Favourite Firewood

[Peter 1955]

Answering the original question, Ash. Splits easily, dries fast, and burns well. Oak is so slow to dry, and Elm is such a pain to split. The sawbench was your friend when dealing with elm. 

Most of my wood nowadays is clearings from hedge trees, so they can get bigger machines round. Everyone round here is lopping branches off with circular saw blades, only problem is it's rarely straight. 

[Silverhooker]

A good mix of wood is the best so you get the best of each type, just make sure its dry !!

[Dazza95]

I had a mix of Scots pine and oak last year and found it to be fantastic. Oak was great at providing a long lasting, consistent heat and the pine got up to temperature very quickly. As said though, it’s always nice to have a good mix of dry wood on hand – I find a variety of sizes helps too; bigger pieces for long burns and anything in between for getting a fire started. 

[Honda]

Three year dried oak and beech, Two year dried silver birch and sycamore.  

[Ashes_Firewood]

Another vote for Ash. Keeps well. Never really that wet to start with and you can near enough dry it in lengths before even processing. Burns well too.

 

I get a lot of Silver Birch and its good wood once dry but it can be a bit annoying if you leave it lying round it will sweat and start rotting very quickly. I had some oversized Silver Birch that I ringed up 2 months ago and only just got round to splitting it now and all the faces are going mouldy. Will be fine once it's split and stacked but it really doesn't take well to lying round in wet weather. You can't chuck it in a vented bag like you can with Ash as it will just sweat and go mouldy so I've started stacking it.

Edited August 4, 2023 by Ashes_Firewood

[Silverhooker]

Sycamore can go a bit mouldy if you don't take care too, was told it is to do with the high carbohydrate content in the sap as it dries. Guess that's why they get syrup and birch water from these species.

[Cosmiccrofter]

On 30/07/2023 at 20:25, trigger_andy said:

I hate to say it but Larch is currently my favorite. Primarily due to its ability to get to a high heat quickly and holds onto it. Perfect in the kitchen cooker.

 

Winter time its beech, oak and larch for me. But I'll be burning whatever comes off of the Mill as waste.

I have been burning larch for over fifty years, best firewood you can get, first on an open fire then the last forty years in a woodburner. Yes I am an old codger!!!

Edited August 4, 2023 by Cosmiccrofter

[Elliott.F]

8 hours ago, Ashes_Firewood said:

 

 

I get a lot of Silver Birch and its good wood once dry but it can be a bit annoying if you leave it lying round it will sweat and start rotting very quickly. I had some oversized Silver Birch that I ringed up 2 months ago and only just got round to splitting it now and all the faces are going mouldy. Will be fine once it's split and stacked but it really doesn't take well to lying round in wet weather. You can't chuck it in a vented bag like you can with Ash as it will just sweat and go mouldy so I've started stacking it.

I didn’t know that about silver birch. I’ve always thought it was an excellent firewood, but didn’t know how easy it can go mouldy if you just chuck it in a vented bag. 

[Elliott.F]

7 hours ago, Silverhooker said:

Sycamore can go a bit mouldy if you don't take care too, was told it is to do with the high carbohydrate content in the sap as it dries. Guess that's why they get syrup and birch water from these species.

Interesting. Cheers. 

[sime42]

On 04/08/2023 at 19:22, Elliott.F said:

I didn’t know that about silver birch. I’ve always thought it was an excellent firewood, but didn’t know how easy it can go mouldy if you just chuck it in a vented bag. 

Interestingly, the bark of birch trees is far more resistant to rotting than the timber. You often see logs that have half rotted away inside, with bark still intact. Presumably why they use I to make Birch Tar, lots of useful compounds in there.