".....The Best Wood for a Log Fire?....."

For those that rely on wood heat, the choice of which species to burn can be a fairly tricky question. There are different prices to consider, and some woods are easy to split, while others are very tough and hard to work with. Some woods produce much more smoke than others, and there are great variations in terms of the difficulty in starting a fire with different kinds of wood. A more important consideration is that some woods are drastically more efficient than others.

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Units of Measurement

The British thermal unit (BTU for short) is a traditional method of energy measurement. A BTU is roughly equivalent to the level of energy required to warm up one pound of water by a single degree Fahrenheit. Different kinds of wood are measured in terms of millions of BTU’s per cord. A cord of wood is equivalent to a stack of logs four feet wide, four feet high, and eight feet long.

The Most Efficient Types of Firewood

Ash: [25.9 Million BTU/Cord]
It’s fairly easy to work with, and doesn’t produce that much smoke. Starting fire with ash is no problem because of its low water content.

White Oak: [26.5 Million BTU/Cord]
Red and White oak both make very good firewood, but white oak is more efficient. Both kinds of oak require significant seasoning time.

Hickory: [30.8 Million BTU/Cord]
Hickory is great firewood in terms of efficiency. The main downside with hickory is that it’s very tough, and requires a lot of seasoning. An interesting upside for hickory is the wonderful aroma of the smoke it produces.

Black Locust [26.5 Million BTU/Cord]
This wood can be a little hard to work with, and quite difficult to get started, but it burns very slow and very hot.

Hard Maple: [29.7 Million BTU/cord]
This wood has it all. It’s very efficient, has a pleasant smelling smoke, and it’s very easy to split. The only downside is that it takes a while to season.

Dogwood: [24.3 Million BTU/Cord]
Dogwood is a nice wood to use overall. It burns hot, and it’s easy to light. It doesn’t produce that much smoke, and it’s not that difficult to split.

Madrone: [30.5 Million BTU/Cord]
This tough hardwood can be very difficult to work with, but it burns slowly with good heat output.

Hornbeam: [24.7 Million BTU/Cord]
This wood is hard to light, and tough to split, but it burns extremely hot, and very efficiently.

Other Considerations and Closing Thoughts

Beyond the type of wood you choose, you can do a lot to increase the efficiency of your firewood by storing it in a dry place, and seasoning it properly. Wood burns better when it’s dry, and burning wet wood is a huge source of efficiency problems. Some suppliers may claim their wood is well seasoned, but you can’t always trust that. Different kinds of wood require different seasoning times, and as a general rule, it’s better to buy your wood well in advance of winter so that you can be sure it’s ready for use. It’s also important to cut your wood to a good size for your stove or fireplace, and make sure your chimney is well maintained.

Following these basic guidelines and choosing among the wood species listed above should help you develop a cost effective heating strategy. Find out what woods are available in your area, and choose one that's relatively inexpensive, while still providing a good BTU level, and ease of use.