The best wood for heating

The best wood for heating

The best for the first heating is soft wood. It prepares the base for the addition of hardwood, which will provide a longer and more stable burn.

Pine – Its high resin content makes it an excellent source for starting a fire quickly. It burns easily, but can also produce more smoke and soot.

Spruce – Like pine, spruce burns very quickly. It has a lower density, so it burns quickly and helps spread the flames.

Fir – It ignites easily and burns with a good flame.

Poplar and willow – These types of wood also ignite easily, but have a lower heating value, so they are most often used only for starting the fire.

Hard wood for a stable fire

Hardwood has a higher density, which means it burns longer and produces more heat than softwood (which also produces less soot and tar). For optimal performance, it should be well dried, ideally with humidity below 20%. The wood drying time is usually 1-2 years, depending on the type and drying conditions.

Oak – It has a high density and provides a large amount of heat, burning slowly and evenly.

Beech – It ignites easily and offers a long, steady burn while producing little smoke.

Hornbeam – It has a very high calorific value and provides a clean burn.

Ash – burns well even at higher humidity and provides enough heat.