Does anyone have any experience burning Norway Maple? The BTU listings I've found list sugar maple but no mention of Norway. Thanks.
Norway Maple
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Don't quote me on this but I think in maples there are two broad classifications: sugar maple (hard) and then red maple. All of the silvers, norways, etc. are considered reds.
MarkG
MarkG
There are no real categories like there are in oak - reds and whites - but they do classify them as hard and soft. That said, sugar is the best and I believe Norway maple is probably close to sugar but not quite. I'd bet Norway is considered a hard maple without going and checking.
I've heard the only hard Maples are Sugar and Black, all the rest and there are many are considered Soft Maple but still make great firewood in the medium to medium high BTU range.
Todd said:
I think Norway Maple does not get mentioned in the hard maple category b/c it is a planted species and not native to the US. You do not usually find stands of Norway maple. As for the soft maples making 'great' firewood, I would disagree. Good firewood yes - and better than the really soft woods, but not great firewood.
I'd put Norway maple in the medium category.
Good Fall and Spring wood. Maybe not the first pick for those below zero January nights when the stove is not keeping up with the high wind losses. Easy to work with.
There was actually quite a nice stand of it all along my street, planted via the town 40 years ago.
Once mature they can be difficult to get grass to grow under them because of the dense root structure and the dense overhead canopy light restriction. So many are coming down. It is also an invasive species. I cut them down as weeds, but all around they are now several hundred feet from the road, in some instances crowding out oaks with their speedy growth. I have a couple in my back yard (wild, not planted) that I have left for shade until some of the oaks get a bit taller. If I cut down all the cherry and maple all at once I'd have almost nothing.
Good Fall and Spring wood. Maybe not the first pick for those below zero January nights when the stove is not keeping up with the high wind losses. Easy to work with.
There was actually quite a nice stand of it all along my street, planted via the town 40 years ago.
Once mature they can be difficult to get grass to grow under them because of the dense root structure and the dense overhead canopy light restriction. So many are coming down. It is also an invasive species. I cut them down as weeds, but all around they are now several hundred feet from the road, in some instances crowding out oaks with their speedy growth. I have a couple in my back yard (wild, not planted) that I have left for shade until some of the oaks get a bit taller. If I cut down all the cherry and maple all at once I'd have almost nothing.
From what I have been able to glean off the net all maples are technically hardwoods. But there are soft,medium and hard maples. when I looked up big leaf maple it was classified as a medium hard maple as was norway (no mention of the btu content though). Suspect the btu content is low,but should give a longer burn time than most softwoods. :coolsmile: I hope it`s at least good for a longer burn than the douglas fir that is so abundant around these parts-"just bought 2 cords of the BL maple.
Try some doug fir in that new Kodiak. I think it'll burn a lot longer than you're used to. Personally I like doug fir, lots of btus in that wood.
I've looked for a couple of years for BTU rating of Norway and couldn't find any. It is now listed as an invasive species here in NH. I agree with Ctwoodburner that it is a fairly hard maple. Like Todd, I also burn a lot of red maple and like it. My experience is that Norway seems to be a bit heavier and denser than red but not as heavy as Sugar but a fine firewood and a large chunk does a decent job on a cold night.
BeGreen said:
Yep: gonna do that this weekend. but just like you stated I am running low on wood so am dipping into next years supply. And BG if we don`t actually get spring after this coming weekend, crap, I`m gonna have to tear away a stack in the sheds to get at the more seasoned stuff. The good stuff is kinda buried right now behind the new. Got about enough for 10 days intermittent burns and that`s it. !!
- Feb 5, 2006
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I burned about a full cord of it this past winter. It was cut and split in may, and I was burning it in november no problem. It dries pretty fast when properly stored. It starts easy, fairly quick to ignite, throws off good heat, but does not last real long. Good for the fast heat ups in the mornings when you want to toss some wood on the glowing coals, get the fire going then toss in some oak or hickory. Splits pretty easy also. KD
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