Why Does Cedar Wood Pop?

Seasoning

• Green wood contains more resin, or sap, than seasoned wood does, so it's more apt to spark and pop. It also contains a lot more water, which means it doesn't produce as much heat as wood that's been properly dried. Allow wood to dry for at least six months before burning it in your wood stove or fireplace. Wood dries faster when it's exposed to air. Stack logs in loose piles off the ground. A sunny location will help the wood dry even faster.

BTUs

• Wood heat is measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs). No matter what kind of wood you're burning, you'll get 7,000 BTUs per pound of wood. How much fuel is available from a specific species depends on how dense it is and how much moisture it contains. The difference between a hardwood like oak and a softer wood, such as cedar, is its density. There are more sticks in a pound of cedar wood than there are in a pound of oak wood, so you'll burn more cedar than oak when generating 7,000 BTUs. High-density woods such as oak and hickory produce more heat per cord than softer woods like cedar. According to the University of Missouri Cooperative Extension, a cord of red cedar produces about 18.9 BTUs compared to 27 BTUs for a cord of white oak. In addition, the resin in cedar makes the wood smoke, creates sparks and causes a tarlike substance called creosote to build up in your chimney.

Kindling

• You don't need to worry about creosote buildup when you're using cedar wood as kindling, because you're burning only a small amount of sticks, just enough to ignite the larger pieces of wood for your fire. Softwoods make good kindling, because their lower density causes them to heat up faster. The high levels of oil found in cedar wood means it's very combustible, and, as long as it's dry, it makes great kindling.

Safety

• Although it makes great kindling, cedar wood isn't the best choice for logs because of its propensity for sparking. If you do burn cedar wood, make sure you use a sturdy fireplace screen. Install a flame-resistant carpet around your wood stove, and don't place flammable items such as curtains, toys or furniture nearby. Install a gate around your wood stove to keep young children and pets away. Keep a fire extinguisher nearby. Have your chimney inspected every year, to ensure that you don't have creosote buildup.