Question about loading the stove

[egclassic]

Not sure if it matters, but is there a "preferred" way to load the stove?
Meaning, when I load my stove, I mix hard and soft woods. Do you put the hardwood in first on the bottom or put it on top? Again not sure if it really matters one way or another, just my OCD gettin the best of me. :-S

 

[bogydave]

I don't have that problem.
I mostly load in birch when it below 30° & spruce if above 30°,
It's been mostly below 30, my only hard wood choice is birch.
I don't think mixing it would mater very much except for burn times:
more % hard wood, longer burn time,
more % soft wood, shorter burn time.
Try it different ways & let us know if one or the other has advantages

 

[Jags]

The only suggestion I could make would be to stick your best coaling wood on the bottom to minimize the surrounding flame getting to the wood. It will make for a longer burn.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Use quicker lighting wood in the bottom front if possible. We like to burn ash but also like to put a piece of soft maple in bottom front as this helps to get the fire established quicker.

 

[Wood Duck]

If it is nighttime and I want the coals to last as long as possible I load the more dense wood in the bottom and especially bottom back where it will get less air and therefore burn last and survive longer. If it is daytime and I'd like the entire load to burn up more evenly I put the dense wood in front or on top so it gets more air and therefore burns up at the same rate as lighter wood. I almost always load a mix of woods in the stove because that seems to give me both a quick start and long burn with the same load. Also my wood stacks are mixed so it is convenient to burn a mix.