Firewood from different species or types of trees varies widely in heat content, burning characteristics, and overall quality.
BTUs, or British Thermal Units, measure the heat of combustion, or how much energy a fuel has. Most people burn firewood for one reason….heat. So, it really makes sense to burn a firewood that generates high BTU’s.
Even among the same species, different pieces of firewood are going to burn hotter than others, depending on how dry they are and the conditions under which they grew.
These numbers are intended as a rough comparison.
Moisture content is more important than tree species when planning for wood heat.
Wood that has dried properly will always burn hotter than wood that still has moisture in it, because much of the heat energy is used to evaporate the remaining water.
Drying or seasoning firewood takes time. A good rule of thumb is to cut firewood this year so you can use it next year.
Keep up the yearly rotation and you will always have good, dry, seasoned wood to burn.
Firewood Measurements – A cord of firewood measures 128 cubic feet. Typically, the firewood is cut into 16 inch lengths and is stacked tightly in three rows, 4 feet high and 8 feet long.
