Burned some hemlock last night

[mattinpa]

Three words.......Hemlock is awesome! I have read all the pro's and con's about it, how it's got few BTU's, takes up twice as much space as hardwood, but is usable firewood. Last night I turned the oil off and brought in some hemlock. I left the house cool down to 64 degrees before starting the fire, wanting to see what the hemlock could do. After getting the kindling going I loaded the firebox with 4 splits, threw on sweater, and played the waiting game. Within an hour and a half, the house was up to 70 degrees. Not bad for a 2 story house with no insulation. By my clock, the hemlock splits lasted almost 5 hours and got the house up to 77 degrees. This is from wood that I split last December and is beautifully seasoned. I was shocked that I got 5 hours from wood that is light as paper. Now I am regreting not splitting more hemlock! Got about a cord of it, but I have a never ending supply of it. Lesson learned. I will have alot more ready for next year.

Happy Burning to all.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Matt, hemlock will give you a hot fire, no doubt about it. Where woods like this lack in thermal units is that they just won't kick out the big heat for as long as, say, an oak. But that does not mean it is not good to burn! Not at all. Burn all you have. Save the hardwood for night burns.

 

[cmonSTART]

If it fits in the stove, burn it!

 

[Skier76]

I've been burning a lot of pine the previous owners left behind. A good amount of it is "punky"...but a dry punky. The wood is light, but it'll keep the stove up around 450-500. Yes it burns fast and doesn't coal that well. But the wood was "free" and it keeps the propane heater off. Plus, it's allowing more time for the hardwood to season.

 

[firefighterjake]

If it fits in the stove, burn it!

That's my philosophy . . . but I would add the words "if it is seasoned" to the sentence.

Right now I've been burning some spruce that came down at my Dad's house last Thanksgiving . . . not a particularly good species for BTUs or longevity, but for this time of year it's great to burn, saves the good stuff for later and I kindof get a kick out of watching the snapping and popping of the wood as it burns.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Jake, that snapping and popping that is going on is not from the pine wood. It is termite turds exploding. lol

 

[Skier76]

Jake, that snapping and popping that is going on is not from the pine wood. It is termite turds exploding. lol

LMAO! I'm going to use that one on my wife this weekend! "You do know what popping noise is...right hon?"