If you’re staying in your cabin in the winter, you’ll want to make sure that you have the right firewood. It’s imperative that you keep your cabin warm, but choosing the wrong wood could cause fires that don’t work properly – or, in the worst cases – fires in the chimney. Here’s how to choose the right wood.
Hardwood vs. Softwood
Wood stoves are a common feature of many log cabins, and a great way to keep cozy in winter. You can use hardwood and softwood for wood stoves. Hardwood is from trees like birch, maple, and oak, and its density means that it burns for a longer period of time. If you can get it, hardwood is the best for wood stoves.
However, softwood – provided by trees like pine, cedar, or fir – is also suitable for wood stoves. It won’t burn for quite as long, but it is more readily available.
How to treat firewood
All firewood should be seasoned. This means that it is dried out, getting rid of any natural moisture that could cause fires to be inefficient. Most firewood is seasoned for a year or two – so if you are chopping down your own firewood, be sure to do it at least 12 months in advance! Softwood takes slightly less time to season than hardwood.
If you are seasoning wood yourself, keep it outside, somewhere that it is not at risk of getting damp – but do leave it uncovered as much as you can.
Buying firewood from a supplier
Most suppliers should season their firewood effectively. However, to make sure that yours is a decent supplier, feel free to ask them when purchasing.
Firewood is relatively easy to find, season, and use – as long as you know what works and what doesn’t! You may find it more budget efficient to produce your own, but there are plenty of suppliers as well.
