How to identify good firewood

This video is an essential guide to finding the right type of wood to burn in your stove, fire or fireplace.

[oldguysrock]

Seeing cracks is the best indicator. I burn maple, oak, Aspen-popple, pine, and birch. Splitting in half or quarters dries just fine. Sun and wind, stacking with a little space between pieces, my wood dries in 4+ months. I cover the tops of my wood racks with thick black plastic sheeting. Michigan summers have long days but the wood must be cut, split, and stacked in April, May, and June; for burning by November.

[patcornwell]

Burn wood stove for about 35 years . Burn mostly free Chinese elm from a local golf course, also crap wood from a tree guy down the street, stuff he can’t sale. Over the years burn dry wood green wood wet wood snow covered wood, a hot fire will burn most anything . You must keep your chimney clean or you will burn your house down. Good hot fire helps but I still clean out about once a month same time clean door glass with cheap oven cleaner. Burn 24/7 in cold WVa winter. Stay safe stay warm!

[watchthe]

Catalytic stoves are a PITA, rocket stoves are simpler and burn just as clean. Paint or pallet wood is fuel for them as they just burn the chemicals up. If they do not, the air in the stove never enters the house anyways.

[elliottengland]

Certain woods produce different burn times and heat output. Personally I would start your fire with a soft wood, heat the flue to cause a good draw, have a good level of hot Ash, (cherry red) then start with a hard wood. The heat is in the Ash. Start learning what you are burning. The laws will definitely get stricter, so start to understand your wood, learn the difference from soft woods and longer burning hard woods.

[frankburns]

Pallet wood is usually fine, as it's typically untreated. Not always, though.

[EnvironmentalCoffeehouse]

We were burning crap wood for a month. My husband stacked the less seasoned wood instead of the longer seasoned wood and I now have black glass and smoky fires. We have a LOPI cat converter stove and I am worried that I might have caused a problem. Oh this was really pissing me

[ILIKHATERZ]

What do you think they do with pallets that can’t be used anymore ? They burn them!

[RON-xxvu]

If want good dry firewood try get old fence post from farmers (not the treated ones) they been drying for years and they burn well.

[janolevesterlid]

I have firewood for the next 15 year, only from pallets, and no nails in it. And its dry, max 6% water

[maximaniac]

I learned not to burn "pregnant" wood:). Thanks I'll show myself out.

[kingkongkong]

I've burnt everything in my fire plastic treated wood wet wood even rubbish done this method for 32 years same house same fireplace

[robertsaca]

A good idea is not to buy a heater that requires the use of a tool to operate the handle that should be made to use without a tool 😂