What are the Different Types of Firewood?
Home owners who heat with wood or just enjoy the ambiance of an open fireplace should be aware of various types of firewood available as well as the differences between woods. Using the best wood can produce the most heat with less smoke and some woods are easier than others to handle. Kindling, or the small pieces of wood used to start a fire, can come from several sources and may be of various types. In many parts of the United States, blocks of what are called “starter pine” are sold. Because pine burns hotter and is often easy to ignite, it is often used as kindling. Many stores also sell commercial starter logs that may be made from wood or other materials. Fire starter pine cones can also be purchased or made at home following a prescribed formula. Hard woods, such as ash, oak, birch, beech, hickory, and hard maple, are optimum for wood burning purposes, including wood stoves and open fireplaces. Hard firewood burns well and emits high heat with little or no smoke. These woods ar
