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Chimney sweep information hub > Choosing the right wood to burnWhich Wood do I Burn?Alder - Gives a poor heat output and does not last very long. Apple - Has a steady slow burn when the wood is dry, good heat output with a small visible flame and pleasant odour. Ash - Excellent burning wood, gives great heat and flame output and also burns when green. Best heat output gained when wood is dry. Beech - Good heat output but only fair when wood is green. This wood is prone to shoot embers whilst burning. Birch - The heat is good but the wood burns quickly, however a pleasant odour is produced. Cedar - Produces little flames but great heat and a wonderful odour. Provides a splendid noise when burned. Cherry - A slow burning wood that produces good heat and a pleasant odour. Chestnut - Produces small flames and normal heat, prone to shooting embers. Douglas Fir - Poor. Little flame or heat. Elder - Generates a lot of smoke and burns very quickly, not much heat. Elm - Commonly offered for sale. To burn well it needs to be kept for two years. Even when dry it is liable to smoke. Eucalyptus - Good dense hardwood, should be properly seasoned before use but will produce good heat. Hazel - Good. Holly - Good, will burn when green but best when kept a season to dry out fully. Hornbeam - Comparable in many aspects to Beech. Laburnum - Totally poisonous tree, acrid smoke, taints food, best avoided altogether. Larch - Crackly, scented and fairly good for heat. Laurel - Has a brilliant flame. Lime - Poor. Burns with dull flame. Maple - Good. Oak - Does not produce very good flame and the smoke is acrid. However, dry old oak is excellent for heat, burning slowly and steadily until whole log collapses into ash. Pear - Provides good heat and an extremely pleasant scent. Pine - Burns with a splendid flame but is liable to split. Plane - Burns pleasantly but is naturally given to throw sparks if very dry. Plum - Good heat and aromatic. Poplar - Not recommended. Rhododendron - The thick old stems, being very tough, burn well. Robinia (Acacia) - Burns slowly with good heat, but is unfortunately accompanied by an acrid smoke. Spruce - Burns at an extremely fast rate and creates many sparks. Sycamore - Burns with a good flame, with moderate heat - unless green. Thorn - Quite one of the best woods. Burns slowly, produces great heat with very little smoke. Walnut - Good, and so is the scent. A very aromatic wood. Willow - Poor. In a dry condition burns slowly, with a little flame. Liable to spark. Yew - Has a slow burn with great heat and a pleasant scent. When buying firewood, please remember that first and foremost, it must be properly seasoned. The best way to get seasoned wood is to buy this years wood for next year! Wood yards or sellers may tell you that even though the wood was split this year, it will be just fine. Except for Fir or Pine, this may not be the case. If you split this season’s wood, it may be dry and very white inside! Unseasoned wood has the fresh clean look of the new lumber at a wood yard or D I Y store. Unseasoned wood has that same fresh look on the INSIDE when it is split. Though seasoned wood is darker on the outside, it is bone white on the inside. You should be looking for grey or darkened brittle wood that has a lot of cracks in the inner rings. Wood that is seasoned looks grey or dark due to the fact that it has been sitting in the sun or has been stored indoors, drying and collecting dust. James the Chimney Sweep always recommends that every customer buys a wood moisture meter, a relatively inexpensive piece of kit (around £25) and never ever burn any wood over 20% moisture content. Never burn wet wood in a chimney or chimney liner. It really will block the flue and could invalidate any guarantees. |
