Different Kinds of Fire Wood

• A fireplace is an ideal heat source as long as you use the right type of wood. Monkey Business Images Ltd/Valueline/Getty Images

  Wood stoves and fireplaces have long been economic heat sources. Many types of wood also give off an aroma that is pleasant and soothing for some. Firewood that offers a lot of heat without putting off a lot of smoke is preferred. Firewood is available in green or seasoned and comes from a variety of sources.

Green Firewood

• Green firewood usually still has its bark and shows signs of fungus or mold. green timber image by Vladimir Karpenko from Fotolia.com

  Green firewood has a tight end grain and a uniform color. It's heavy with the bark intact. Often it has sap or bugs on it as well as mold or fungus. Green wood will make a dull thud when you tap two pieces together end to end and it has a moisture content higher than 50 percent, usually because it has been split for less than 12 months. Any wood with greater than 50 percent moisture will be hard to burn, and a lot of heat is lost in the steam that is released from the water when burning.

Seasoned Firewood

• Dry firewood does not have a tight grain. Instead it has cracks and a lighter, less uniform color. wood image by Amjad Shihab from Fotolia.com

  Seasoned or dry firewood burns hotter than green firewood because its moisture content is less than 40 percent. Split and stored wood dries faster than if it's just left after cutting. Ideally the content of moisture in properly seasoned wood is around 20 to 30 percent. If it's too dry it will burn too fast. Properly seasoned firewood should have cracks in the ends, a light color, and it should have lost some of its bark. There should be no mold or fungus and it will make a loud clang when two pieces are banged end to end.

Kiln Dried

• Kiln dried wood is placed in a heated chamber that removes water at high temperatures. Kilns dry firewood to below 20 percent moisture content quickly (48 to 72 hours). It's clean, has no bugs and can be produced all year. It gives off the most amount of heat with no resulting creosote and little ash.

Air Dried

• Air dried firewood is dried outdoors using the sun and wind to evaporate the water. Air dried wood will vary in moisture content because of different environmental factors, but it's the cheapest method and large amounts can be dried at one time. Typically it takes 12 months to properly dry firewood this way.

Hardwood

• Hardwoods are ideal for firewood because they are dense and put off a lot of heat. They're difficult to start, but burn longer. Some hardwoods are better than others for use as firewood. Oak, maple, Ash, birch, dogwood and hickory are a few good ones, but they are hard to get in large amounts. Elm, poplar, and sycamore are hardwoods that do not burn well.

Softwood

• Softwoods like cedar are best used for kindling. firewood image by PaulPaladin from Fotolia.com

  Softwoods burn fast but don't produce much heat. Because of the amount of sap in softwoods, FiFirewood doesn't recommend them for indoor burning because they cause a dangerous buildup of creosote in chimneys. The best types to burn are Douglas Fir, Yellow Pine and Spruce. Typically, softwoods are used for kindling (small pieces or scraps of wood used to start a fire). Cedar is one of the best woods for this and Cypress would be the worst softwood to use for firewood.

Do Not Burn

• Wood that has been chemically treated or painted is not recommended for burning. cracked paint 1 image by Sergey Kolesnikov from Fotolia.com

  Wood that is painted, treated with preservatives or made of composite wood and glue (chipboard and plywood) is not suitable as firewood, especially indoors. The chemicals in this wood can pose a serious health hazard.