What Type of Wood Burns Best?
Most recent answer: 10/22/2007
Q:
What type of wood burns the best?
- Robbie (age 14)
elizabethtown, pa
- Robbie (age 14)
elizabethtown, pa
A:
Robbie -
I did some searching online and here’s what I found...
According to , "Dry, seasoned wood is best. The type of tree is not as important as moisture content. Even the most dense wood must be allowed to dry for a minimum of 12 months after being split and stacked. Popular firewood in the Northwest are: maple, alder, Douglas fir and fruitwood, such as apple and cherry. Another good fuel source is pressed, fire logs, manufactured by pressurizing sawdust, as opposed to wax-based decorative logs, which have limited heating value."
’s cached version of confirms the last one, saying that "The best is hardwood which has been split, covered and air-dried for one year. Logs that are 18-20 inches in length and 6-8 inches in diameter are best for burning."
Lastly, points out that "When building your fire, remember that hardwoods burn slowly and evenly. Softwood, such as pine, should not be used for anything more than kindling when starting a fire, as it burns too hot and too quickly. You should always keep a combination of dry and green wood on hand. The dry wood for cranking up the fire and the green wood for slowing it down some. "
-Tamara
I did some searching online and here’s what I found...
According to , "Dry, seasoned wood is best. The type of tree is not as important as moisture content. Even the most dense wood must be allowed to dry for a minimum of 12 months after being split and stacked. Popular firewood in the Northwest are: maple, alder, Douglas fir and fruitwood, such as apple and cherry. Another good fuel source is pressed, fire logs, manufactured by pressurizing sawdust, as opposed to wax-based decorative logs, which have limited heating value."
’s cached version of confirms the last one, saying that "The best is hardwood which has been split, covered and air-dried for one year. Logs that are 18-20 inches in length and 6-8 inches in diameter are best for burning."
Lastly, points out that "When building your fire, remember that hardwoods burn slowly and evenly. Softwood, such as pine, should not be used for anything more than kindling when starting a fire, as it burns too hot and too quickly. You should always keep a combination of dry and green wood on hand. The dry wood for cranking up the fire and the green wood for slowing it down some. "
-Tamara
(published on 10/22/2007)