You know that you obviously need firewood in order to use your fireplace. The amount of firewood you need depends greatly on how often you use the fireplace and how long you let each fire burn. No matter how much firewood you need, you will want to make sure that you use seasoned wood that has been harvested locally, so that you can have the best fire possible.
Seasoned Firewood
Seasoned wood has been stored inside and has been dried for a long period of time, which makes it perfect for burning. The length of time that the wood has been dried is dependent on the type of wood it is. Some types of wood need to be dried longer than others in order to be fully seasoned. A softer wood will only need to be dried for approximately six months while harder woods many need to be dried for up to two years.
Purchasing Firewood
While it is best to purchase your firewood seasoned, we know that it does cost more. If you need to save some money and you have a place to store the wood until it is seasoned, you can purchase the wood unseasoned. We just do not recommend burning the unseasoned wood, because you will have a fire that has a lot of smoke and hardly any heat. You will also find that you have a lot more creosote built up inside your chimney when you burn unseasoned wood.
Benefits of Seasoned Firewood
Burning seasoned wood in your fireplace will result in a hotter fire with less smoke and less creosote buildup. When you are purchasing your firewood, we always recommend that you purchase firewood that is from your area. Firewood that has been brought in from other areas can have insects or molds that can destroy the plants in your yard. Local plants and insects do not have the ability to fight off nonnative diseases and the results can be disastrous.
Chimney Inspection
If you have any questions about the firewood that you are burning, ask one of our chimney experts for some help. We will be more than happy to give you some guidance. Give us a call at 610-626-2439 if you’re not sure whether you need to worry about chimney maintenance or creosote buildup from year to year. One of the CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps here at Lou Curley’s Chimney Service can inspect your chimney to make sure it’s properly serviced each year.