What Types of Wood Logs Burn the Longest?

Hardwood Logs

• Logs cut from hardwood can take a long time to ignite, but once ignited they burn longer and more evenly than softwoods. They provide more heat energy than softwood logs of the same size and produce significantly less smoke. Of logs commonly available in the United States, madrone, a very dense hardwood, may burn the longest and hottest. Other hardwood logs that burn a long time are cherry, hickory, live oak, black oak, eucalyptus, walnut and most other oaks, except white oak. Because these woods are dense, you can stack more fuel logs in the same limited space.

Seasoned Logs

• Wood that's seasoned burns hotter, cleaner and longer than wood that's green (freshly cut). It's easier to start your fire with seasoned logs and they will burn more efficiently. In some instances, softwood logs can burn better than hardwood logs. A dry and seasoned softwood will burn better than a green, moist hardwood. However, seasoned hardwood logs, with a moisture content of about 20 percent, produce the most heat with the least corresponding creosote. Woods such as oak need to season, or dry out, for a full year.

  The best wood is usually about two or three years seasoned. After wood ages to about four or five years, deterioration will occur and it will not burn well.

  Seasoned people who burn wood know a secret to getting good firewood. They plan beyond the coming winter to the winter after, more than a year ahead. If you purchase or cut this year for use next year, you will have seasoned wood logs on hand that will be long burning.

High-value Logs

• Cheap firewood may not be cheap. A cord of fir logs may cost 20 percent less than a cord of oak logs, but the savings may not be real. Because you buy by the measured cord, and the cord of oak weighs more than the cord of fir, you can be getting more fuel for your money with the hardwood. In some instances, a cord of hardwood can weigh twice as much as a cord of softwood. The better value, by far, is the long-burning hardwood.