Energy Values for Select Hardwoods
Burn the right wood for the best fire
Most campers know that the type of wood you burn makes a big difference in heat output as well as smoke and particulates. Environmental agencies discourage and may ticket pollution causing fires. Try backyard burning on a non-burn day and in many municipalities you could get a ticket.
Wood burning in fireplaces and wood stoves is one of the major pleasures for thousands of American households in the darkest part of winter. Many Americans continue to rely on woodstoves as a primary source of winter heat.
If you have a woodstove or fireplace, it's not only important to burn wood that's well seasoned, it's equally important to maintain your stove and chimney for maximum safety. Green wood that has not been left to dry for a long enough period can create a build up of dangerous creosote in your stove and chimney in just a few days. Green wood and stoves that do not meet US guidelines for environmental protection are particular culprits in creating pollution because either can throw off large amounts of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and tiny particulates that can destroy indoor air quality. in the winter when the house is closed.
To build a fire, use dry softwood and kindling in small pieces to start a small quick fire. Add progressively larger pieces one at a time without smothering the fire. Once it's well established, add your thicker, denser pieces. The key is regulating airflow to keep the fire bright and hot.
The following table shows various types of hardwoods:
| Heat/ Cord (Million BTU'S) |
Ease of Splitting | Smoke | Sparks | Smell | Overall Quality | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | 27.0 | Medium | Low | Few | Excellent | Excellent |
| Alder | 17.5 | Easy | Little | Few | Good | Good |
| Ash, Black | 19.1 | Easy | Low | Few | Slight | Excellent |
| Ash, Green | 20.0 | Easy | Low | Few | Slight | Good |
| Ash, White | 23.6 | Medium | Low | Few | Slight | Excellent |
| Aspen | 12.5 | Easy | Med | Few | Slight | Fair |
| Basswood (Linden) | 13.5 | Easy | Medium | Few | Good | Fair |
| Beech | 24.0 | Easy | Low | Few | Slight | Excellent |
| Beech, Blue | 26.8 | Easy | Low | Few | Slight | Fair |
| Birch, Black | 26.8 | Easy | Low | Mod | Slight | Excellent |
| Birch, Grey | 20.3 | Easy | Low | Mod | Slight | Good |
| Birch, Paper | 20.8 | Medium | Medium | Few | Slight | Fair |
| Birch, White | 20.3 | Easy | Low | Mod | Slight | Good |
| Birch, Yellow | 23.6 | Easy | Low | Mod | Slight | Excellent |
| Box Elder | 18.3 | Difficult | Medium | Few | Slight | Fair |
| Buckeye, Ohio | 13.8 | Medium | Low | Few | Slight | Fair |
| Butternut | 14.5 | Easy | Medium | Few | Slight | Fair |
| Catalpa | 15.5 | Difficult | Medium | Few | Bad | Fair |
| Cedar, Eastern Red | 17.1 | Medium | Medium | Many | Excellent | Fair |
| Cherry, Black | 18.6 | Easy | Low | Few | Excellent | Good |
| Chestnut | Easy | Med | Many | Slight | . Fair | |
| Coffeetree, Kentucky | 21.6 | Medium | Low | Few | Good | Good |
| Cottonwood | 13.5 | Easy | Medium | Few | Slight | Poor |
| Dogwood | 24.3 | Easy | Low | Few | Excellent | |
| Douglas-Fir | 20.7 | Easy | High | Few | Slight | Good |
| Elm, American | 20.0 | Difficult | Medium | Few | Good | Fair |
| Elm, Red | 21.6 | Easy | Medium | Few | Good | Good |
| Elm, Rock | 23.5 | Difficult | Medium | Few | Slight | Good |
| Elm, Siberian | 20.9 | Difficult | Medium | Few | Slight | Fair |
| Eucalyptus | Difficult | Low | Few | Good | Excellent | |
| Gum, Black | 18.7 | Difficult | Good | |||
| Gum, Sweet | 18.7 | Medium | Med | Moderate | Slight | Good |
| Hackberry | 21.2 | Easy | Low | Few | Slight | Good |
| Hickory, Bitternut | 26.7 | Medium | Low | Few | Excellent | Excellent/Good coals |
| Hickory, Shagbark | 27.5 | Medium | Low | Few | Excellent | Excellent/Good coals |
| Locust, Honey | 25.8 | Medium | Low | Few | Slight | Excellent |
| Hornbeam | 27.3 | Difficult | Few | Excellent | ||
| Ironwood | 27.9 | Difficult | Medium | Few | Slight | Excellent |
| Locust, Black | 27.9 | Difficult | Low | Few | Slight | Excellent |
| Madrona | Medium | Low | Few | Slight | Excellent | |
| Magnolia | 18.0 | Easy | Fair | |||
| Maple, Other | 25.5 | Easy | Low | Few | Good | Excellent |
| Maple, Red | 18.7 | Medium | Low | Few | Good | |
| Maple, Silver | 19.0 | Medium | Low | Few | Good | Fair |
| Maple, Sugar | 24.0 | Difficult | Heavy | Few | Good | Excellent/Good coals |
| Mulberry | 25.8 | Easy | Medium | Many | Good | Excellent |
| Oak, Bur | 26.2 | Easy | Low | Few | Good | Excellent |
| Oak, Live | 25.0 | NA | Low | Few | Excellent | |
| Oak, Red | 24.0 | Difficult | Low | Few | Good | Excellent |
| Oak, White | 26.4 | Easy | Low | Few | Slight | Excellent |
| Osage-Orange | 32.9 | Easy | Low | Many | Excellent | Excellent |
| Persimmon | 26.4 | NA | Low | Few | Excellent | |
| Yellow Poplar | 16.0 | Easy | Yes | Some | Poor | |
| Sassafras | 18 | Easy | Fair | |||
| Sourwood | 20.4 | Difficult | Excellent | |||
| Spruce | 15.5 | Easy | Medium | Many | Slight | Fair |
| Sycamore | 24.1 | Difficult | Medium | Few | Slight | Good |
| Walnut, Black | 22.2 | Easy | Low | Few | Good | Excellent |
| Willow | 17.6 | Easy | Low | Few | Slight | Poor |
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