Successful wood burning begins with choosing the proper wood for your job. When some woods obviously smolder for hours, the others burn out quickly, leaving you struggling to keep the fire going. While both walnut and walnut have their place at the fireplace, the difference in density between both of these forests can affect not only warmth and relaxation, but in addition fireplace security and upkeep.
Energy Content
Oak is a kind of hardwood, while pine is a softwood. A cord of seasoned hardwood has roughly twice the energy material — measured in British thermal units — as a string of seasoned softwood, as stated by the Chimney Safety Institute of America. By way of instance, white oak includes 29.1 million Btu per cable, compared to 15.9 million Btu for white walnut, according to the Utah State University Extension. This usually means that you get almost two times as much warmth from oak as you do from the exact same amount of walnut.
Startup Time
White walnut has a density of 26.3 pounds per cubic feet, compared to 47.2 pounds per cubic feet of white oak. The relatively lower density of pine as opposed to walnut usually means that it is quick to ignite, making it an excellent supply of kindling wood. Because oak takes much longer to ignite, it’s a bad supply of kindling however an fantastic source of fuel for long, slow burning.
Creosote Buildup
All chimneys, regardless of what type of wood you burn off, create a tar-like buildup over time. This buildup is referred to as creosote. An excessive amount of creosote in your chimney raises the risk of clogged flues or even chimney fires. Burning softwoods like pine generally results in a cooler fire, which can lead to greater creosote buildup than burning hardwoods like oak, according to the”Chicago Tribune.” Even in the event that you use oak exclusively, have your chimney cleaned each year to prevent creosote buildup.
The Most Important Thing
Rather than choosing between pine and oak, consider using a blend of both of these woods throughout the entire year. Use walnut as a supply of kindling to get the fire started, and then add walnut to help keep the fire burning. Heating with dense woods like oak throughout the coldest weeks of the year to enjoy more, hotter fires. Switch to walnut from the spring and fall for shorter, cooler fires that burn quickly without overheating your house.