Wood Burning Guys -
My experience has always been "Ash wet or dry, good to warm a Kings slippers by." (To reference an Old saying.)
I have now come to believe that Black Gum, fits in the same realm.
It burns very nice, somewhat uncured, unlike Oak, Beech, Birch, Poplar, etc. Have been spltting up some large Blackgums dropped off by my Cousin, it burns nice. 12-20" diameter cuts. Split.
I have previously come across this wood with a fair amount dropped on my back property. 1-2 years old, it burns very nice. Have a decent amount.
Thoughts?
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allen griggs said:Here is an easier to understand firewood chart.FIREWOOD BTU OF WESTERN HARDWOOD SPECIES
Species Million BTU's per Cord Pounds Per Cord
GreenPounds Per Cord
DryLive Oak 36.6 7870 4840 Eucalyptus 34.5 7320 4560 Manzanita 32.0 Pacific Madrone 30.9 6520 4086 Dogwood 30.4 6520 4025 Oregon White Oak 28.0 6290 3710 Tanoak 27.5 6070 3650 California Black Oak 27.4 5725 3625 Pepperwood (Myrtle) 26.1 5730 3450 Chinquapin 24.7 4720 3450 Bigleaf Maple 22.7 4940 3000 Red Alder 19.5 4100 2600 Quaking Aspen 18.0 3880 2400 Cottonwood 16.8 3475 2225 FIREWOOD BTU OF WESTERN SOFTWOOD SPECIES
Species Million BTU’s per Cord Pounds Per Cord
GreenPounds Per Cord
DryDouglas Fir 26.5 5050 3075 Western Juniper 26.4 5410 3050 Western Hemlock 24.4 5730 2830 Port Orford Cedar 23.4 4370 2700 Lodgepole Pine 22.3 4270 2580 Ponderosa Pine 21.7 4270 2520 Jeffery Pine 21.7 4270 2520 Sitka Spruce 21.7 4100 2520 White Fir 21.1 3190 2400 Red Fir 20.6 4040 2400 Incense Cedar 20.1 3880 2350 Coast Redwood 20.1 4040 2330 Grand Fir 20.1 3880 2330 Sugar Pine 19.6 3820 2270 Western White Pine Sequoia Redwood FIREWOOD BTU OF EASTERN HARDWOOD SPECIES
Inconsistency between charts may exist due to different laboratory variables
Species Million BTU’s per Cord Pounds Per Cord Dry Osage Orange 32.9 4728 Shagbark Hickory 27.7 4327 Eastern Hornbeam 27.1 4016 Black Birch 26.8 3890 Black Locust 26.8 3890 Blue Beech 26.8 3890 Ironwood 26.8 3890 Bitternut Hickory 26.5 3832 Honey Locust 26.5 4100 Apple 25.8 3712 Mulberry 25.7 4012 Beech 24.0 3757 Northern Red Oak 24.0 3757 Sugar Maple 24.0 3757 White Oak 24.0 3757 White Ash 23.6 3689 Yellow Birch 21.8 3150 Red Elm 21.6 3112 Hackberry 20.8 3247 Kentucky Coffeetree 20.8 3247 Gray Birch 20.3 3179 Paper Birch 20.3 3179 White Birch 20.2 3192 Black Walnut 20.0 3120 Cherry 20.0 3120 Green Ash 19.9 2880 Black Cherry 19.5 2880 American Elm 19.5 3052 White Elm 19.5 3052 Sycamore 19.1 2992 Black Ash 18.7 2924 Red Maple (Soft Maple) 18.1 2900 Boxelder 17.9 2797 Catalpa 15.9 2482 Aspen 14.7 2295 Butternut 14.5 2100 Willow 14.3 2236 Cottonwood 13.5 2108 American Basswood 13.5 2108
A lot of those numbers are misleading. For example, Big Leaf Maple burns a hell of a lot hotter than douglas fir. It just burns a bit faster too, so you get fewer total BTUs (I guess). It also leaves a helluvan ash mess.0 -
All of it will burn just keeping some burning is the problem . I always split bad stuff small so it would be gone quicker. And mixed it with good stuff just to get rid of it. Too many conditions to establish how long it lasts. 0 -
Sho nuff it is! The old timers made shakes from larch too.Mr. Perfect said:Larch is the bees knees.
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Think about it -- pine slabs are very wet so you had to burn a lot, leading to lots of creosote that led to fire. They would burn well because they were pine but not as well as if they were dry.4205raymond said:Makes no sense to me that Creosote production based on amount burned is major factor. Well maybe not in all cases. I use to help Grandpa haul pine slabs from sawmill and we cut up and feed to fire in fireplace. Real fast and heavy Creosote build up resulted in huge Chimney fire that neighbors could see for miles in night sky. Bellowed like a freight train and we all got out of house. It finally burned it self out. Scared the hell out of me as a ten year old.
Had a friend who lived in an old log cabin and he had a chimney fire -- roar and sparks were like you described. Fire dept got there in time.0 -
Moisture in wood must be converted to steam . That takes energy, BTUs. Steam goes up the chimney and is wasted. Seasoned wood is always better. 0 -
I agree, I heat my home with wood from an inside boiler, and all my wood is seasoned 2 to 3 years. 0 -
One time we had a chimney fire about 2 in the morning. The roof was so hot I had to put shoes on. We had been burning green Locust. The creosote had built up and collapsed inward, plugging the chimney and filling the house with smoke. The furnace was shut down tight but it was drawing air from somewhere. Flames were about 2-3 foot out the top of the chimney. Poured a 3 gallon water jug on it and it died down and then soon came roaring back to life. Poured another jug in then stuck a 12 ga. shotgun with a field load down the chimney and touched her off. It literally blew the fire out for good. Thought for sure the house was going to go. Yes, I know about chimney fires. That gun saved our house. 0 -
Grandpa and I never used green pine slabs but they laid at used up sawmill for I think at least a year and were well seasoned. I think they use pine for mineral spirits/turpentine. Would that not cause a heavy buildup of Creosote in chimney especially coming from knots in slabs. We use to pick up knots in woods with heavy concentrations turpentine in them which were great for starting fire.
I knew of many chimneys in Central Va. that had their clay flue pipes shattered from pouring cold water down chimney to put out a chimney fire.0
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