If you’re new to the world of firewood (or you just need a refresher course), this guide will help you out. We’ll cover the right firewood to use, what to avoid, and why a professional arborist service will save you a ton of work for the year up ahead. Are you ready to get started?
THE RIGHT FIREWOOD MATTERS
You’ll need high-quality and well-seasoned firewood to keep your equipment (i.e. fireplace, wood stove) working efficiently and cleanly. Using the wrong (i.e. unseasoned) wood can cause various issues like smoking, odor, rapid creosote buildup, or even possible chimney fires. Since proper firewood is absolutely essential, you’ll want a professional provider to rely on.
BEFORE YOU ORDER – HOW MUCH SPACE DO YOU HAVE?
Firewood ordering is totally dependent on the available space you have to properly store your wood. If you’re looking for a good spot, you’ll want to avoid having it right next to your house or garage, since this can attract pests like insects and mice, as well as pose a fire danger risk. You’ll also want to find a storage place that allows you to stack your wood in a crisscross pattern at each end of a pile then laid lengthwise across each other. Not only will this create a stable pile that’s easy to pull from (especially when it’s freezing and snowing outside!), you’ll also ensure good ventilation to facilitate drying and avoid rotting.
SEASONED VS. UNSEASONED WOOD
The biggest rule about firewood is simple: Only burn seasoned wood. What makes wood unseasoned or seasoned? We’ve got you covered right here!
Unseasoned (aka green) wood: All firewood contains water. Recently harvested, unseasoned wood has a high moisture content (freshly cut wood can be 45% water), so it’s heavy. This should not be burned until it dries out for a season, usually around nine months, but this depends on the area humidity. It doesn’t mean it’s “bad” wood by any means – it just needs that drying time. So if you’re planning to buy it well in advance to accommodate this season of drying, that’s totally fine, since it will become seasoned by the time you burn it. On the flipside, if you burn this immature wood too soon, it’s going to be very ineffective (the heat will attempt to dry the wood before it burns it), and you’ll get some heavy smoke, strong fumes, and some acidic water in your chimney/stove.
Seasoned wood: As wood becomes well-seasoned, the moisture content drops down to about 20-25%, making it much lighter and drier, and usually has darkened ends with visible splits or cracks. Seasoned wood is essential for your fires, since it’s easier to start them and it will also burn hotter and cleaner.
P.s. If you’re on the fence about what category your wood falls into, listen to the sound as you clunk two pieces together! Unseasoned wood is going to feel pretty heavy and it will make a “thud” when they meet, while the lightweight seasoned wood will make a pretty clear “clunk.” Again, it’s best not to leave it up to guessing, so get on a schedule with your professional arborist to ensure you’re always burning seasoned wood when you’re using it!
WHAT NOT TO BURN
Not all firewood is equal, and it’s not even close! In addition to avoiding that unseasoned green wood, here’s all the things not to throw into the fire:
- Non-local wood: This intruder can introduce invasive insects or diseases to a new environment.
- Treated or painted wood: Older treated woods were often preserved with arsenic, something you clearly don’t want in the air. Painted woods will also release chemicals when they’re burned.
- Driftwood: While these flames can be pretty, the salt content can transform the chlorine into carcinogens.
- Big wood: If you try to burn logs bigger than 5 inches in diameter, you’ll be wasting time.
WHY A PROFESSIONAL FIREWOOD PROVIDER IS A MUST-HAVE
A professional arborist service guarantees that your firewood is exactly what it needs to be for your exact needs.
Not only will you get the highest-quality local firewood, you’ll also be given the full knowledge behind it. You’ll get some guidance on finding what mix (softwood and hardwood, seasoned and unseasoned) is right for you – remembering seasoned wood is great for right now while unseasoned wood is great for later at a timeline that they can help you with.
Your professional arborist service can also help you understand how much firewood you need (factoring in your storage space), and you’ll order this wood by the “cord” measurement, which is a stack of wood 8-ft. long x 4-ft. deep x 4-ft. high, or roughly 128 cubic feet.
Finally, when you work with a professional arborist service, you’ll get all this wood delivered right to your home, and you’ll be on a reliable ordering schedule that will keep you warm (and prepared) for the year up ahead.
GET YOUR FREE FIREWOOD ESTIMATE TODAY!
If you’re ready to order your firewood, let’s start with getting you a free estimate. Gardner Tree Service is a full-service and year-round tree company located in Naples, Maine, operating throughout the lakes region as well as Greater Portland. Our fully licensed and insured team takes care to provide professional results, and we strive to provide the best quality and friendly service from start to finish.
To get started with your free estimate, please call us at 207.747.8049 or email us at Gardnertrees@gmail.com. We look forward to learning how we can help you with all your tree-service needs!