Oct
31
If you are using a wood burning stove or thinking of investing in one, you need to pay attention to a substance known as creosote. Creosote is the reason why fireplaces catch on fire and stoves need cleaning and replacing, but dealing with it is pretty simple once you get a proper wood seasoning system down.
It is a simple fact that green wood should not be used in a fireplace or (especially) a stove. Plain and simple. Fresh cut green wood contains a huge amount of moisture left over from the tree’s tissues, moisture that the tree used for metabolism and cellular transport. And once you cut it that moisture doesn’t go anywhere fast, no matter what kind of wood you have.
Hardwoods and soft wood alike should be split and left to season (dry out) for at least one year before being used in a fire. If you fail to do this, creosote is released from the wood as a gas and condenses into a nasty black oil on the inside of your flue, catching other particles and forming a highly combustible film over time. Dry, seasoned wood, however burns clean—and hot.
With no water to slow it down wood seasoned 4 or 5 years will burn very cleanly and very hot. Hardwoods of course will tend to yield a longer, slower burn while pine will pop and crack and blaze. Adjusting the content of your woodpile (for multiple years) is a good idea to get at the ambiance and function you want.