When it is winter, you know it’s that time for hot chocolates, knit sweaters, and surrounding the fireplace.
If you keep your home heated with firewood, then you need to know how to choose the right firewood.
When it comes to choosing winter firewood, you have a ton of options -from seasoned to softwood and hardwood - as well as natural and manufactured.
Alongside choosing the right winter firewood, you also need to ensure it is sustainable.
In this article, we’re going to share with you small tips to ensure your firewood is sustainable during winter.
We will also talk about how to choose the right winter firewood.
So if you want to heat your home without gas or charcoal, this article is for you.
Opt for Seasoned Firewood
Seasoned firewood is said to have a lengthier and cleaner burn. This is because any water that had been trapped within the wood will have dried before burning it.
A study by dissertation writing service suggests that green firewood provides cooler fires with too much smoke which could be disastrous to your chimney as well as your health and the environment.
Seasoning firewood yourself isn’t hard or you can buy it locally.
Now perhaps you’re wondering what the term “seasoned” means.
Let’s define it to ensure we’re all on the same page as we move along.
What Is Seasoned Firewood?
Seasoned or pre-seasoned firewood is wood that has been cut and left out to dry for a long time.
There is also kiln dried firewood where the moisture from the wood is dried by putting the wood in a kiln.
Choose the Right Wood Species
Undoubtedly, wood is said to be a renewable energy source, but it is recommended to choose wood species that are cleaner and have a lengthier burn to minimize environmental pollution.
You could decide to chop your own wood or buy from local stores but ensure you choose long-burning wood like beech or hickory.
Look For Waste Wood
You could also look for wood that has dried and fallen in the road or check out on people’s lawns instead of chopping down wood from healthy trees.
There are many areas you can check to see whether there are people who want tree removing services. You can check on Craigslist or Facebook to see whether there are people who need help with tree removal so you can do it for them and pick the firewood.
This is one of the best ways to get free firewood while helping others.
Source Firewood Locally
When it comes to sourcing locally what comes to many people’s minds is food, but you can also source firewood locally.
Sourcing firewood far away could make you import bugs and parasites to your area. It’s also encouraging the destruction of forests in other areas.
Just make sure you’re buying locally sourced firewood.
Grow Firewood Trees
Did you know you can grow firewood trees the same way you grow timber for sale?
Yes, it’s possible. In fact, it’s one of the best eco-friendly practices that’s also lucrative.
You can grow firewood trees such as red maple, white pine, hybrid poplar, and black walnut that don’t require much effort and investment.
It’s a long-term investment though, but can be lucrative in the long run if you have the land.
How to Choose Winter Firewood
When it comes to choosing winter firewood, you have a ton of options to choose from.
Let’s compare the options and see which one to choose.
Seasoned vs. Unseasoned Firewood
As stated earlier, seasoned firewood is wood that has been left to dry for a long time.
This means that moisture that had been trapped in the wood has evaporated and the wood contains less wet resin.
The wood can therefore be lit fast, burn longer, and produce less smoke.
Seasoning wood properly can take a long time so you need to be patient.
Unseasoned wood doesn’t produce more heat as more energy goes into evaporating the moisture and water trapped in the wood.
Soft vs. Hard Winter Firewood
Hardwood is considered to have more weight than softwood. This means that you will spend more money on hardwoods than on softwoods if you consider buying by weight.
Remember that softwood burns much faster than hardwood so you will need to add more wood to keep your home heated.
Let’s get in-depth with each option above.
Softwood
Softwood has a fast growth rate than hardwood but is less dense and lighter.
If you’re looking for wood, you can season or dry fast then choose softwood.
Softwood also ignites fast; however, it produces more smoke than hardwood.
Softwood also produces sparks and ignites hot with lots of popping so it’s suitable for outdoor use.
Hardwood
Hardwood is the opposite of softwood.
- It is more dense and heavy.
- Grows slowly.
- Takes time to season.
- Provides slow sustainable burning.
- Doesn’t crack or spark when burning.
Remember that albeit being superior to softwood; ensure you buy high-quality hardwood.
That’s why it’s recommended to source your firewood wisely.
And if you decide to choose down your own firewood, ensure trees whose leaves have turned and fall off. You can consider chopping firewood from Oak, Beech, or Maple trees.
If you decide to chop firewood and season yourself, you will need to be patient as it may take up to 2 years.
Ensure it is Sustainable and Free of Chemicals or Pests
Another important thing to remember when choosing winter firewood is that it must have been grown sustainably.
Getting your firewood from construction sites or old projects is said to be the best way to recycle scraps, but it could be problematic if the wood is treated as it could release toxic fumes while burning.
To be safe, you need to avoid firewood obtained from telephone poles, railway sleepers, particle boards, or pieces of old furniture as it is often treated and can emit harmful fumes when burned.
Natural Firewood vs. Manufactured Logs
Natural firewood is just as the name suggests. This is firewood that’s obtained from the ground. It doesn’t have added harmful chemicals.
However, while natural firewood may seem sustainable, you may want to try manufactured or man-made firewood.
Why?
Manufactured logs are made from sawdust or plant-based wax.
This makes it release fewer emissions than natural wood when burned. Manufactured wood is also said to not clog the chimney.
This makes manufacturing more fairly sustainable.
Often, natural firewood clogs chimneys as it contains a substance known as creosote.
Natural firewood also needs to be split, seasoned, and takes longer to ignite than manufactured wood.
The drawback with manufactured wood is that it doesn’t produce more heat than natural firewood. This makes natural firewood the best option if you’re looking to heat your home in winter.
Final Word
So there you have it. How do you ensure your firewood is sustainable in winter?
Share your tips with us in the comment section.
Written by Joseph McLean
About the Author
If you’re asking yourself “who can do the best assignment writing service in the UK or pay someone to do my assignment”, you have been looking for reliable sources without success, then Joe McLean is one who has an experience to help with, because he used to do that a lot before.
Joe is also a professional business consultant who offers consultations in assignment help, around the topics of productivity and self-improvement. Please contact him on Facebook.
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