Choosing the right firewood can appear daunting for first time buyers, as you contemplate your fireplace’s efficiency, warmth, and safety. Understanding the characteristics of various types of wood will help you select the best fuel for your needs. From burn time to heat output and environmental impact, knowing the differences between hardwoods and softwoods will help you get the most out of your fireplace with the correct wood selection.

Here’s an in-depth guide to the different types of firewood, their characteristics, and tips on how to store and use them.

Choosing the Right Firewood

The type of firewood you use can affect everything from the amount of heat produced to the amount of creosote buildup in your chimney. Creosote is a flammable residue that can accumulate and increase the risk of chimney fires, especially if you burn wood with a high moisture content. Choosing the right wood helps your fireplace burn efficiently, minimizes emissions, and makes it easier to maintain your fireplace over time.

In general, hardwoods are preferred for long-term heating due to their density, while softwoods are better suited for kindling and short burns.

Hardwoods vs. Softwoods: What’s the Difference?

Hardwoods come from deciduous trees like oak, maple, and walnut. These woods are denser, burn longer, and produce more heat compared to softwoods. On the other hand, softwoods come from coniferous trees like pine, fir, and cedar, and they ignite faster but burn out quicker, making them ideal for starting fires but less efficient for sustained heating.

Here are some common types of firewood available in South Africa:

1. Blue Gum

Blue Gum is a highly popular choice for fireplaces, especially in Southern Africa, due to its high heat output and long burn time. This hardwood is dense and burns slowly, producing a significant amount of heat. One of its key benefits is that it produces very little smoke when seasoned properly, making it a cleaner option for indoor fireplaces.

• Best for: Long, sustained heating sessions.
• Burn characteristics: Slow-burning, high heat, minimal smoke.

2. Sekelbos

If you’re looking for a wood that heats your home whilst adding an aromatic quality to your fireplace, Sekelbos is a top choice. This dense hardwood is known for its pleasant smell and is often used in indoor fireplaces or braais. Like Blue Gum, Sekelbos burns hot and lasts for an extended period, making it ideal for keeping your home warm on cold nights.

• Best for: Long-lasting heat with added ambiance through aroma.
• Burn characteristics: High heat, long burn time, aromatic smoke.

3. Black Wattle

Another hardwood common in South Africa, Black Wattle offers a balance between efficiency and affordability. While not as dense as Blue Gum or Sekelbos, it still burns efficiently, producing sufficient heat for an extended period. Black Wattle is readily available, and seasons relatively quickly compared to other hardwoods, making it a practical option for those looking for an economical yet effective firewood choice.

• Best for: Everyday heating at a lower cost.
• Burn characteristics: Moderate to high heat, long burn time, economical.

4. Pine

Pine is a softwood that ignites quickly, making it excellent for kindling or starting a fire. However, because it burns fast, it isn’t ideal for maintaining long fires. Pine is best used in combination with hardwoods, providing the quick flame needed to get your fireplace going, then transitioning to denser woods for sustained heating. One downside of pine is that it tends to produce more creosote than hardwoods, so it’s important to ensure it’s properly seasoned.

• Best for: Starting fires, kindling.
• Burn characteristics: Quick-burning, moderate heat, high creosote production.

5. Acacia

A less common option but highly effective, Acacia offers high heat output and is dense like other hardwoods. It’s known for producing a lot of coals, which can keep a fire going longer without having to constantly add more wood. However, Acacia can be harder to split, and it often requires longer seasoning periods to reach its full potential for burning efficiency.

• Best for: Sustained heat and long-burning coals.
• Burn characteristics: High heat, long-lasting coals, longer seasoning time.

Proper Storage for Optimal Burning

The way you store your firewood can make as much difference as the type of wood you choose. Wood that is improperly stored or left exposed to moisture will burn inefficiently, produce more smoke, and lead to creosote buildup in your chimney.

Here are some tips for storing firewood:

• Off the Ground: Keep your firewood stacked off the ground using a pallet or firewood rack. This prevents the wood from absorbing moisture from the soil.
• Covered but Ventilated: Cover the top of your woodpile to protect it from rain, but leave the sides exposed for airflow. This ensures that the wood dries out properly during the seasoning process.
• Air Circulation: Stack your wood loosely, leaving gaps between the logs to allow air to circulate. This will speed up the drying process and ensure your firewood is ready to burn when needed.

Seasoning Your Firewood

Seasoning is the process of drying firewood to reduce its moisture content. Freshly cut wood, known as “green wood,” has a high moisture content and will not burn efficiently. For optimal performance, firewood should be seasoned for at least 6 months, with some hardwoods like Blue Gum and Acacia requiring up to a year or more.

Properly seasoned wood will have visible cracks in the end grain, weigh less than green wood, and make a hollow sound when tapped together. Burning seasoned wood ensures you get the most heat from your fireplace with less smoke and creosote buildup.

Choosing the right firewood for your fireplace is key in maximizing both efficiency and safety. For first-time fireplace owners, hardwoods like Blue Gum, Sekelbos, and Black Wattle offer the best combination of heat output, longevity, and cleanliness. While softwoods like Pine are excellent for kindling, they should be used sparingly in combination with hardwoods. By storing and seasoning your firewood properly, you can enjoy a cozy, efficient, and environmentally friendly fire all winter long. For a selection of affordable wood fired fireplaces, visit Econofire for more.