If you are buying firewood for the first time then you may be baffled by the different choices that you have available. A lot of people who have never utilised a fireplace before tend to assume that you just buy any old wood and burn it to start a fire. However, that’s not the case. You need to be well informed about the choices that are out there in order to make the right decision when it comes to buying your bags of logs.
If you take note of the three points below, then you should have no trouble finding the right firewood for your fireplace…
Look for the right type of wood
In general terms wood is split into two types; hardwood and softwood. It is recommended that you opt for the former when buying bags of logs for your fireplace. This is because hardwood is a lot denser. In fact, when buying a hardwood and a softwood log of the exact same size, you are likely to get double the amount of heat with the hardwood than you would the latter option. Moreover, a lot of people find great difficulty when it comes to actually setting softwood alight. To elaborate further, some examples of hardwood include oak, birch and ash. Some examples of softwood include fir, pine and spruce.
Buy seasoned wood
Make sure that the wood you buy is seasoned. This is when the wood has been cut and left to be air dried for several months. You have to go for wood which has been seasoned for longer than six months. If wood has not been seasoned, then it is often referred to as ‘green’ wood – this means that it has been recently cut. This wood is hard to light because it contains up to 50% moisture, but once it does get going it can be a lot more dangerous. Of course, having the likes of fire safety measures in place, like fire sprinklers is a must, and keeping up with your fire suppression repair service schedule, but you can’t play with fire, so to speak, by buying dangerous wood.
How much wood are you buying?
It is important that you are aware of the measurement which is used to measure the volume of firewood. Most places will sell bags of logs by the “cord”. One cord translates to 128 cubic feet and usually equates to 8 inches x 4 inches x 4 inches. It is important that you know this not only so you can determine the size of the firewood you are buying, but also so you can determine as to whether you are getting a good deal in terms of money or not. Alternatively, other places will simply provide you the measurement in terms of cubic feet, which is something we’re all familiar with anyway.
The three points above should make you well informed when it comes to buying firewood and thus you should be better equipped to know what you are looking for. After all, a little bit of basic knowledge can go a long way when stepping into the unknown. Then, when shopping online you can then narrow down your search based on price and making your purchase from a quality company.
