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| Question: Using pine and spruce for wood burning.
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-We just experienced a storm here and lost many of
our trees. They are pine or Norwegian spruce. They have the sap and needles and pine
cones. I was always told that it is not good wood to burn. My husband tells me as a
general rule that is true but because we will be burning it in a wood-burning stove which
burns at extreme temperatures compared to a fireplace that it is ok. We have a lot of wood
from these trees we lost and I don't want to waste time stacking it all if we shouldn't be
using it to burn. A friend was told it would clog her chimney. Would it clog the pipes in
the stove? Is there any other reason we shouldn't use this wood in the stove? Thanks for
any information. I would definitely rather be enjoying the beauty of the trees we lost but
since that is not possible I hope to put them to good use. It gets mighty cold here in
Syracuse. Thanks, The Branagans |
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| Answer 2: Posted by NB Lung Association |
There is no problem in using your
fallen pine or spruce trees for firewood. Hardwoods are more commonly used for firewood,
however kindling is usually softwood. People’s preference is usually to burn
hardwood, because softwood can give off a lot of heat, but it isn’t as long lasting.
That’s because softwood is less dense and therefore has a lower energy content. The only reason you shouldn’t burn your wood, is if it is still wet. The problems with wet wood are excessive smoke, more trips to the wood pile and potential creosote problems in your chimney (a safety hazard). Freshly cut ‘green" wood is between 35% and 50% water by weight. You should season your new wood to a moisture content below 20% or much of its heating value will be wasted driving off excess moisture. In an ideal situation, it is best to have your wood cut in late winter or early spring before the heating season to allow sufficient time for it to season. Cordwood should be seasoned at least six months and sheltered from the weather. |
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| Answer 1: Posted by Elements |
-Elements is unable to answer these
questions for you since we do not have this technical background. You can contact the NB
Lung Association nblung@nbnet.nb.ca as they have
expertise in this area.
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