4 Things You Should Know Before Using Your Fireplace
Fireplaces are a great way to heat your home without spending too much money on electricity. Here are some useful things for fireplace preparation and how to use. http://www.toemar.ca/things-you-should-know-before-using-your-fireplace/
Fireplaces are a great way to heat your home without spending too much money on electricity. Here are some useful things for fireplace preparation and how to use. http://www.toemar.ca/things-you-should-know-before-using-your-fireplace/
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4 <strong>Things</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Should</strong> <strong>Know</strong> <strong>Before</strong> <strong>Using</strong><br />
<strong>You</strong>r <strong>Fireplace</strong><br />
The first step is making sure you have the right wood<br />
While most homes no longer use wood burning fires as their primary heat source, there’s<br />
nothing like an old wood stove or fireplace glowing bright and flickering through the cold winter<br />
weather. Just the smell of woodsmoke puts one in the frame of mind of hot cider and warm<br />
toes.<br />
Whether you’re new to the world of wood fireplaces or an old hand at stacking logs, we’ve got<br />
a few good tips about firewood that are worth reviewing.<br />
What Characteristics Of Wood Give The Best Results?<br />
First off, aged wood—at least two years—is best. Even better if it has been cut, split and<br />
stacked outside, exposed to the elements of nature.<br />
Like a fine champagne (drank in front of a glowing fireplace of course!), good wood has been<br />
rotated in the stack to ensure an even and consistent aging, with decent exposure to sunlight<br />
and air flow to help dry it out and lower the moisture level to less than 20%. Less seasoned<br />
wood has as much as 50% moisture, which will smoke when lit.<br />
Why is aged wood better?<br />
Aged wood burns hotter and more slowly, giving you a better result in the fireplace and<br />
requiring you to add wood less often. The slow burn gives a more consistent temperature and<br />
heat, rather than a fast flare up that dies out quickly. There is also little to no smoke with wellaged<br />
wood.<br />
There are three characteristics you are looking for beyond aging:<br />
1. Density of the wood, which gives you more heat per cubic foot volume of wood.<br />
2. BTU (British Thermal Unit) of the wood, which gives you more heat per piece of wood.<br />
3. This refers to the ability of the wood to form coals after the initial burn, extending the<br />
fire life.
Overall, a well-aged quality hardwood will have more density, BTUs and coaling ability, giving<br />
you a better burn, with consistent and even heat.<br />
Examples?<br />
White birch, which is a hardwood, has a density of 42 lbs per cu. ft. , 20.8 million BTUs / cord<br />
and is good at coaling.<br />
In contrast, pine, which is a softwood, has a density of 22 to 31 lbs per cu. Ft., 15 million BTUs /<br />
cord and is poor at coaling. In addition, it has a strong smell and can leave an oily residue in<br />
your chimney.<br />
Pieces that are cut from 12” to 16” are ideal to fit in most fireplaces so be sure to ask your<br />
provider what you are getting before you take delivery.<br />
What Types Of Wood Are Available?<br />
Hardwoods—maple, oak, ash, birch, and fruit trees—burn hotter and longer but are more<br />
expensive and harder to split. However, with a longer burn, you’re using less of it so it probably<br />
comes down to an even split for the recreational fireplace user.<br />
Softwoods—pine, balsam, spruce, alder, and poplar—these are much easier to split and light,<br />
but they burn out quickly and are prone to creating creosote buildup in the chimney, which can<br />
cause a chimney fire.<br />
TIP: Avoid FREE firewood sales! Very often, ‘free firewood’ is made up of wood pallets that have<br />
been broken down. Pallet wood is a major fire risk. They catch fire very easily and burn at such<br />
a high temperature that the fire could easily spread to nearby objects. They break down into<br />
wood dust, which can combine and ignite into a fireball! In addition, most wood pallets are<br />
treated with harmful chemicals that act as pesticides, such as Methyl Bromide or fungicides:<br />
when burned, the toxins are released into the air and can pose a serious health risk.
How <strong>Should</strong> Wood Be Stored?<br />
When you’re checking out a seller, beware of those who simply pile the wood out of doors. This<br />
means that there is little to no airflow for the pieces underneath, resulting in wet, even mouldy<br />
wood that won’t burn well. <strong>You</strong>’re looking for nicely stacked wood that has plenty of airflow<br />
and a seasoned appearance.<br />
It should go without saying but it’s best not to store your firewood in the house. Split logs<br />
should be stacked with the ends facing prevailing winds, off the ground with only the top<br />
covered and bark facing up. This helps to ensure that sunlight and air can still reach the split<br />
logs but the bark protects them from rain and snow.<br />
It’s best to get this done within two weeks of delivery from your firewood provider, so best to<br />
plan your location before you order! The goal is to prevent moisture from building up in your<br />
wood pile, which will make the wood too wet to burn properly.<br />
How can you tell if your wood is too wet? If you try burning it and it hisses or steam bubbles<br />
appear at the ends, your wood is too wet to burn.<br />
Well seasoned, dry wood is darker towards the ends, with cracks and splits in it; it’s also<br />
relatively light weight.<br />
<strong>Before</strong> you get your first roaring fire going this season, check out our <strong>Fireplace</strong> and Chimney<br />
Checklist! Toemar has been in the business of selling firewood for more than thirty-five years,<br />
so if you’re looking for a source of wood that you can trust, give us a call.<br />
http://www.toemar.ca