Make Sure To Season Your Firewood!

You wouldn’t put just any type of fuel in you in your car, would you? No, you need to know if your car uses regular gasoline, diesel fuel, or an ethanol blend before you fill it up.Just like your car, your fireplace and wood stove also needs fuel and choosing the correct fuel can have a major impact on your fireplaces performance. That is why it is important to used firewood that has been properly seasoned.

What is seasoned firewood?

It doesn’t matted if you are burning hard or soft wood. Either way, your wood needs to be seasoned properly before you use it. Wood that has been properly seasoned has been cut, stacked, and allowed to dry for outside for at least six months and preferably a year.

Why is it important to season my wood?

Using wood that hasn’t been seasoned can be actually be a safety issue. When wood has been freshly cut, it’s moisture content is about 45%. When wood moisture levels are high, your firewood will be more likely to smoke and pop.. Wood that pops can send hot embers outside of the firebox and into areas around your fireplace. When your wood smokes too much, it can cause creosote buildup within your chimney, which can also be a fire hazard.

Properly seasoned firewood will have a moisture content around 20-25%. This makes your firewood easier to ignite and makes it burn hotter and cleaner.

How do I season my firewood?

Freshly cut firewood should be stacked off the ground to prevent it from gathering moisture and rotting. This can be done by stacking your wood on a pallet or pile of rocks. You should keep your wood dry by covering it with a waterproof tarp, leaving the sides of your stack open, allowing for airflow to aid in seasoning your wood.

How will I know when my wood is seasoned?

Here are a few tips to help make sure you are selecting well seasoned wood. First, you want to check if there are cracked at the ends of your firewood. Cracked ends are a sign that your firewood is dry. You can also bang two pieces of wood together and listen to the noises they make. If they sound hollow, this is also a sign that your wood is dry. Dry wood will also feel lighter and less dense.

If you have any question about how to properly select properly seasoned firewood, don’t hesitate to contact us at Leonard & Sons and ask one of our firewood experts for advice today!