What Are the Best Woods for Fireplace Comfort

As summer comes to a close and the weather slowly cools down, it’s never too soon to think about your chimney. With the colder months approach, it’s time to make sure you’re ready for fires when the time comes. This includes annual inspections and sweeps, preparing around your fireplace, and loading up on wood to burn. Have you ever wondered what’s the best type of wood to burn? Let’s take a closer look.

Is There One “Best” Type of Wood to Burn?

The short answer is yes. But there are several great options and several poor options. There are certain types that perform best, which we define as: producing the most heat with the least byproduct (including creosote). This helps contribute to an efficient fire with minimal discomfort, such as smoke and an overwhelming unpleasant smell that may linger.

The best type of wood available to burn in your fireplace or wood burning stove would be one within the hardwood variety. This includes oak, hard maple, and birch. Overwhelmingly, oak is viewed as the best wood to burn in a fireplace. This is because they offer a slow-burning fire which burns long and evenly. However, it is very important for oak wood to be completely seasoned and dry. To be adequately seasoned, it must dry for one full year, largely due to the sap content.

Maple is another great option, like oak and is readily available in the United States and Canada. Birch is also an option; however it does burn quicker than the previously mentioned hardwoods which is a consideration when choosing the right material for you.

Do Softwoods Not Burn Well?

Not necessarily, but they burn faster than hardwood. This means you’ll have to go through more material and are left with more wood ash in return. Softwoods season very quickly, which sounds like a benefit. But it does come with its downfall. Mainly, there can be sap pockets in the wood which leads to more crackle and pop and potential for sparks. Of the softwoods, the best option would be fir as they produce the least ash and age the best of the softwoods.

Other Things to Avoid When Choosing Firewood

A lot of times, we burn what we have. Sometimes this it fine. But, if you’re burning inside your home, it’s best to avoid the following:

Wet wood — leads to smoke, inefficient burning, and an overall unpleasant experience.
Painted or treated wood — There are so many potentially harmful chemicals in paint and stains. When burned, it can emit toxic chemicals in the air to breathe. Avoid this at all cost.
Be cautious of where you store wood — You want well-ventilated, dry storage for wood you intend to burn. Otherwise, it can attract mold, other growth, and certain unwanted bugs.

Need any Chimney Services? Call CS Indy Today

If you live within 20 miles of Marion County, call CS Indy for chimney services. The team here at Chimney Solutions Indiana will be in our marked trucks and clean uniforms and at your door on time! We travel to Noblesville, Fishers, Zionsville, Westfield, Geist, Eagle Creek, Carmel, Brownsburg and all throughout the Indianapolis, IN area.