Firewood Types Explained
A short guide to the types of firewood and which to choose for your fire
How to identify good firewood – answered
If you want to learn how to choose the best firewood types for your fire pit or fireplace, find out which wood burns the longest, hottest, with the least smoke, then you are in the right place. Whether you want to buy firewood online or order from a local wood merchant near you, there are a few things to be aware of to make sure you get the best firewood for your needs.
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What you need to know about firewood
Here we will explain the following details about firewood types:
- hardwood and softwood
- seasoned vs unseasoned firewood
- heat energy classes
- how to identify the type
- which types of firewood are the best and which to avoid
Let’s dive into it.
Firewood types explained
When talking about types of firewood the main things to consider are: the type of tree it comes from and how the wood was prepared. Here we will compare hardwood with softwood and seasoned with unseasoned firewood.
Hardwood and softwood
The two main firewood types we can distinguish are:
- hardwood
- softwood
What is the difference between hardwood and softwood?
Hardwood vs softwood
Hardwood is a more dense, heavier type of wood. This firewood burns hotter and longer than softwoods, produces less smoke and fewer sparks, so it’s usually the preferred option for indoor fires.
Examples of hardwoods:
- oak
- ash
- hickory
- maple
- birch
Softwood on the other hand burns out more quickly, gives off more smoke, so it’s more suitable for outdoor fires. However, its big advantage is that it’s usually cheaper than hardwood.
Examples of softwoods:
- pine
- fir
- spruce
- cedar
- alder
- poplar
Seasoned and unseasoned firewood
We can also differentiate firewood by the moisture content. Depending on that we can have:
- Unseasoned firewood
- Seasoned firewood
Unseasoned or seasoned firewood – which is better for burning?
Seasoned firewood is better for burning. Here is why:
Unseasoned firewood
Green unseasoned wood can contain up to 50% moisture, which is too much for burning. High moisture content in the firewood causes excessive smoke and leaves residue inside the fireplace and chimney. Unseasoned firewood also produces less heat, however it’s usually cheaper than seasoned firewood.
Seasoned firewood
What is seasoned firewood?
Seasoned wood contains around 20% moisture – this moisture level is considered the best for burning in fireplaces or fire pits. Seasoned firewood can be either air dried or kiln died.
Why is seasoned firewood better?
Seasoned firewood burns cleaner, is easier to ignite as well as safer for your fire burner and chimney. Using well seasoned firewood is one of the ways to reduce smoke.
Kiln dried or air dried firewood?
Although it may be easier and quicker to obtain kiln dried firewood, bear in mind that kiln drying may overdry it and very dry wood can burn too fast. It’s also worth considering that kiln drying consumes energy to run the kiln, so it’s not environmentally friendly. If you want to stay eco-friendly and keep the costs down, wood seasoned naturally will be your first choice. Naturally seasoned firewood should also be cheaper.
The bottom line is that the moisture content is the key factor in the quality of firewood. But how to know the moisture levels in your firewood and whether it’s ready for burning?
How to check if firewood is well-seasoned
The easiest way to check the moisture content is by using a moisture meter.
However, if you want to assess the firewood without a moisture reader, here are some differences between seasoned and unseasoned firewood:
Unseasoned wood characteristics:
- lighter colour
- wood grain ends have a more even surface
- stronger smell
Seasoned wood characteristics:
- looks darker, often yellowish or greyish
- the ends of the wood’s grains have a separated look
- knocking two pieces of the wood together gives a hollow sound
Another important feature of firewood is how much heat it gives off and this can vary massively between different types. Let’s see what to expect from different firewood heat classes.
3 firewood classes by heat energy
Different firewoods give off different amounts of heat. The difference between the highest and the lowest heat output can be more than double, so it’s worth checking what to expect from specific wood types.
What firewood burns the hottest?
1st class
The best firewoods – 1st class – burn the hottest and produce 200 to 250 gallons of fuel oil per cord of wood. This category of firewood includes the following types:
- oak
- apple
- beech
- sugar maple
- yellow birch
- hickory
- ironwood
- white ash
2nd class
The second category of heat energy includes the woods which generates 150 to 200 gallons of fuel per cord of firewood. These firewoods include:
-
- white birch
- cherry
- red maple
- silver maple
- american elm
- douglas fir
3rd class
In the third and lowest category of firewood generates 100 to 150 gallons of fuel oil per cord and includes:
- pine
- redwood
- cedar
- alder
- spruce
- aspen
- cottonwood
Identifying types of firewood
How to identify what tree the wood comes from?
Learning to determine what firewood type we are dealing with takes some time, but it’s not difficult, it’s just a matter of practice. I recommend starting with looking at images of wood typed which you can find online, memorizing their characteristics and comparing with the firewood you can get hold of – literally hold in your hand and look at up close. The best way to approach the wood type identification is to look at amore than one of the characteristics listed below.
5 criteria to identify the firewood type
There are five things to look at when identifying the wood type:
- leaves
- tree bark
- end grain
- color
- weight and hardness
Leaves
Using leaves is the easiest way to identify the type of wood, however the leaves aren’t always available if we have chopped, and often already seasoned wood.
Bark
It’s relatively easy to identify the tree by its bark. Most trees have fairly distinctive bark and when combined with looking at leaves or end grain you can be pretty sure what you’re dealing with.
End grain
Looking at woodgrain can be a very accurate way of identifying the wood type. Different types of wood have characteristic patterns and textures at the end grain.
Color
Many wood types have distinctive color, however the color changes with time as the wood dries and oxydises. To use color for the wood identification, you need some proctice as well as the awareness of how the color changes with time.
Weight and hardness
Wood weight and hardness go together: hardwoods are heavy. You can easily figure out how hard the wood is just by sticking your fingernail into it. At the same time you will feel the weight of the peace of wood in your hand.
So this is how we assess the suitability of wood for burning. Based on the above, here i s a selection of woods which make good firewood for indoor fires.
6 best types of firewood for indoor fireplaces
Here is my very subjective selection of the best firewoods for indoor fires and what to expect while burning them:
-
Oak firewood
Oak is probably the number one firewood, it’s especially valued for its long-burning quality. It also burns hot and with very little smoke.
-
Cherry firewood
Cherry is my personal favorite for its lovely aroma. It’s also a low-smoke firewood, burns with little sparks and it’s easy to identify because of its light red hue. However, it produces less heat when compared with other firewoods, e.g. oak.
-
Maple firewood
Maple is a great long burning firewood. It also burns very hot and clean with very low smoke, few sparks and gives off a nice smell.
-
Ash firewood
Ash produces a lot of heat when burning, while giving off very little odour and few sparks. This firewood is valued for its natural low moisture content, which makes it easy and quick to season.
-
Pear firewood
Pear is a dense, long and clean burning wood. It’s also a fast growing tree, which makes it relatively inexpensive.
-
Hazel firewood
Hazel may not be the fist one which comes to mind when thinking about firewood. However, hazel makes great firewood as it burns very hot and for a long time!
These are my favorite wood types for indoor fires. Apart from the above, any fruit tree wood will make a great firewood for indoor fireplaces or wood stoves. Why? Fruit tree woods are hardwoods – they burn in high temperatures giving off a lovely smell (which also makes them perfect for cooking or smoking).
Kiln Dried Firewood: Birch, Maple, Oak, Apple, Cherry
Cherry Wood Chunks for Smoking, Grilling, Fireplace
We know which firewoods are the best, but are there any wood types to avoid? Yes, here is which ones aren’t great for burning.
The worst types of firewood
Firewoods to avoid
Apart from knowing what are the best firewood types, it’s also good to mention which firewoods are best to avoid. You certainly want to burn wet or unseasoned firewood to avoid producing excessive smoke.
The worst firewoods are:
- Douglas fir – it doesn’t give off much heat while leaving sap deposits in the chimney and fireplace
- Poplar – produces a lot of smoke and generally burns poorly
- Alder – this firewood doesn’t produce a lot of heat and burns very quickly
- Sweet chestnut – it’s smokey while burning and also burns very quickly
Moreover, you don’t want to burn treated, varnished, painted or manufactured wood as this could create a serious health hazard. If you want to know more about what not to burn, check out this article:
FAQs
What is the best burning firewood to buy?
Hardwoods are the best firewood to buy. Hardwoods include firewood types such as: oak, maple, birch, ash as well as fruit trees. Why are hardwoods considered the best? Hardwood burns hotter, longer and cleaner than other types of wood. These woods have less pitch and sap, so they generate less soot and are generally cleaner to handle.
What wood is best for indoor fires?
Generally speaking hardwood is best for indoor fires as it burns cleaner with less smoke and sparks.
How long does firewood last?
You can store firewood for four years without any issues, however older firewood stored properly will still be good to use. Firewood doesn’t really have an expiry date, very old firewood will just burn very quickly.
What is the best smokeless firewood? Which wood burns with the least smoke?
Hardwoods such as oak, cherry, hickory, and maple are low-smoke firewoods. They are denser, burn slower and more evenly, producing less smoke.
What wood burns the longest?
Hickory, oak and maple are wood types which burn the longest.
What is the best smelling firewood?
The best smelling firewoods are cherry and pine. But the list of woods which smell great is longer, those include: apple, cedar, pear, hickory and all other fruit woods.
Is hickory good firewood?
Yes, hickory is an excellent firewood. Hickory produces hot, long-lasting fires and burns cleanly without much smoke.
Is cottonwood good firewood?
Cottonwood is moderately good as firewood. It’s not very dense, so it burns rather quickly and it doesn’t burn very hot.
Is birch good firewood?
Yes, birch is a good firewood. If has a high heat output, burns cleanly an gives off a nice smell. However its downside is that burns quite quickly.
Is elm good firewood?
Summary
In this article I’ve explained the differences between softwood and hardwood, season and unseasoned firewood as well as which firewoods produce the most heat. I’ve also listed my favorite firewood types for indoor fires. I hope this makes your firewood buying decisions easier and quicker. Let me know in the comments below what is your favorite firewood and why?
Firewood for sale
If you want to buy firewood online, have a look at these:
