bigtall said:
Wow. Sweet gum. Number 1,487 on the list of 1,487 fire wood trees. You are better off burning old newspaper. Lasts longer and is better than waiting the years it takes gum to dry.
Don't know how much you have actually burned or where you are getting your info from but my experience is more in line with what FLINT has to say.
According to the Log Rack
http://www.thelograck.com/firewood_rating_chart.html it puts out 18.7 million BTU per cord which is right up there with sycamore, cherry, maple and higher than any of the cedars, which I love to burn, or any of the pines. It is a bear to split but it dries fast so if you are looking for something for next year while your oak dries (like I am) I certainly would compare it to newspaper.
From FLINT's post
Here are my experiences with using it for firewood.
It is VERY heavy when green - lots of water in it.
If cut green, it splits best as soon as possible after cutting. If the rounds are very big - good luck - think about renting a splitter.
Do not ever leave it laying on the ground for long, as it rots very fast if laying on the wet ground
If you split it green, don’t stack it directly into a tight shed, or the wood could mold - I’d leave it in stacks to dry for a while before putting it into a shed, unless your shed has great air flow.
Even though its very wet when green, it seems to dry totally within a year and maybe faster[/size]
its pretty light when dry - about like red - well, maybe a little lighter than red maple - maybe like silver maple
burns very well when dry, my dad actually likes it pretty well. I’d put it in the same group as soft maple. Better than like Tulip poplar.[/size]