Columbia Installation and Operation Manual
11
3 Fuel
3.1 Materials That Should Not be Burned
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GARBAGE OF ANY KIND,
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COAL OR CHARCOAL,
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TREATED, PAINTED OR COATED WOOD,
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PLYWOOD OR PARTICLE BOARD,
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FINE PAPER, COLORED PAPER OR CARDBOARD,
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SALT WATER DRIFTWOOD,
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MANUFACTURED LOGS CONTAINING WAX OR CHEMICAL ADDITIVES,
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RAILROAD TIES,
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LIQUIDS SUCH AS KEROSCENE OR DIESEL FUEL TO START A FIRE.
3.2 How to Prepare or Buy Good Firewood
3.2.1 What is Good Firewood?
Good firewood has been cut to the correct length for the stove, split to a range of sizes and
stacked in the open until its moisture content is reduced to 15 to 20 per cent.
3.2.2 Tree Species
The tree species the firewood is produced from is less important than its moisture content.
The main difference in firewood from various tree species is the density of the wood.
Hardwoods are denser than softwoods. People who live in the coldest regions of North
America usually have only spruce, birch and poplar, other low-density species to burn and
yet they can heat their homes successfully.
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The advice that only hardwoods are good to burn is outdated.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.
