The weather is becoming cooler in many areas. Fall is definitely in the air. Cozy evenings by the fire will become a regular thing in many households. Nothing like a fire – especially when you know your fire is burning as efficiently as possible. How can you make sure your wood is being burned efficiently? It can start with the choice of wood for stoves.

Wood for Stoves

When selecting your firewood for wood stove inserts or any wood-burner, keep these three things in mind.  You want dry seasoned wood, dense wood, and insect-free wood for stoves inside your house.

Use Dry Seasoned Wood

You can waste a lot of energy burning wet wood, so be sure to use wood that has been properly seasoned.  Properly seasoned wood is harvested in the spring and allowed to dry throughout the summer.  Green or wet wood lowers the burning temperature, causing incomplete combustion.

Look for wood that is evenly colored and without any green color.  According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the moisture content should be just over 20% to 25% by weight. Some well-seasoned wood can in fact be too dry for today’s airtight modern stoves. If you place wood on a bed of already hot coals, and that wood is too dry – the wood will instantly give up its gases as smoke.  The unburned smoke is wasted instead of being converted into heat.  Worse, the unburned smoke produces creosote buildup in your chimney.

Choose a Dense Wood

A BTU, or a British Thermal Unit, is a basic measure of thermal (heat) energy. One BTU is the amount of energy needed to heat one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit.  All species of wood have a similar heat (Btu) content on a per pound basis when completely dry. Therefore, denser woods will generally cost more and burn longer.

Woods like oak, hickory, and pine will burn overnight. Aspen builds a hot fire, which helps clean the chimney.

Remember, wood is sold by the cord.

A full cord measures 4′ x 4′ x 8′ and has a volume of 128 cubic feet.

A face cord or rick of wood measures 4′ x 8′ and is as wide as the individual pieces of firewood.  Usually this is 16 inches.  A face cord is usually one third of a full cord.

Insect-free Wood for Stoves

Carefully inspect the firewood for insects before you decide to buy it or take it home with you.  You want to make sure the wood does not have any insects.  If the firewood is insect-infested,  the insects could very well spread throughout your home when you carry the wood into your home.

If the firewood is laden with insects, it can be burned in an outdoor stove or outdoor firepit.  Just be careful not to store any insect-ridden wood near any “clean” wood.  You do not want the insects to spread throughout your stored wood.  Again, you could end up having insects in your home.

Be wary of “Free Firewood.” It could be a diseased tree that was cut down.  You would just end up with wood that should not be carried into your home.  But, then again, it could be that a big storm went through the area and brought down some big trees.  In that case, be grateful for your good fortune and take that wood home!

And whatever you do, don’t burn trash, coal, railroad ties, plastics or wrapping paper in your stove.

Steel Firewood Storage Rack

Keep your firewood off the ground with this steel, rust-resistant log rack. Your wood is kept elevated and dry so it is ready when you are. Keeping your wood off the ground also helps keep it free of insects.

Customer reviews are very good for this product.

Bec from Mesquite, TX writes, “Excellent value for the money. It is sturdy and holds up to the Texas sun.”

Phillip from Houston, Texas writes, “This wood rack is constructed of strong tubular steel. I have kept it loaded to the top with heavy oak fire wood and it has remained sturdy.”

Pros:
* Attractive Design
* Good Capacity
* Protective
* Quality Construction

Cons:
* Could be longer