It’s late fall and one of my favorite things is feeling the warmth of a fire. There’s something about hearing the crackling of logs, the smell of burning wood, peacefulness of staring at the yellow, red, orange and blue flames dancing in front of you, that make a fire so great. Sitting by a fire be it an inside fireplace or outside fire ring never gets old. It’s been said that watching a fire can be therapeutic and I believe that is true. I couldn’t think of a better night than sitting Infront of a fireplace or a fire pit with good friends telling stories and laughing. Add sipping on hot chocolate (adding peppermint schnapps really works) or a few cocktails/beers and I’ll take that therapy every night. But, before you have one of those great fires, there are a few things you might want to consider about the wood you are burning. For outdoor fireplaces or pits, the type of wood kinda doesn’t matter.

But for indoor fireplaces, many chimney fires are caused by highly flammable creosote (BY-PROUCT OF BURNING WOOD) accumulated in the flue and chimney walls. Creosote (SOOT) forms on the chimney walls and over time will develop into a tar substance that is very flammable. Fires that start in chimneys can spread to the roof and that is something nobody wants to see. If a person doesn’t use their fireplace often, there are creosote logs that burn like a standard log or throwing creosote pellets on top of a fire could help prevent chimney fires. But if you use your fireplace on a regular basis, it’s recommended to have your fireplace inspected and cleaned after 50 fires or once a year. From what I’ve been told, the average cost is between $120 to $350 depending on the size, pitch of the roof and how long since the last cleaning.

As far as the wood being used, HARDWOOD like Hickory, Elm, Maple, Oak, Ash & Walnut are denser (MORE WOOD FIBER) wood that burns slower and produces more heat for a longer amount of time. SOFTWOOD including Aspen, Cedar, Pine and Fir, will ignite easier, have larger flames, burns faster and hotter than hardwood and for that reason, you will pay less for that softer wood.

The biggest misconception is which type of wood is better than the other for a fireplace. So, what wood should you use? The truth is it DOESN’T MATTER. The main reason for accumulation of creosote is not sap or type of wood used. It’s the moisture from unseasoned firewood. Split softwood can be ready in 6 to 8 months if dried properly, but 2 or 3 years are required to properly dry hardwood.

Do you think people that sell firewood season the wood (gas stations or those $5 bundles on the side of the road) for the right amount of time before it’s ready to sell? When it comes to softwood, I would say, yes, but I don’t know one business that will cure (DRY) their wood 2 or 3 years before they sell it. Less inventory means more money.  Because of the difference in density in these woods, I will tell you that, it would cost you a lot less and be better to use both in your fireplace, so mix it up by starting with soft wood and place the hard wood on top.

When buying wood, here’s the difference between a cord of wood and a face cord. A CORD or sometimes called a LOGGER’S CORD of wood measures 8-foot-long X 4-foot-wide X 4-foot-high. A FACE CORD of wood is a stack of wood that measures under a full cord of wood. Confused? Ok, the standard length of a log is 16 inches in a cord and a cord usually has 3 rows, stacked 4 feet high and 8 feet long. A FACE CORD wood (LOGS) varies in size, so it really isn’t a true 4 X 4 X 8 and is under the 128 cubic feet of a true cord of wood. One thing you should know when buying firewood is, many places have a minimum for delivery. There you have it. I hope this was helpful in learning a little more about what kind of wood to use while sitting by yourselves or with a group of great friends watching those yellow, red, orange and blue flames dancing in front of you.