can be given different shades, for this the firewood must be impregnated with special solutions. There are many recipes for such solutions, but most of the components for their manufacture are almost impossible to obtain. Only three recipes for such compounds are readily available. A strong aqueous solution of table salt gives the flame a beautiful yellow color. To achieve this effect, firewood must be soaked in a salt solution for 2-3 days, and then dried. The strength of the salt solution is determined by the chicken egg, the salt must be dissolved in water until the egg floats on the surface.

An aqueous solution of potassium permanganate will color the flame blue or green. The color of the flame is determined by the concentration of the solution: the higher it is, the more the flame goes into blue. The procedure for preparing this solution is the same as with salt. That's just to determine the concentration to be experimentally.

A solution of copper sulfate gives the tips of the flames a bluish glow. The concentration of the solution must also be selected empirically. Much depends on the density of wood, its porosity, moisture content.

To achieve a color effect, it is not necessary to clog the entire firebox with impregnated firewood. 2-3 logs in one tab are enough.

Chimney cleaning
There are many ways to clean your chimney. The safest and most correct is the classic one. To do this, you need to climb onto the roof, remove the umbrella from the pipe and clean it with a brush. The soot will crumble inside the fireplace or stove, and it can be removed with a shovel. A brush for cleaning the chimney can be made independently from a steel cable with a diameter of at least 6 millimeters, to which a disk with a metal brush must be tied. Such discs are installed on a grinder and are sold in a tool store. The cost of a brush will be several times lower than a special device for cleaning pipes, and its efficiency is just as high.

There are many folk recipes for cleaning the chimney without mechanical cleaning. For example, you can heat the stove with aspen wood or add potato peelings to the coals. Also now on sale there are special means for cleaning chimneys.

All these products clean the chimney by burning soot in it. And this is their main drawback and danger. Soot is coal dust, which, when burned, releases a huge amount of heat, and not every chimney can cope with such heat. When you burn off soot, it's not smoke that comes out of the chimney, it's flames. Moreover, the intensity of combustion is so high that the pipe is similar to the nozzles of a space rocket. Chimneys can not withstand such a heat load and burn out. Through the burnout, the flame spreads to the roof and a fire starts. So it’s better not to be lazy, but once a year to climb onto the roof and clean the chimney in the traditional mechanical way.

01.08.2018 13:03

Movies firmly invested in the consciousness of the idea that a country cottage can not do without a fireplace. In general, an open fire in the house is a sign of comfort. It really is. And it is also much more economical to heat a house with solid fuel than, for example, with electricity. After all, the latter will never fill the house with the pleasant smell of burning wood.
But the range of firewood for the fireplace is wide and it is quite difficult to choose the perfect ones the first time.

Features of the choice of firewood

Each type of wood has its own characteristics. Some of them burn brightly and quickly, but do not particularly warm. And others, on the contrary, smolder and give off heat for a long time. And the third have all the advantages of the second, but at the same time they also give a smell. In addition, you should never forget about individual preferences. Someone intuitively likes oak, but does not like burning aspen. But, even taking into account personal requirements for fuel, do not forget that any firewood must meet four main factors:

• heat transfer,
• humidity,
• the size,
• age.

The ideal log should have a high heat output in order to heat the house longer with less fuel, be properly dried (about 15-20%), its size should meet your needs, and its age should be somewhere between young and old.

Firewood for an open fireplace

For hearths with an open firebox, logs with a long burning time and a pleasant smell are suitable. In this case, it is worth paying attention to non-sparking wood. For example, coniferous trees are definitely not suitable - they give too much smoke and cod, and also burn out rapidly. But at the same time they give a pleasant smell, which will be appropriate in the bath. So, how to heat a fireplace with an open hearth?

• Oak. It has good heat dissipation and a long burning time. But its main disadvantage is the price and scarcity.
• Alder. Gives a pleasant smell when burning, a small amount of smoke and has a fairly high level of heat transfer. It has no critical flaws.
• Birch. It smells good, flares up well, gives off heat well. The only thing is that soot accumulates in the chimney from the use of birch logs.

Firewood for a closed fireplace

A closed hearth allows you to use not only the above options, but also those that are not suitable for open fireplaces. That is, sparkling and smoking.

• Ash. Of all firewood, they are distinguished by increased heat dissipation. Disadvantages, like oak - difficult to get.
• Needles. It gives off heat well, the burning time is average, but the smell can level out all the shortcomings. Pine is the best choice for the home. There is only one drawback - from use in the chimney and soot and soot will accumulate on the door.

Why is it worth ordering a yard from us?

We strictly monitor the quality of wood and its moisture content. Our logs will burn for a long time and give off their heat in order to warm your home.
Our consultants will always help you in choosing the right fuel.

So, your house has a fireplace. And it performs both a decorative and a practical function. This is, first of all, a heating unit, the usefulness of which also depends on the quality of the fuel. A natural question arises - how to drown it? What kind of firewood is suitable and in general, what kind of wood should be put in the fireplace?

What factors influence the choice of firewood

What requirements should good firewood meet? Most importantly, they should release a lot of heat during combustion, give heat so that the fireplace remains warm as much as possible. Further, the price is also important, because some types of wood are much more expensive than others. Finally, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of different types of wood: some (such as cherry and apple) give off a wonderful aroma when burned, others “burn through” tar and cinders in the chimney, and still others give a beautiful flame, decorating your fireplace with a real dance of fire. What to choose? We will give you some useful tips.

Choosing a tree type

In general, the choice of firewood does not differ much from the choice of firewood for an ordinary Russian stove. However, those varieties that give a lot of burning should be avoided. And, on the contrary, you should pay attention to the most “hot” options, because in an open firebox the heat keeps worse, which means you need more of it. First of all, to choose firewood, pay attention to the type of wood. The rule is simple - the denser the wood, the more heat is released during combustion, the longer the fireplace will burn, heating the room.

What are the most common wood species in our latitudes that can be used?

1. Poplar.
2. Aspen.
3. Birch.
4. Ash.
5. Pine.

Let's take a look at each breed separately.

Poplar

The main advantage of such firewood is, of course, the price. Poplar is widely distributed in our country, it is very cheap, it is cut down constantly (and even in the city), you can buy it easily and everywhere. This is where his merits end. What are his shortcomings? Firstly, the quality of the wood is low, the wood is “loose”. The heat from the poplar is very small. It burns almost instantly, leaving almost no coals. It is still possible to use poplar in a closed firebox, for lack of a better one, but in an open firebox there is absolutely no sense from it.

Oak

Oak (see how it looks in the photo) is the most dense tree. Oak firewood is the highest quality, although it is one of the most expensive. Heat dissipation when the fireplace is loaded with oak is simply huge. In addition, it burns for a long time in both open and closed fireboxes. Perhaps, only valuable species of wood burn better than oak. We advise you to choose it.

Aspen

Aspen has been used since ancient times for stoves and fireplaces as a chimney cleaner. It has a good heat dissipation and burns well, and smells nice (almost like juniper), it costs, however, a little more than other species (but still cheaper than oak). It is recommended to use it for its intended purpose - from time to time to clean the chimney. By the way, alder has the same feature. Unfortunately, it is difficult to choose aspen, because it is rarely on sale.

Birch

Birch firewood gives a good heat and long heat, but it smokes a lot. It is not recommended to use birch in an open fireplace, although in general the wood is fine and makes excellent coals. Some parts of birch - roots and stumps - give a very beautiful and unusual flame, dancing tongues, fire pattern (look at the photo). Birch burns perfectly, even if it is damp.

The fireplace is not only a beautiful decorative detail, but also a good source of heat. It is very important to keep its appearance for a long time with effective use.

The best types of firewood for fireplaces

Any wood has certain properties. Many firewoods have a beautiful flame, but they do not emit good heat. Other types are dense, burn for a long time and allow you to spend less resources. And some even have a unique aroma and antiseptic properties.

The choice should be made based on your own preferences. In this case, several parameters and specifics of wood should be adhered to.

First of all, it is important to consider heat transfer. It is also a calorie. In most cases, it is heat transfer that is the decisive factor. This indicator depends on the density of wood, the presence of lignin and resins. Therefore, initially it is worth paying attention to the type of wood.

Deciduous trees have the highest density, so it is better to heat the fireplace with wood from this category. The costs are much less than when using softwood due to the high heat transfer.

Of course, coniferous wood is much cheaper and available to almost everyone. But it is categorically not suitable for fireplaces. Pine, spruce and larch woods burn well but quickly. At the same time, due to the presence of resins, a lot of smoke is released, soot is formed and coals often “shoot”, which is very dangerous, especially in open fireplaces.

The best wood for a fireplace is:

• aspen;
• alder;
• Birch.

You should also pay attention to the age and condition of the firewood. With proper storage, many breeds are able to retain their properties for up to several years. Young and too old wood is not suitable. The first burns poorly, and the second saturates the air with mustiness, heaviness and is unlikely to have a beneficial effect on the respiratory organs.

Rotten and rotten firewood is absolutely not suitable. Their density is significantly reduced, so they also burn out quickly and give off very little heat.

What is the best humidity

The priority indicator when choosing wood for a fireplace is humidity. Even and neat logs can flare up badly and smoke if they are not dried properly. Often up to 40% moisture is found in fresh firewood.

It is just as bad to buy overdried firewood. They emit a lot of tar, which settles on the walls of the chimney in the form of soot and clogs the entire fireplace. It does not matter if it is a deciduous or coniferous tree. Quality wood has no more than 20% moisture from its own weight. With such indicators, heat transfer is significantly increased and there are no unpleasant moments in the form of smoke and poor combustion.

Optimal wood size

Be sure to pay attention to the size of the firewood being slightly less than the capacity of the fireplace or equal to it. In this case, not only the length, but also the thickness of the logs is important.

You can burn a huge amount of alder branches in a short time, or use a much smaller amount of properly prepared firewood. Too large logs are also inconvenient and burn out badly, this should also be taken into account.

Firewood for closed fireplaces with glass

Fireplaces with panoramic glass require the door to remain clean and transparent for a long time. Sometimes cleaning is required after the first few kindlings. The transparency of glass directly depends on which wood is chosen as fuel.

To avoid contamination of the glass, it is necessary to use rocks that emit as little smoke as possible. The ideal option is alder, aspen and oak. Of course, birch will cost the cheapest. Even if the fireplace and the glass itself are smoky, it is easy to eliminate with the help of aspen. A couple of good kindlings are enough and most of the soot will disappear.

For fireplaces with glass, it is better to exclude poorly dried wood. The maximum moisture content is 20%. Otherwise, when burning, soot will settle on the glass, which eats in very quickly and is difficult to remove.

The use of coniferous firewood is excluded. They contain a lot of resin, and also “shoot” coals in different directions when burning. Although this wood is much cheaper, it does not provide as much heat as hardwood.

What kind of wood can not heat a fireplace

The durability of the fireplace directly depends on its operation, the same applies to its appearance. It is not uncommon for heat-resistant glass to become dirty due to improper use, especially if the firewood is not chosen correctly. It is strictly forbidden to burn the following in the fireplace:

1. Coniferous firewood - spruce, pine and larch logs are characterized by low density, give little heat and emit a lot of soot, especially with poor traction. Over time, a large layer of soot appears that can flare up at any moment. Thus, the glass and chimney quickly become clogged and cause inconvenience. Also, small coals often bounce off in large quantities. It is primarily a fire hazard. The low heat transfer of wood does not bring any benefit and the room does not warm up at all.
2. Various garbage - fireplaces differ from ordinary hearths in their design and directly interact with the room. When burning garbage, all the smell gets into the house and this can lead to a deterioration in well-being and even poisoning. For example, when using painted boards. It is better to dispose of all garbage in more acceptable ways.
3. Wet wood - this option is acceptable, but only in case of emergency. Raw firewood smokes, emits a lot of soot and little heat. The result is almost the same as when using conifers. It is better to heat the fireplace in the house only with high-quality and suitable wood.

Fireplace Safety

Do not forget about safety and follow a few rules that will save you from fire hazards. Periodically check the chimney and the fireplace itself for contamination. Soot must be removed regularly to avoid poor draft and spontaneous combustion. It will also prevent smoke from entering the room.

The hearth should be kindled gradually, using dry chips or paper. Add fuel little by little after a while. Do not forget to slightly open the damper, otherwise the smoke will begin to enter the room, and this threatens with carbon dioxide poisoning.

Do not throw garbage into the fireplace and do not use various liquids. This is also extremely dangerous and will not benefit the design of the fireplace itself.