The firewood that goes into your fireplace can have different results depending on the type of wood.
Now that winter is in full effect and you are using your fireplace regularly, it’s essential to ask, what type of wood are you burning? It may seem like a small thing, but the firewood that goes into your fireplace can have different results depending on the type of wood. Let’s look further into what constitutes good and bad firewood.
Good Types of Firewood for Your Fireplace
Oak
Oak has long been considered the best wood to burn in a fireplace because it has an even burn that lasts longer and burns hotter due to its density. Oak also grows nearly everywhere in the lower forty-eight states. The only drawbacks to burning oak in your fireplace are that it needs to be cured for a year and is difficult to light.
Birch
Birch is another good choice because it burns brightly and provides instant warmth. It also lacks the density of other woods, so it burns faster but leaves less residue in the chimney and less to clean up in the fireplace.
Maple
Maple is primarily found in the Northern United States and Canada. Like oak, it burns slowly and hot because of its density. There are several varieties of maple, and you can burn all types in your fireplace.
Bad Types of Firewood for Your Fireplace
Chemically Treated Wood
You should never burn chemically treated or painted wood in your fireplace. Burning chemically treated in your fireplace puts your family at risk of exposure to toxic fumes. This poses not only an immediate threat but can also pose a risk over time. If the smoke from chemically treated is ingested over time, it can be a carcinogen. It also causes a greater buildup of creosote in your chimney, a highly flammable substance responsible for most chimney fires yearly.
Pine
Pine is abundant in most of the country, so you may think it’s okay to burn. But pine comes with a few issues. Pine burns fast, requiring large amounts to create a long-lasting fire. Secondly, pine also makes large amounts of creosote. The number of floating embers that pine produces increases the chances of a chimney fire.
Poplar
Like pine and chemically treated wood, burning poplar in your fireplace causes significant creosote buildup in your chimney because of its ability to hold moisture. Poplar also produces a massive amount of smoke and doesn’t burn as hot as other types of wood.
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