If you’re going to buy firewood, make sure that it is hardwood. Hardwoods like birch are excellent choices because they put out a lot of heat.
You can buy it from your Local supplier. It won’t burn as hot as some hardwoods, but it will still burn rather well.
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Is Birch Good Firewood
Birch is good firewood because it doesn’t burn very fast. This means that you can build up your fire slowly.
As a result, you won’t get burned or have to waste a lot of wood to do it, which means that you’ll have a better chance of keeping your budget intact.
If you have a large backyard, it’s good to have a dedicated birch pile because it will keep burning for a while. its Burn Very Clean
What kind of Firewood is it?
It depends on where you want to place it. The heat value of trees comes down most in quality when they are planted in sandy soil.
So, the best trees for firewood are those grown in sandy soil. And birch and white birch are some of the best woods planted in this condition.
They have lots of bark and are relatively resistant to insects. But, they are also very dense, so they burn hot for long periods.
Types of Birch Firewood
Birch trees are native to North America and belong to the Betula family. There are many different kinds of Birch trees worldwide,
but the most commonly known are White, black, and yellow birch trees. While and yellow are found in North America however, black is native to the eastern US.
Yellow Birch Firewood
The yellow birch, golden birch, or swamp birch, known by its scientific name Betula alleghaniensis, is a massive and crucial timber species of birch wood indigenous to North America.
Its vernacular names refer to the gold coloring of this tree’s bark. The name Betula lutea formerly has been used expansively, but now it has been replaced.
It is a single-stemmed medium-sized tree that is 60 – 80 feet tall. The age span of yellow birch is usually 150 years bit some grow old and lasts for 300 years.
White Birch Firewood
Paper birch, canoe bitch, or white birch by the Americans is a short-lived species of birch indigenous to North America.
White birch is named after the shrub’s thick white bark, and the tree is also frequently called paper birch because it peels in paper-like form.
Paper birch is among the first species to purge a burnt area over the northern latitudes and is now equally critical for moose surfing. The timber is often used to get pulpwood and also firewood.
Black Birch Firewood
Betula lenta is also called black birch, cherry Shrimp, mahogany birch, or spice birch.
It is a species of birch that is indigenous to oriental North America, from the southwest from the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia, also southern Maine west into southern-most Ontario.
It is a medium-sized tree that grows 30 meters tall (98 ft) and sometimes 35 meters tall because of some similar characteristics such as smooth bark and distinct lenticels.
As a result, much younger black birch gets mistaken as cherry trees.
BTU and Heat efficiency of birch Firewood
As far as heat value goes, black, white, and yellow birch has the highest importance. In the winter, black and white birch Firewood will keep you warm.
In the spring, yellow birch and white birch are the two fastest-growing firewood trees. The BTU of birch trees is 20.8 to 26.8 Million Per cord Depending on the species.
The burning capacity of birch trees is between 250 to 300 degrees.
Durability Of Birch Firewood
When it comes to durability, all three types of wood perform well. Birch, in particular, is exceptionally durable.
However, it has very little resistance to insects. Even a minor infestation, and it’s dead.
White birch and yellow birch are moderately stable, but black birch resists insects and are the best choice for heaters and space heaters.
Seasoning Time of birch Firewood
Seasoning refers to the air-drying process of burning timber. After you cut a tree down, the interior bark is most often moist, high in sap, and at times green-colored.
A sheet of firewood could be considered seasoned as it loses its green tone and contains significantly less than 20% humidity.
If you attempt to burn wood prematurely, you will burn off 50 percent to 60 percent of its inherent fuel worth since it’s overly moist with water or sap.
In addition, you may squander renewable energy this way by evaporating sap and water instead of creating heat energy.
To maximize seasoning, slice the timber into thin planks and then pile them in a cord.
Next, you have to allow the newly chopped tree to air dry for at least a calendar year. Birchwood is probably one of the best trees for firewood.
Birchwood is resistant to decay and insects, and it grows at a fast rate. This means that it will be ready to burn before you know it.
Other characteristics of this type of wood are that it holds its shape well, doesn’t warp, and is a dense hardwood.
Resin/sap content
Compared to other trees, birchwood trees do not need a lot of sap. But, on the other hand,
it does have a high enough moisture content that it takes a year for the wood to get adequately seasoned.
There is about 8 percent of moisture content in an adequately seasoned birch wood.
The recommended quantity of moisture is 20 percent for optimal burning.
Smoke
If you buy firewood for home use, birch burns quickly and produces a medium amount of smoke.
However, if you have an adequately vented stove, you can quickly get rid of the smoke.
Keep in mind Green Birch is harmful as it produces deadly fumes.
Smell
Another characteristic to look for when shopping for good firewood is what kind of fuel it burns best.
All three types of wood burn, mainly incense. Birchwood, when burned, gives off a pleasant smell.
It can be said it’s a slightly scented smoke that gives off a sweet wintergreen smell.
Does Birchwood Burn Clean?
it burns pretty clean. In simple words, the birch firewood doesn’t through a lot of smoke while burning and the sparks that come out of it are not high. So, it is pretty clean when it burns.
Conclusion
Is birch good firewood? It depends on how much of it you need and how much you want to spend on it.
But, on the other hand, if you use too much, you’ll end up burning more than you intended and wasting money.
This is why white birch is excellent firewood for people trying to conserve what they have to burn.