Burning a mixed load of wood?

[Wallace]

Since I am fairly new to the wood burning world, I have a question. I have a half cord of seasoned oak and over half cord of seasoned shaggy bark and alligator juniper (cedar). I like the length of the burns the oak gives and the heat that the juniper puts out. So in my infinite wisdom I have been mixing oak and juniper. Two bigger splits of oak on the bottom and 3 splits of juniper on top oriented N/S. My question is that it seems to me that I am getting the best of the two woods? Especially in the morning at 5am it appears that the E/W oak splits are still giving off heat, while the juniper is gone to ashes. Am I just imagining this? Or is anyone else doing this too?

 

[nate379]

I just have birch now, but earlier this heating season I had a mix of cottonwood, spruce and birch. Boy am I glad to be done with that. I tried to only put a couple pieces of the junk wood in teh stove cause it wouldn't last very long.

 

[bogydave]

Sounds like a good mix. Burn times getting you thru the night is good.
As you need more heat at night, maybe more oak.
I mix in some spruce for the day shorter burns or when it's warm enough to burn all day with just spruce.
So Yea, mixing to get the performance you need is a good idea.

 

[soupy1957]

Kinda like being a cook, eh?!

-Soupy1957

 

[CTYank]

Since I am fairly new to the wood burning world, I have a question. I have a half cord of seasoned oak and over half cord of seasoned shaggy bark and alligator juniper (cedar). I like the length of the burns the oak gives and the heat that the juniper puts out. So in my infinite wisdom I have been mixing oak and juniper. Two bigger splits of oak on the bottom and 3 splits of juniper on top oriented N/S. My question is that it seems to me that I am getting the best of the two woods? Especially in the morning at 5am it appears that the E/W oak splits are still giving off heat, while the juniper is gone to ashes. Am I just imagining this? Or is anyone else doing this too?

Adaptability is a mark of intelligence. Just don't let the fire smolder.

Forget measuring "seasoned." Talk to us of moisture content (MC) as measured with a moisture meter (MM.) That'll give you a basis in fact.

 

[Wood Duck]

I do the same thing - mixing oak with Red Maple or Red Cedar. I try to match the mix of wood to the situation - all soft woods during the day when I am working on the computer and would be happy to reload, mostly oak for long burns or at night. soft wood to warm the stove up or to burn down excessive coals, ok is nice to load on a hot bed of coals. Soft wood if it isn't very cold out, oak for very cold weather.

As you can guess I have lots of oak (plus some Black locust and hickory) that I consider my best hardwood, with a mix of many other woods that are softer, so in reality the mix is more complicated than just 'oak' and 'softwood' because there are lots of degrees of 'soft.' I think deciding what to burn is part of the fun.

 

[dafattkidd]

I have access to a good amount of mahogany from decks that I have been working on. That stuff burns super hot. I have been throwing a few 12"lengths of 5/4 x 4 on top of my loads of pine and having really good results. Although yesterday and today the stove is cold. It has been in the mid and upper sixties during the day and lower .50s at night, so I haven't been burning much.

 

[oldspark]

Starting my fires with 2 splits of cherry on the bottom and a couple of Oak splits on top, I know the cherry is supposed to go on top but ya gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[The Beagler]

I've been starting with "stink" or tree of heaven as it's real name is & thin pieces of black locust.
Then add larger pieces of locust/oak/cherry/maple as it goes.
Just about out of stink, so I will be using hackberry shortly.

 

[tamarack]

I always use a mix of wood based on what in the woodbox and how long it needs to burn. I have a mix of mostly tamarack & birch, with some cedar, hemlock, fir, spruce & pine. When it comes to firewood, I do not discriminate - I burn whatever I find in the forest - but I aim for tamarack & birch.

 

[NH_Wood]

Starting my fires with 2 splits of cherry on the bottom and a couple of Oak splits on top, I know the cherry is supposed to go on top but ya gotta do what you gotta do.

If I'm mixing a load, I always go for the softer hardwoods on the bottom, and the harder woods on top - I want the bottom pieces to catch fast and get flame on the more dense wood on top. Why should the cherry go on top? Cheers!