5. WOOD
Only burn dry wood! You must not only select quality wood but it must also be dry at the
moment in which you use it.
Remember that the calorific power of the wood drops considerably as the presence of
humidity means that a large part of the heat produced is used to evaporate the water and,
furthermore, the risks of obstruction increase rapidly with the condensation of the vapors in the flue.
Recommended humidity of wood is up to 20%.
5.1 DRYING
Damp wood not only burns badly but also makes the lighting of the fire difficult and damages
the flue. The water vapor transports condensible products such as acetic acid, alcohol, methyl
alcohol and tars which contribute to the formation of incrustations which are detrimental for the
efficiency of your stove.
Fresh cut wood is useless as a fuel. Actually a considerable part of the energy produced is only
used to evaporate the water, which is up to 75% in young wood without bark.
To obtain dry wood (15%-20% humidity) you must cut the weak wood (in winter) to the desired
length and cut it again in pieces with a maximum diameter of 8-15 cm (3.15”-5.9”). You must then
put them in a ventilated shelter for at least 2 years (4 for oak, the first with exposure to the rain to
eliminate the tannin).
You must stack the wood without compressing it to allow the passage of air, which, when
circulating between pieces of wood, releases the humidity and aids drying.
