!#71# Which Firewood Gives You the Most Heat For Your Money?

!±8± Which Firewood Gives You the Most Heat For Your Money?

You have a cosy image in your mind of winter nights around a cheery log fire. But how do you know which wood works best for your purposes?

A recent survey showed that one in five British children has never climbed a tree. So it's not surprising that many people no longer know an oak from an ash tree.

When it comes to ordering your next load of firewood, how can you find out which is best for you and, importantly, whether the logs you're buying come from a sustainable source.

Just ask your local tree surgeon! Many tree surgeons sell logs for firewood as a by-product of the work they do, removing or pruning trees which may be dangerous, possibly at risk of falling onto roads or property. They'll also be more than happy to explain some of the different terms used to describe firewood.

All trees contain a lot of water, so timber needs to be seasoned, or stored, before it is suitable for logs for open fires or wood-burners. A reputable firewood supplier, such as your local tree surgeon, should only sell you seasoned wood, unless you specifically ask for green wood to put away yourself to season for future use.

Freshly cut logs contain about 50% water. So if trees are felled in winter and burned after seasoning through the year, their moisture content will drop to around 33%. Seasoning for two years is even better as it should reduce the moisture content to 25%.

Ash contains only 33% water when recently felled so is considered to be suitable for burning "greener", or seasoned for a shorter period of time. At the other extreme, freshly felled poplar contains 66% water so needs much longer to season.

Hardwood refers to broad leaved trees like oak, ash, birth, beech and sycamore, whereas softwood refers to species like pine. Timber from broad leaf trees gives more heat by volume than softwoods. Some trees like sweet chestnut and all types of pine are prone to spark so should only be burnt very dry and in a closed wood-burner or boiler.

Willow, poplar and alder have very high moisture content so aren't considered good firewood. But your local tree surgeon can advise you on the suitability of various firewoods to your heating appliance and circumstances. So you get the most heat for your money, from a sustainable source.