Tips on Wood Burning Fireplaces

Firewood

• Do not use or purchase firewood that has not been seasoned. Seasoned firewood is wood that has been allowed to dry out to enhance the heat value of the wood. Firewood that has been seasoned properly will possess less than 20 percent of its weight in water. The weight of freshly cut wood possesses approximately 40 to 50 percent moisture. Good seasoned wood is generally allowed to dry for at least six months after it has been cut.

Types of Wood

• Hardwoods make excellent firewood with little to no smoke. Examples of good hardwoods high in heat output are oak, birch, ash, beech, hard maple, hickory, dogwood and pecan. Other hardwoods that burn well with only a small amount of smoke are cherry, soft maple and walnut along with elm mesquite and aspen. Douglas-fir, a softwood, has a high heat output and is easy to burn, but it does emit quite a bit of smoke. Other softwood that is easy to burn with medium smoke output is cedar, pinon, juniper tamarack and spruce.

Safety Tips

• Install a shield in front of the fireplace to prevent sparks from escaping the enclosure. Glass doors installed on the fireplace allow for the best protection against any sparks or embers from shooting out. Clean out the fireplace on a regular basis and remove old ashes prior to each use of the fireplace (but make sure the ashes are completely cooled before removing them). Check the flue for creosote buildup and have the chimney checked and cleaned regularly, generally on a yearly basis. Start fires with kindling, newspaper or a manufactured fire starter log. Keep children away from a burning fire and don't allow them to touch the glass cover or shield since it may be extremely hot. Be sure the fire is extinguished completely before going to bed or leaving the house.

Other Precautions

• Flammable liquids, such as gasoline or lighter fluid, should never be used in a fireplace to start a fire. Always make sure the damper is open throughout the entire time that a fire is burning, even when there are no flames. Avoid high flaming fires as they have the potential to start chimney fires from creosote deposits. Do not burn charcoal or coal in a wood burning fireplace due to the excess heat and smoke they generate.