Burning Softwood advice

[clamp01]

I get updates from Northline Express on Facebook. Often they are about wood burning topics, but here is a posting regarding burning softwood.

Question: Why shouldn't I burn soft woods in my wood stove?

Answer: Some people choose to use soft woods in their wood stove mainly as kindling but it is not recommended or worth the hassle really. Soft woods take twice the amount of effort to season and equal the heat output of hardwoods. Burning soft woods in your wood stove will produce more creosote so you will have to clean your chimney a lot more often and some soft woods are messy to handle because they are rich in sap.

I know this topic has been discussed before many times on these forums, but it is interesting to note that a company that is in the wood burning business would give out such advice. Hardwoods are great; but if all you have is softwoods, dry them properly and use them to heat your home!

 

[4fire]

While the pacific northwest is known for trees, we don't have much for hardwoods. If people here refused to burn softwoods they'd have nothing. I guess the discussion should include more specifics. We mostly have fir, hemlock, alder, and maple. Douglas fir is considered a softwood, but it's probably the most sought after for firewood on this side of the cascades, at least among the more common species.
Like you said, if all you have is softwoods...

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I've said it before and will repeat. Most companies and most media will print what has been printed for years and years and years. Lots of that information is simply old wives tales and some information is simply outdated with the newer stoves we have now compared with what was available even when I was a little boy.

Moral: Do not believe everything that is in print.

 

[n3pro]

Though I agree with Backwoods Savage many people are either too lazy or don't have a reason too research deeper. If it wouldn't have been for this forum and I received that I wouldn't have given any consideration to if it was true or not. It's a little frustrating when your going up against these sources.

On the bright side, those of us who enjoy and know how to burn softwoods will continue to have more opportunities for good cheap "junk" wood.

 

[raybonz]

I've said it before and will repeat. Most companies and most media will print what has been printed for years and years and years. Lots of that information is simply old wives tales and some information is simply outdated with the newer stoves we have now compared with what was available even when I was a little boy.

Moral: Do not believe everything that is in print.

OK I don't believe a word you just typed! :lol: Seriously I think that softwood thing is a common misconception in the New England area.. If I had to burn softwood I would.. We are fortunate to have plentiful hardwoods here.. I think you've mentioned it once or twice how important it is to burn properly seasoned dry wood.. This is what really matters..

Ray

 

[egclassic]

Twice the amount of effort to season? How do they figure that? Seems to me that softwoods would require less effort.
I have bought several things from Northline Express, but now realize they are VERY high (sometimes double) on allot of their prices for stuff found elsewhere.

 

[red oak]

My experience is that softwood does season faster. My main comparison would be pine vs. oak which may not be the best example since everything seasons faster than oak!

Had a friend recently who had some pine trees come down on his property a few years ago. He said he wouldn't burn them in his stove. We talked about it and I tried to convince him he would be ok. He still didn't want to so I offered to take it off his hands for him. 3 truckloads later I am a bit glad that this myth is still out there!

 

[onetracker]

hey gang -

i was of the 'don't burn softwoods in your woodstove' mentality for all of my life. then i started reading forums from guys and gals out west who burn only softwoods and they do just fine. what i find interesting is that if you look on the btu charts, its proportional to the wieght of the wood. of COURSE pine only has half the btu's of maple...that's cuz its half the weight! i remember reading a blog entry where some arborist said that he observed that seasoned oak will actually deposit more residue in your chinmey than seasoned pine. same rules apply. properly seasoned wood, consistent flue temperature, no excess creosote. that got my attention.

i have 5 huge pines laying in the woods nearby....down 2 years, sitting off the ground. i'm planning on bucking it, splitting it and stacking it early in the spring and using it for sept/oct next year. hell i probably have enough pine to last me for years.

thanks to everyone on this forum for your insights and perspectives.

OT

 

[Pagey]

We have access to a ton of standing dead beetle kill pine around here. It won't last forever, so we get it as quickly as we can. Softwood seasons relatively quickly compared to a lot of dense hardwoods. There are those who say that a full load of softwood can be harder to control than a full load of denser wood, but we've never had a problem with this in our Endeavor. Some people equate the sap in softwood to "creosote" in the flue. Creosote is the byproduct of combustion, organic vapors/tars, and moisture - not "sap".

As with ANY wood - cut, split, stack, and top cover it until it is ready to burn. With our hot, dry summers, we have pine that is ready in as little as 6 months. The only downside to the pine we process and burn is that you spend an equal amount of effort processing it for an unequal amount of BTUs. But, if we didn't process this abundant resource, it would lie on the ground and rot.

 

[nate379]

I burn spruce in my stove. My only complaint is that I can't get a 12-14hr burn with a load of spruce, which I can with a load of birch. If you are paying same price for a cord of spruce or birch the birch would be a better deal.

 

[billb3]

Twice the amount of effort to season? How do they figure that? Seems to me that softwoods would require less effort.
I have bought several things from Northline Express, but now realize they are VERY high (sometimes double) on allot of their prices for stuff found elsewhere.

Because you better stack up twice as much ?
You pretty much have to.

 

[Skier76]

I've burnt plenty of pine in our stove; mainly because I can't say no to free firewood. The disadvantages to burning "softwood": It doesn't coal very well and shorter burn times.

The creosote output of softwood is no different than hardwood. Well, based on my unscientific observations. If your wood is property seasoned, and you keep your stove in the correct temp range, you can burn pretty much any type of firewood.

 

[PerryBurton]

Where do people come up with this stuff. Yes burn softwood all you want. Simple science of it is that it is not as dense as hardwood (hence the name) so it holds theoretically less BTU's. So you'll burn a bit more that hardwood of same size (depending on the species) As someone already mentioned, you tend to get less burn time with softwood vs the hardwood which makes sense. My ancestors burned softwood, my family and most everyone I know burn softwood, and I've burned softwood. No problems any more or less than hardwood. Though the only hardwood we can get any amount of is birch which I love to burn if I get my hands on some. As for creosote, you burn any green wood you'll get creosote if the damper/vent is turned down low. This is my and other people I know, experience with burning softwood. But for certain, it dries much faster than birch! Which only makes sense.

Cheers,
Perry

 

[Danno77]

Where do people come up with this stuff. Yes burn softwood all you want. Simple science of it is that it is not as dense as hardwood (hence the name) so it holds theoretically less BTU's. So you'll burn a bit more that hardwood of same size (depending on the species) As someone already mentioned, you tend to get less burn time with softwood vs the hardwood which makes sense. My ancestors burned softwood, my family and most everyone I know burn softwood, and I've burned softwood. No problems any more or less than hardwood. Though the only hardwood we can get any amount of is birch which I love to burn if I get my hands on some. As for creosote, you burn any green wood you'll get creosote if the damper/vent is turned down low. This is my and other people I know, experience with burning softwood. But for certain, it dries much faster than birch! Which only makes sense.

Cheers,
Perry

This post leads to the second problem with rumors and actual science regarding so-called "soft-woods"

The definition.

Doesn't have anything to do with the true density of the wood.

 

[PerryBurton]

touche

 

[Danno77]

touche

Not really picking on you, BtW, just to make that clear, because many softwoods are softer, just not all...The rest of your post is spot on.

 

[PerryBurton]

No not at all, you made a great point and correct. I didn't help a misconception. Junipers are conifers but the species we have around here are as hard/dense as birch and cutting through the bark is like flint. Crooked as hell too.

 

[hemlock]

I burn several cords of spruce every year. It's great for the shoulder seasons - during the cold months I switch to hardwood.
Heck - I'll even propogate the "no softwood" myth - "naw, you don't want that massive fir tree, I'll come get it..."

 

[firefighterjake]

I've said it before and will repeat. Most companies and most media will print what has been printed for years and years and years. Lots of that information is simply old wives tales and some information is simply outdated with the newer stoves we have now compared with what was available even when I was a little boy.

Moral: Do not believe everything that is in print.

I think I've read somewhere that splitting vertically is the best way to split wood . . . I think I will take your advice and not believe everything I read in print.

And on the serious side . . . I agree with Dennis . . . many folks just pass on the information they've read or heard for years and don't bother to find out if it is true or not.

 

[firefighterjake]

So . . . inquiring minds want to know . . . the burning question of the day . . . Clamp . . . did you correct the false information?

 

[clamp01]

FF Jake,

I have not yet posted a reply on FB, but perhaps I shall answer them in rhyme:

'Hardwoods are Great, let there be no mistake,
But Softwoods are fine, if given some drying time,

Creosote in the flue, to what cause is that due?
Softwoods are not to blame, if given a hot enough flame

I will burn what makes sense, be it Oak, Pine or Hemp
Warmth is my primary desire, not what burns in my fire!'

 

[firefighterjake]

FF Jake,

I have not yet posted a reply on FB, but perhaps I shall answer them in rhyme:

'Hardwoods are Great, let there be no mistake,
But Softwoods are fine, if given some drying time,

Creosote in the flue, to what cause is that due?
Softwoods are not to blame, if given a hot enough flame

I will burn what makes sense, be it Oak, Pine or Hemp
Warmth is my primary desire, not what burns in my fire!'

Hearth.com's newest poet laureate!

By the way . . . not sure if anyone did or not . . . but in case they didn't . . . welcome to hearth.com.

 

[mecreature]

FF Jake,

I have not yet posted a reply on FB, but perhaps I shall answer them in rhyme:

'Hardwoods are Great, let there be no mistake,
But Softwoods are fine, if given some drying time,

Creosote in the flue, to what cause is that due?
Softwoods are not to blame, if given a hot enough flame

I will burn what makes sense, be it Oak, Pine or Hemp
Warmth is my primary desire, not what burns in my fire!'

I think you burnt a little "Hemp" already this morning... LOL

I have a good little bit of pine burnt OK last year a bit. didn't start burning till late in the season last year.

this year it is kicks butt. starts nice, gets the stove up to a good temp quick.
I dont back off the air too much I let it burn.

this is only a test, this heating with wood thing... for me anyway