Buying firewood

[Delirium]

Recently, I bought a wood insert and its a heck of a lot cheaper than oil as it will heat most of the house. I still have oil heat/radiators but I'd like to avoid using it as much as I can.

The problem is, I just ran out of wood, probably 1/3 of a cord we had sitting in our backyard. I'm looking to buy firewood but I don't want to get burned, pardon the pun.

What should I look for? I'm guessing seasoned and no pine for starters, anyone have any tips?

[bj229r]

Oak is best....1/2 of a split, closely stacked full size pick-up is mebbe 1/2 cord....if the individual split pieces fell heavier than they ought, it's either wet of green, neither of which you want

[greens]

Del make sure when u install woodstove and chimney that u install it right. as for getting wood the easiest way is to buy a 4-wheeler u cud weave in between trees easier and carry a decent load enough wood for 2 or 3 days on the 4-wheeler. i burn wood all the time. look for trees that are dry<no green branches-needles>.

[dkff49]

I have been burning wood for years to heat my house and will never do without it. I burn pretty much any wood that I can get ahold of, though I avoid buying wood (because I'm cheap).

As far as buying wood though. Oak is one of the more prevelant woods out there that people sell and is a great balance between amount of heat that you get and amount of time it takes to burn out. However I have heard (no experience myself) that apple trees work very well if you have any orchards near your place they alot of times will sell the wood from the old trees. Around here it is about half and half (you cut or they cut and split). Locust is also another nice wood to burn if you can find it. The nice thing about locust is that it will last a long time in the stove and will give off a great deal of heat as well. I would actually place locust wood up there as one of the best woods for burning.

Probably the most important things to look for when purchasing firewood is any hardwood will work well and you want it to be seasoned, after that it is more about preference and availability (IMIHO).

The one thing I do reccomend to anyone especially those that burn like I do (just about anything that is free) is to clean your chimney at least every year. Most will reccomend monthly, but my stove doesn't shut down until spring after the first big cold snap.

[bj229r]

love Locust! Ya can cut down a standing dead tree, not have to split it or anything, always 5-7" wide

[smedddd]

Delerium,

I cut wood one year ahead to let it "season". I look in Craigslist for people who have tree's they don't want or have fallen over, usually listed in the "free" area of craigslist. I haul it out with my trailer. Don't use pine or hemlock...it will permanently clog up your chimney.

A chain saw doesn't use much gas either!

I'm in CT as well. I'm currently working 6 Maples on a yuppee's property thet blew over. He only wants to get them out and the destroyed limbs gone...........free. I've been working them since November and have 3 trees left to cut (these are GIANT maples). There's at least 3-4 cords sitting on my front lawn right now that I'll split this spring for burning next winter.

I run the wood stove any time the temp is less than 40 deg. If you want in, PM me, you can have half of what we harvest. I could use the help and I can teach you how to run a saw ( I have two Stihl's and a 27 ton splitter) if you don't already know.

The wood won't be good for this year though, you have to try to get at least one year ahead!

V/R and <S>, LTARjink

[Shuffler]

Recently, I bought a wood insert and its a heck of a lot cheaper than oil as it will heat most of the house. I still have oil heat/radiators but I'd like to avoid using it as much as I can.

The problem is, I just ran out of wood, probably 1/3 of a cord we had sitting in our backyard. I'm looking to buy firewood but I don't want to get burned, pardon the pun.

What should I look for? I'm guessing seasoned and no pine for starters, anyone have any tips?

Don't play with matches..... you'll put your eye out.

[Buzzard7]

A bunch of wood burners around here will find a developer that is clearing trees for foundations and hit them up for the trees. Most of those you get for free just need to cart them off.

If pine is all you can get cheap make sure you burn it hot. That will help keep the creosote down.

[Roidrage]

The overall best wood for burning is Douglas Fir that has had a chance to dryout for atleast 6 months. Douglas Fir gives off good heat and burns for quite awhile and gives off low creosote build up in your chimney. If you want alot of heat but with low burn time and a large cresote, go for Cedar. I've used a wood stove for heating my house since I was born. Never used electric or gas heating. I'm not sure what is available in your area, but if you have the chance, old growth Douglas Fir is the best wood you can get for burning. Where I am from, Douglas Fir usualy goes for around 80$ a chord.

[Banshee7]

All I know is that oak burns long and hot!  About ran me out of the cabin!

[cattb]

Elm burns fast but hot, Oak is 5 star when dry,locust another as mentioned. Maple(maple is more of the soft wood catagory) depending on type,Hickory burns real good last long time( another great firewood ).
Softer woods pine, popular, birch,boxelder burn fast but great fire starters or fall and spring firewood where you don't want a long hot fire.
Burn a good hot fire once a week or so if burning soft woods and clean your chimney once a year, easy with a chimney brush and wieght tied to it.
I burned wood and coal for many years, coal you need a stove that will handle the heat and yeah its dirty and smells bad when burning slow.
Never burn coal in a stove that is not made for it.

[Obie303]

Del,  everyone is suggesting what types of wood to burn, seasoned wood, etc. etc.  I would like to add a few things about safety.

How good was your chimney?  Make sure you clean it after burning for a winter.  I used to burn wood until I got sick of splitting and doing all the work with my bad back.  Had a few chimney fires too.  Don't panic if that happens.  Close the damper and listen to it.  It'll sound like a freight train is running through the house.  If you catch it in time, you can put it out.  If you do end up with a fire that you can't put out and end up calling the fire dept, you will have a mess on your hands. They usually dont add water to them any more.  They have these chemical bags that they can drop down.  I've only seen it used once though.  If the FD uses water, that can crack your flume.  Big bucks to fix.

I'm sure other people can offer better advice.  I haven't burned wood in 8 years.  Can only imagine what a cord of seasoned wood is going for now.

[Delirium]

Del,  everyone is suggesting what types of wood to burn, seasoned wood, etc. etc.  I would like to add a few things about safety.

My chimney is good, I even had it lined all the way from wood insert to the top of the chimney, and the chimney is capped as well.

I run the wood stove any time the temp is less than 40 deg. If you want in, PM me, you can have half of what we harvest. I could use the help and I can teach you how to run a saw ( I have two Stihl's and a 27 ton splitter) if you don't already know.

I appreciate the offer but considering the price of wood is fairly low still, I'd rather purchase it. I do use my father in law's log gas powered log splitter from time to time but I don't think I'm entirely qualified for chainsaw use. LTARjink, do you know of anyone selling wood? I'd like to see the money go to someone that is AH connected, if you know what I mean.

Can only imagine what a cord of seasoned wood is going for now.

A seasoned and split cord is going for between $175 and $225 delivered. Considering I have a small Subaru Baja, I'd have to make a lot of trips and it would probably kill the car (it looks like the old Subaru Brats).

Thanks for all the help, gentleman. Except Shuffler, may he eat yellow snow. 

[Ghosth]

Del any of the pines, firs will have more creosote than hardwoods. And will burn faster, giving you less heat.

Alder, Birch, Poplar, are all pretty soft, not a lot of creosote about a tossup with the pines for heat. Good for starting the fire, and easy to split.

Oak, Ash, Elm are all top notch will give you the most heat for the least creosote buildup.

Ideally this summer you cut next winters fuel supply, cut, split, stack and dry it over the hot days of summer.

[uptown]

I use maple, hickory, walnut and oak. I live in the country so we just cut it out of the ditches along the gravel roads most of the time. I go through about 10 pickup loads a year. I stay away from any of the pines and piss elms. Pine is good for camping trips but can be dangerous to burn in the home.
WTG on the change over to wood