Let’s Talk Firewood

The Best Type of Firewood to Keep You Warm This Year

Why spend a fortune on conventional heat this winter when you can augment it with heat from your fireplace? Fires at home are cozy, bring the family together, and make the perfect backdrop for your holiday gatherings. But which type of firewood is best to keep you warm this year? Whether you use a fireplace, stove, or furnace, the key to an efficient and safe fire is using wood that is not wet and that is properly sized for your unit. Use sub-par wood and what do you get? Inefficient burning and creosote deposits that can make conditions ripe for a chimney fire.

Do Your Homework

First, you have to measure quantity in order to do a price comparison. Wood is sold in cords, the standard measurement for which is 4 x 4 x 8 feet, but you’ll often see it being sold in “face cords,” which are basically stacks of wood four feet high and eight feet long, with a width of 12 to 20 inches. To get the price, you should determine the volume of wood as a unit compared with the cost of a full cord. Check out this handy firewood cord calculator to do the math. That said, the cheapest price tag isn’t always the best choice for you. You also have to consider the size, thickness and moisture content (the dryer the better) of the cord of wood that would best fit your fireplace. You don’t want to get home and realize you have to do your own cutting to get the pieces to fit.

Tips

When looking for cord wood, there are a few rules of thumb you should follow before making a decision.

• Ask friends and neighbors for word of mouth recommendations on where they get their wood supply. Why do they like their supplier? What price do they pay?
• Do some price comparisons, talk to different dealers, and ultimately choose the one who’s most reliable and reputable.
• Visit dealer’s in person rather than speaking on the phone. It’s best if you check out the condition of the wood yourself. Bring a tape measure with you to ensure the dimensions are as advertised.
• Make sure the wood is clean, with no sand or mud present.
• Ensure the wood pieces are cut small enough to fit your fireplace or other unit.
• Refrain from buying randomly-stacked wood; buy cords only.
• Purchase the wood in springtime and keep it in your yard so you can have control over the drying and seasoning protocol.

Firewood Species

Some species of wood are considered “hard,” which means they burn the longest with the most energy, while others are “soft” which means they burn more slowly with less energy. As such, maple and oak are desirable because they last a long time; for a quicker burn, woods like spruce, poplar and pine are available.

Contact T&B Landscape and Irrigation

Did you know that T&B Landscaping sells hardwood for indoor fireplaces as well as camp firewood? We can deliver firewood to anyone in Andover. Just give us a call to order your wood cords at (978) 296-5290.