By Steve Wilent, The Mountain Times
My essay on firewood in the November issue elicited more comments and questions from readers than any other topic this logger has written about. Several people have written to me to tell me about their favorite types of firewood and methods for stacking it. Others asked me about several species that I had not mentioned. Two readers admitted to being firewood fans, so now Lara and my neighbors know I'm not the only one.
A caller asked if black poplar was good fuel. In my opinion it is, but some firewood enthusiasts disagree. Compared to Douglas fir, the local standard for firewood, poplar produces less than two-thirds the heat: 26.5 million British Thermal Units (BTU) per cord for Doug fir versus 16.8 million BTU per cord for poplar. Many people don't care about poplar trees and some of their owners can't even give them away.
I happily cut half a poplar rope (for free!) from trees a kind neighbor felled two summers ago. This fall was very dry and the trunks were significantly lighter than those of Doug firs and other species. On the cool early fall days, the dried poplar wood made a nice fire in my wood stove and outdoor fireplace and served as firewood at all times. However, for the colder days and nights of winter, I prefer Doug fir, red alder, lodgepole pine, and other species.
No matter what fuel you burn, all firewood leaves creosote in chimneys. Creosote is a black, tar-like substance that occurs in smoke and sticks to the inside of chimneys and their caps. In some cases, the creosote deposit can become so thick that it reduces chimney draft and makes the wood stove less efficient. If large clouds of smoke come out of your wood stove when you open the oven door, you probably have a creosote problem. Worse still, creosote is highly flammable and, when ignited in a chimney, can burn so hot that it damages the chimney lining or even spreads the flames to the home itself.
There are approximately 25,000 chimney fires each year in the United States; These fires cause over $120 million in property damage each year. To prevent such fires, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends inspecting chimneys annually and cleaning them when necessary.
The nonprofit Chimney Safety Institute of America (csia.org) offers a wealth of information for homeowners, including a list of nine signs that you've had a chimney fire, such as (obviously) large flames erupting from the chimney. Chimney. Chimney. However, according to the CSIA, most chimney fires go unnoticed. "Slow-burning chimney fires do not receive enough air or fuel to be dramatic or visible and often go unnoticed until a later chimney inspection, but the temperatures they reach are very high and can cause extensive damage to the chimney structure." – and flammable parts near the house – like their more spectacular cousins."
Since my wood stove burns day and night for at least six to eight months of the year, I clean the chimney and chimney cap every two to three months. Every time I notice a clear accumulation of substantia nigra. I have a large ladder and a chimney broom as well as other tools to get the job done. The Hoodland Fire District will loan you, as a resident or homeowner, a chimney brush free of charge.
There are several chimney sweeps in our area. The Mt. Hood Business Directory from Active Media Publishing (publisher of The Mountain Times) lists two: A+ Fireplace Service of Sandy (503-607-8538); and Which Dutch Chimney Cleaning and Repair (503-961-5015). Google can help you find other chimney sweeps serving our area, such as Sandy Chimney Sweep and Masonry (503-317-5154, Sandychimneysweepandmasonry.com) or Clean Sweep – Chimney Sweep (503-622-1197). I have never used these services so I cannot recommend them, but you can check with your neighbors. Also check out the Oregon Chimney Sweeps Association (oregonchimneysweeps.com).
If you have a pellet stove, you should also sweep your chimney, but less often as pellets burn much cleaner than wood.
Creosote, which can be obtained from wood or coal, is an excellent wood preservative and has been applied to wooden utility poles, railroad ties, docks, docks, and similar marine structures since the mid-19th century. helped these forests last for decades in many cases, but creosote also makes utility poles vulnerable to wildfires. Other preservatives used in recent years, as well as metal or metal-clad posts, are much more resistant to wildfires.
Take it from a wood lover: Clean your fireplace regularly before a damaging fire occurs.
Would you like to learn more about firewood?
Creosote? Do you want to know which is the best firewood in the world? Contact: SWilent@gmail.com.
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