It’s that time of the year where you can cozy and warm yourself in front of the orange glow of the fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate and make winters a pleasure.

Fireplace in cold nights is a blessing as it warms up rooms quickly and naturally and also tends to lower the heating bills. Plus the ambience it gives is amazing. For that you would need a lot of firewood. The best firewood is one which burns for longer and causes less creosote buildup. You will need to call in the chimney contractors if there is a lot of creosote buildup which can lead to fire hazards and also cause health issues.

Types of Wood for Fireplaces

There are 2 types of wood; hardwood and softwood. Hardwood is a dense wood and difficult to ignite. But it burns slowly and produces more heat. Softwood burns easily but very quickly and is not feasible in countries with severe winters. The other thing you should look for is seasoned and unseasoned wood. Seasoned wood is cut and left out for a long period of time which causes it to become dusty and gray. This wood will be dry and white from the inside, and free from wood residue which could lead to chimney blockages, which would then need sweep or repair. Unseasoned wood is freshly cut wood and also known as greenwood. You will need to constantly clean your chimney if you use unseasoned wood. Seasoned wood should always be preferred.

Oak (Hardwood)

This is the best wood for a fireplace because it burns hotter, longer and more evenly. In order for Oak to burn well and long, it should be seasoned well, that is for around a year so it is dried from the inside. Oak is difficult to ignite but the fire it produces will be well worth it.

Maple (Hardwood)

Maple is abundant in most areas and burn longer and hotter if seasoned well. You can use different types of maple for your fireplace such as silver maple, red maple, black maple, hard or sugar maple and Norway maple.

Birch (Softwood)

Birch will ignite fast and burn very quickly so you will have to purchase them in quantity. Birch gives beautiful flame but will also lead to a lot of creosote buildup.

Cherry (Hardwood)

Cherry wood is the best for burning as it burns longer and it does not even need to be seasoned well, and it gives a wonderful aroma.

Pine (Softwood)

Pine gets ignited easily but burns very fast. Pine wood is also known as a fire starter but it leaves a lot of reside and creosote in the chimney. Pine gives a great smell when burnt.

Walnut (Hardwood)

Walnut is a hardwood which is dense and durable and is available all year round. Walnut burns longer and less wood is needed to burn. Walnut also gives off very little smoke but is known to give a very bitter smell.

Black Locust (Hardwood)

Black locust is also very durable and burns also very long.

Ash (Hardwood)

This type of wood is best for you if you are solely dependent on fireplace for heat and warmth. Ash is a great wood for the fireplace because it burn for a longer period of tie and gives a steady fire throughout. Ash works best if it is seasoned well.

Hawthorn (Hardwood)

What you basically need in a fireplace wood is a wood which burns well and for longer and gives of less smoke, hence residue buildup in your chimney. Hawthorn is one such hardwood that fulfills these criteria well.

Yew (Hardwood)

Another great type of firewood is yew which gives of a good amount of heat, heats up quickly, burns slower and longer and also gives a great smell while burning.

Ironwood (Hardwood)

This hardwood is suitable for countries where the winters are very severe and very harsh, because ironwood is known to produce high heat when burnt and in mild winters the heat can get uncomfortable. It is also known to burn for longer periods of time.

Long term burning of firewood can lead to creosote and residue buildup in chimneys so always choose firewood which burn long and produces less smoke or else call in the chimney sweep services Bowie to clear up your chimney.