Burning Wood

Site Last Updated
6th December 2009

Not alll households have fireplaces nowadays, but you may find the comparisons between different timbers interesting. In particuarly, some timber is better suited to burning soon after being cut while others need to be stored for a year to get rid of the water. For your entertainment, there are a number of poems that make the point too.

Of course, most of us could pile a few logs in a corner of our gardens as a refuge and breading place for insects. You may be surprised by the variety of insects you will help, and your bird population will be delighted!

The AIE Firewood Burning Guide - with a few additions

The quality of the following firewood is based upon various characteristics such as its speed of burn, heat given off, tendency to spark (spit), ease of splitting, time required to season, etc

Grade: 1 = Poor. Grade: 2 = Low. Grade: 3 = Good. Grade: 4 = High.

Common Name	Botanical Name	Comments
Alder	Alnus	A low quality firewood. Grade: 1
Apple	Malus	Needs to be seasoned well. Burns well with a pleasant smell and without sparking/spitting. Grade: 3
Ash	Fraxinus	Considered to be one of the best woods for firewood. It has a low water content (approx. 50%) and can be split very easily with an axe. It can be burned green but like all wood is best when seasoned. Burns at a steady rate and not too fast. Grade: 4
Beech	Fagus	Beech has a high water content (approx. 90%) so only burns well when seasoned well. Not as good as Oak. Grade: 3
Birch	Betula	Birch is an excellent firewood and will burn unseasoned. However, it does burn very fast so is best mixed with slower burning wood such as Elm or Oak. Grade: 3-4
Cedar	Cedrus	A good firewood which burns well with a pleasant smell. Gives off a good, lasting heat. Doesn't spit too much and small pieces can be burned unseasoned. Grade: 2
Cherry	Prunus	Needs to be seasoned well. Burns well with a pleasant smell and without spitting. Grade: 2-3
Elm	Ulmus	A good firewood but due to its high water content of approximately 140% (more water than wood!) it must be seasoned very well. It may need assistance from another faster burning wood such as Birch to keep it burning well. However it gives off a good, lasting heat and burns very slowly. Dutch Elm Disease is producing a constant & plentiful supply of small dead hedgerow Elm trees of a small diameter. Larger pieces of wood will prove difficult to split. Grade: 2-3
Eucalyptus	Eucalyptus	Allow to season well since the wood is very wet (sappy) when fresh. Can be difficult to split due to stringy wood fibre. Best method is to slice into rings and allow to season during the summer, the rings will start to split themselves. Burns fast with a pleasant smell and without spitting. Grade: 2-3
Hawthorn	Crataegus	Good firewood. Burns well. Grade: 3-4
Hazel	Corylus	Excellent firewood. Allow to season. Burns fast but without spitting. Grade: 4
Holly	Ilex	Can be burnt green. A good firewood. Grade: 3
Hornbeam	Carpinus	Good firewood. Burns well. Grade: 3
Horse Chestnut	Aesculus	A low quality firewood. Grade: 2
Larch	Larix	Needs to be seasoned well. Spits excessively while it burns and forms an oily soot within chimney's. Grade: 1
Lime	Tilia	A low quality firewood. Grade: 2
Oak	Quercus	One of the best firewood's. When seasoned well, it gives off a good, lasting heat. Burns reasonably slowly. Grade: 4
Pear	Pyrus	Needs to be seasoned well. Burns well with a pleasant smell and without spitting. Grade: 3
Pine	Pinus	Needs to be seasoned well. Spits while it burns and forms an oily soot within chimney's. Grade: 1
Plane	Platanus	A usable firewood. Grade: 3
Poplar	Populus	Considered a poorer firewood (see comments below). Grade: 1
Rowan	Sorbus aucuparia	Good firewood. Burns well. Grade: 3
Spruce	Picea	A low quality firewood. Grade: 2
Sweet Chestnut	Castanea	Burns when seasoned but spits continuously and excessively. Not for use on an open fire and make sure wood-burning stoves have a good door catch! Grade: 1-2
Sycamore (Maples)	Acer pseudoplatanus	Good firewood. Burns well. Grade: 3
Walnut	Juglans	A low quality firewood. Grade: 2
Wellingtonia	Sequoiadendron	Poor for use as a firewood. Grade: 1
Willow	Salix	Willow has a high water content so only burns well when seasoned well. Grade: 2
Yew	Taxus	A usable firewood. Grade: 2-3

Generally hardwoods are best for open fires because they tend not to spit excessively, however there are exceptions. Conifer wood tends to spit excessively when fresh, so is best used for sealed wood burning stoves, again there are exceptions. Many conifers also cause an oily, sticky 'soot' to form inside the chimney which can increase the risks of chimney fires. Once properly seasoned (see below) conifer wood can be successfully used on the open fire without excessive spitting. Ideally, conifer wood is best mixed with hardwood.

Wood to be seasoned should be cut to length (300mm or 10"-18"), split to size and stacked. The stack should be completely covered on the top to prevent rain wetting the wood but air must be allowed to reach the sides of the stack. Leave to season for at least 1 year (more if possible).

In simple terms, the word 'seasoned' means 'dry' and the term 'green' means 'freshly cut from living tree'.


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