Stratford
Fireplace Installation and Operation Manual
__________________________________________________________________________ 15
Homeowners with access to both hardwood and softwood fuel sometimes use both types for different
purposes. For example, softer woods make good fuel for relatively mild weather in spring and fall because
they light quickly and produce less heat Softwoods are not as dense as hardwoods, so a given volume of
wood contains less energy. Using softwoods avoids overheating the house, which can be a common
problem with wood heating in moderate weather. Harder woods are best for colder winter weather when
more heat and longer burn cycles are desirable.
Note that hardwood trees like oak, maple, ash and beech are slower growing and longer lived than softer
woods like poplar and birch. That makes hardwood trees more valuable. The advice that only hardwoods
are good to burn is outdated.
Old, leaky cast iron stoves wouldn’t hold a fire overnight unless they were fed large pieces of hardwood.
That is no longer true. You can successfully heat your home by using the less desirable tree species and give
the forest a break at the same time.
3.2.3
LOG LENGTH
Logs should be cut at least 1" (25 mm) shorter than the firebox so they fit in easily. Pieces
that are even slightly too long make loading the fireplace very difficult. The most
common standard length of firewood is 16"(400 mm).
The pieces should be a consistent length, with a maximum of 1" (25 mm) variation from
piece to piece.
3.2.4
PIECE SIZE
Firewood dries more quickly when it is split. Large unsplit rounds can take years to dry enough to burn.
Even when dried, unsplit logs are difficult to ignite because they don’t have the sharp edges where the
flames first catch. Logs as small as 3" (75 mm) should be split to encourage drying.
Wood should be split to a range of sizes, from about 3” to 6” (75 mm to 150 mm) in cross section. Having
a range of sizes makes starting and rekindling fires much easier. Often, the firewood purchased from
commercial suppliers is not split finely enough for convenient stoking. It is sometimes advisable to resplit
the wood before stacking to dry.
3.2.5
HOW TO DRY FIREWOOD
Firewood that is not dry enough to burn is the cause of most complaints about wood fireplaces. Continually
burning green or unseasoned wood produces more creosote and involves lack of heat and dirty glass door.
See
Section 5:
Maintaining your wood heating system
for concerns about creosote.
