What is the best type of wood to burn in a cast iron stove?

Question

I recently moved in to a new home that uses a cast iron stove for the main heat and I am finding many different types of wood on craigslist. What is the best type fir heating and what else should I know when shopping for firewood? Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

I recommend hardwood as it burns more slowly for even heating and less hassle.
You'll make less trips to the stove to add wood, and you might even be lucky enough to have hot embers in the morning when you wake up.

Good luck and congrats on your new home.. you'll be cozy even when the power goes out :o)

Answer 2

Almost any kind, as long as it's not treated or painted. But some types are better because they give more heat per volume of wood, and some kinds aren't desirable because they tend to leave more creosote than others. Hardwoods are best if you can get them but in some areas such as the Pacific Northwest where I live, hardwoods are not common and most people burn softwoods(conifers) because that's what there is. You can google terms like "properties of firewood" and find lists describing different woods and how they stack up(pardon the pun) as firewood. More important, usually, than the exact type of wood is the fact that whatever it is, it must be properly seasoned before you burn it in a stove. That means you don't burn it until at least 6 months after the tree was taken down, and longer is better. If you are buying wood, ask around for a good supplier. Unfortunately it's all too common to find firewood for sale which isn't really ready to burn. That's fine if you're buying it in the spring and can stack it at home to dry properly. Not so good if you run short in February and have some delivered that turns out to be a bit too damp to burn immediately.

Answer 3

Well, soft woods like fir, pine, spruce, etc burn easily (if you've ever seen film footage of a forest fire, you know what I mean. The pines go up like roman candles). However, these woods burn very quickly too. You'll have to add a new log often.

Hardwoods, such as oak or walnut, typically burn much slower but they don't burn as easily at first; sometimes it's hard to "get the fire going", so to speak. Once they get nice and hot, they will burn well though.

As for which type is the best with regards to heat generated vs burn time? Beats me! I can't remember which burns hottest. I want to say fir, but...not sure. I read somewhere that the chemical that they use to make turpentine (a highly flammable substance) comes from fir trees and, since they have this substance in them, that makes them burn hotter and faster. I'm sure you could search the web and find more details.

Answer 4

Use hard woods only, such as oak, hickory, ash are the best, they burn better, don,t leave as many ashes and put out more heat. Do not buy mixed wood, you get alot of junk wood. Don,t try pine or cedar, it burns fast and pops which is dangerous when you open the door. Don,t stack your wood directly on the ground, try to find some old 2x4,s or something like that to stack it on so it won,t soak up water. When you put wood in the stove, put it in with the split side down, it burns better that way. I hope I helped alittle

Answer 5

If you live in the southern part of the US there is an abundance of
water oak and gumball that work wonderful. Use a little soft pine with any hard wood to get it burning, but it is best not to just burn
softwood. Make certain that you keep the stove and chimney cleaned (in between cleaning use just a bit of beer left in a can and some rock salt burned in the stove this helps keep it clean)
Be very careful of using chemicals to clean it yourself. Hire a
professional, please.

Remember that keeping the stove too hot can burn your house down as with trying to clean it yourself (it burns very hot)

Answer 6

We have an iron stove too. you can burn anything in them. that is not the problem. the problem is the chimney. pine tends to build up soot faster. when you get a build up in the chimney there is the possiblity of fire. the harder the wood, (oak, hickory) the better. we never burn pine. I suggest you look for hardwood that has been cured at least a year. m

Answer 7

Use hardwoods, like oak. Do not use pine as the sap will gum up the inside of the stove. Also, do not use hickory, it pops!!

Answer 8

Pine wood works fine. Don't buy those scented wood, you don’t need it! You’re just paying an extra buck for it!

Answer 9

this might have some good information.
www.fireplacemall.com