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seasoned firewood

 

Seasoned firewood is thoroughly dried
 

Fireplace Safety


How Can I Burn Wood Safely At Home?

The National Fire Protection Association offers this advice for the safe use of a fireplace or other wood-burning heater:

Burn only dry, well-seasoned wood that has been split, stacked, and allowed to dry for 12 months.

Do not use green wood, trash, or any other combustibles that could burn unevenly, resulting in flare-ups, or burn incompletely, resulting in deposits of creosote, an oily, sticky, combustible byproduct  produced by the incomplete burning of wood.

Artificial logs, typically made of sawdust and wax, can pose a flare-up risk or a sticky deposit risk in some situations; they should be used only in accordance with manufacturer's instructions and never in wood stoves.

Use only newspaper and kindling wood to start a fire. Never use flammable liquids, such as lighter fluid, kerosene or gasoline to start a fire. And when adding wood to a working fire, wear only short, tight-fitting sleeves to reduce the risk of igniting your clothing if the fire flares up during the refueling.

Have a sturdy screen on a fireplace. Supervise children when open fires are burning. Install a noncombustible screen around the fireplace or other wood or gas-burning appliance to prevent children from getting burned..


How Dangerous is Carbon Monoxide?

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a toxic byproduct of combustion. It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and non-irritating, so it is difficult for people to detect.

It can be deadly, even in small quantities, because it replaces oxygen in the bloodstream. Symptoms of mild poisoning include headaches, vertigo, and flu-like effects; larger exposures can lead to significant toxicity of the central nervous system and heart.

An improperly functioning fireplace or combustion heater can produce carbon monoxide. Sometimes, chronic symptoms are caused by low-level exposure.

For more information about carbon monoxide poisoning, follow this link to the press release on the subject by the National Fire Protection Association.


What Kind of Wood Burns Best?

Hardwoods and softwoods are virtually identical in chemical composition. The chief difference is their fiber density.

Because soft woods like fir and pine are less dense, they are easy to ignite and burn intensely with a lot of heat. The hard woods are oak, beech, birch, maple and ash. Because they are dense, they are harder to light on fire, but once they are lit, they burn longer and less intensely providing a steady warmth.

A combination of hard and softwoods offers the best of both worlds--easy to light and longer lasting warmth.

The Chimney Safety Institute of America points out that all firewood contains water. Freshly cut wood can be up to 45% water, while well seasoned firewood generally has a 20-25% moisture content.

Well seasoned firewood is easier to start, produces more heat, and burns cleaner. The important thing to remember is that the water must be gone before the wood will burn. If your wood was cut six  to 12 months in advance and properly stored, the sun and wind will do the job for free.

If you try to burn green wood, the heat produced by the combustion is spent drying the wood before it will burn. This results in less heat delivered to your home, and literally gallons of acidic water in the form of creosote deposited in your chimney.


What Exactly Is "Well Seasoned" Wood?

There are a few things you can look for to see if the wood you intend to purchase is seasoned or not. Well seasoned firewood generally has darkened ends with cracks or splits visible.  It is relatively lightweight, and makes a "clunk" when two pieces are beat together.

Green wood on the other hand is very heavy.  The ends look fresher, and it tends to make a dull "thud" when struck.

These clues can fool you however, and by far the best way to be sure you have good wood when you need it is to buy your wood the spring before you intend to burn it and store it properly.