I know we have discussed on an other thread about using wood from fruit and nut trees for smoking. Yet, the wood does have some good characteristics and if you handle the tree right, you can get by without splitting most of it. The disease is caused by a fungus that drives the tree to essentially kill itself in the process of defense. Oak is by far the most popular of all carving woods, due to its unique features that lend itself to wood carving.
Russian olive wood woodworking information at woodweb. Splitting the dreaded elm johns random thoughts and discussions. But if youre resigned to burning elm, a diseased one is fine p. Cherry a lovely slow burning wood producing a good heat output as well as a lovely smell. Not sure that the average nonwoodburning cop would know an elm though.
An elm that has succumbed to dutch elm disease smells regardless of where it grows. The wood provides decent heat but its a pain to split. When a living tree is cut down, the timber needs to age or season for a minimum of six to nine months before burning. Elm heartwood ranges in tone from reddish brown to light.
Redwood produces more smoke than other types of firewood, such as oak, beech, birch and ash. If elm wood cannot be destroyed, it should be stored under tarps to deny. Answers is the place to go to get the answers you need and to ask the questions you want. Which application software can be used to format oblique heading.
Elmwood is good to burn in the stove and an excellent wood for burning. This wood is white in color and has a bark thats normally used to carve wooden spirits and quirky houses. However, being easy to carve and soft, the bark can also split. In 2002, the emerald ash borer was found in michigan. Province of manitoba and city of winnipeg to reassess the ded program and. I grew up burning wood for heat and elm was one type i didnt prefer to mess with because it is very tough to split.
I dont know but i wouldnt consider elm a soft wood. And while generally speaking the average hardwood is a good deal harder and more durable than the average softwood, there are examples of deciduous hardwoods that are much softer than the hardest softwoods. This can mean much longer burn times and less loading. The most basic division of elm species is between hard and soft elm. Different types of wood for burning and their characteristics. The grain of oak is considered very beautiful, and it is one of the favorite woods used for making furniture. Ive always heard that softwood especially wood from evergreen trees such as pine is not good to use as firewood, because it gunks up the chimney.
Maybe i should also cut down the maple tree at the same time and mix it up. If i can remember correctly going way back to my boy scout days i believe that the american elm bears fruit that is foraged for by wildlife. However it gives off a good, lasting heat and burns very slowly. Russian olive wood russian olive is considered a weed tree with few useful lumber characteristics. Yet, the wood does have some good characteristics and if you. Also every elder tree is a witch, so you should talk to them nicely before cutting them down. I really dont want to screw up this beautiful wood. There are around 3040 different species of the elm tree belonging to the genus ulmus. Nov 07, 2012 in my experience, only elm splits this horribly, which is why many people avoid it. Winged elm ulmus alata cedar elm ulmus crassifolia rock elm ulmus thomasii american elm ulmus americana. Distinguishing between hardwood and softwood trees. Is it true that you should wait 2 years before burning certain wood such as lime. Hi, im new to this impressive forum, with a question about appropriate wood to burn in a woodstove.
Apple wood also produces very little smoke when it burns, which is always a. Good stuff, but keep your axe in its holster, or you will soon learn to hate it. However, once apple wood is burning, it will burn slowly and well for quite some time and produce a good bed of hot coals. It produces about the same amount as most softwood species but slightly less than southern yellow pine. Jul 17, 2017 because it is a softwood variety, redwood is relatively easy to split. Also, make sure elevate the wood off the ground when you store it. Apple very mild with a subtle fruity flavor, slightly sweet. I really like burning pine in the early part of the burn season, and whenever i want to burn coals down. Due to dutch elm disease, its not uncommon to find standing dead elm trees everywhere.
Dutch elm disease ded kills elm trees and has been a problem in manitoba. In north america, the american elm was the predominate tree. The english and american elms have deeply fissured bark with crisscrossing ridges of an ashgray color. Pine is a soft wood, you need to use hard woods like cherry, mesquite, walnut, apple, etc. We burn a lot of pine here but it is slabs from the saw mill.
Wood species type btu values of a cord burning wood in a wood stove. The wood from these standing dead trees can produce good firewood. The primary element for distinguishing elm types is found in the earlywood pores. Mango wood is highly waterresistant and as such its good for making garden furniture.
This is also a good choice and in some ways is similar to basswood. Jul 29, 2010 the act of burning the wood in your fireplace is safe. Will the lime be very smokey and not give off much heat even when seasoned. The act of burning the wood in your fireplace is safe. This advantage of the tree coupled with the tree s credentials as a better alternative to lumberonly hard wood trees has led to the use of its wood for manufacturing a number of items. I did ask this question before but i mistook the wood thought it was ash. Whether you burn wood in a stove, fireplace or fireplace insert, good quality.
Thanks in advance for tolerating those of us who are just at the beginning of this smoking addiction. Take a look at the 11 wood types below to find out more and then check out the 7 other common household items that you should avoid burning. Elm is a little more of a controversial burning wood in the gripping, soap opera drama version burn this, not that. Theres an old poem about firewood with a verse, elm wood burns like churchyard mould, een the very flames are cold. As i looked at it, it struck me as some nice looking wood so i. The fields of central southern europe were full of english elm trees before the dutch elm disease took over. American elm trees once dominated our urban landscapes as beautiful shade trees. An example is balsa, a hardwood that is quite soft when compared to the wood from yew trees, which is quite durable and hard. I have access to a large amount of elm wood but not sure if i should use it. A few years back my daughter had a big elm tree removed and i was the lucky one to get about 3 cords of nice hot burning elm. Ashmont proud member of brethren webers for life rescued 7 kettles in 2007, 1 in 2008, 2 in 2009 and 1 in 2010 three of which i. Firewood, maybe not the international association of. It may need assistance from another faster burning wood such as birch to keep it burning well.
I know alot of people say it burns up to fast but i can easily get a good 12 hour burn out of a load of pine in my stove without overheating the house when its warmer outside. Heating a home with wood in a woodburning stove is generally the cheapest form of heating, but if the firewood supply is rare or expensive in your area, supplementing with scavenged firewood can help to reduce your heating costs. The only problem i can see is that elm doesnt burn very well. American elm a decent firewood that imo is better than white ash for heat, just lots more work to split it and without a splitter most people pass on american elm. It is also soft and lends itself easily to carving, besides being widely available at a reasonable price. Find free firewood for your woodburning heat stove in. This can make it a good choice for kindling, or material used to start a fire. The alcohols are converted to acids, which smell even more. It is very common to find people who dont like burning elm wood, others say it is mediocre, and some really like it. There are many places to find free or almost free wood for burning and in many cases, you may be doing a great service to others. Though mango wood is strong, it is quite light weight and great for making large furniture pieces like beds, dining table sets, display units, wall cabinets, kitchen cabinets, etc. Someone said that even then, lime is not the best wood to use on a fire. For elms in north america, hard elms differ in smaller earlywood pores that are closer in size to the latewood pores. Basswood firewood is well known for being a lightweight, fast burning firewood that many people believe is a complete waste of time to cut, split and stack.
I have a good half cord of it in my stacks for this fall. Recently, though, in an online article about firewood, i read the opinion that softwood is fine to burn, as long as its seasoned long enough. A little bit will do you mixed with something else. Ash wood lumber is popular for woodworking but quickly. Wood to burn in woodburning stoves woodburner stove uk. Elm here is one of the toughest root systems to take out. See more ideas about wood, wood projects and outdoor projects. A good firewood but due to its high water content it must be seasoned very well. Again, attempting to split elm firewood is going to be incredibly tough. Theres an old poem about firewood with a verse, elmwood burns like churchyard mould, een the very flames are cold.
Wood that makes the best firewood for a fireplace is seasoned wood not green wood. Oak, pecan, hickory, maple, pear, apple, cherry, mesquite, crape myrtle, ash, cedar, birch, hackberry, cedar elm, elm, pine not that. Red elm is a medium density hardwood and it is known for making good firewood. These standing dead elm trees can produce decent firewood because the wood is nearly dry when you cut down the tree. Ive seen woodstoves with the door warped because somebody filled it full of dry elm and it got too hot for the stove to take. Elm has high moisture content and its stringy qualities make it difficult to split. Palms are sometimes used as firewood in tropical climates, but usually mixed with some other better burning wood. The wood of the hard elms sometimes referred to as rock elm generally range from 41 to 47 lbsft 3, while soft elms typically have a density from 35 to 38 lbsft 3. One thing i read said its like burning a bundle of dry grass. Best if cut in the winter, the sap is not as sticky. In fact, some wood cutters will refuse to cut down an elm for wood simply because the tree is so incredibly hard to split. Because it is a softwood variety, redwood is relatively easy to split.
Asked in heating ventilating and air conditioning, fireplaces, woodburning stoves is elm wood good wood. The essential element for distinguishing elm types is the pores of the earlywood. Apple wood also produces very little smoke when it burns, which is always a plus in an open fireplace. Bois darc also known as bodark generally, a well seasoned wood defined as thoroughly dried out, 12 months after being cut will make good firewood and will burn clean, producing minimal creosote. Best mixed with other slower burning logs such as elm particularly slow burning, ash or oak. Drying siberian elm slabs prone to warpage and bug damage, siberian elm is tricky wood to dry. The bark of slippery elm is the same color, but lacks pattern. Ive been burning a bit of it in the outdoor fire pit too. At that time, there were some seedlings forming on the branches.
After all, the wood is going to be almost dry when it is cut down. We kept all of the branches and wood in the backyard. I would not smoke with it for sure, but you can if you want. It is very strong and robust and can withstand insects and rot. Mango wood may also be used for making doors and window. The elm died during the growing season while the sap was up. It is surpassed by other varieties that have as much as 37% more btus per cord. Chestnut not a particularly good wood fuel with reasonable a flame and heat output.
Most elm burns with no sparks and leaves behind no chunks in my wood stove. Ca you safely burn wood from a tree that had dutch elm. In some towns and provinces, it is still illegal to transport elm since firewood transport is the primary vector for the spread of dutch elm disease. Dutch elm disease ded is one of the most destructive urban forest diseases. As you can see from the chart below, the famed red oak is not the highest on the list. Wood species type btu values of a cord for burning wood in a. Ash is just drier when you chop the tree down than other species, but it is still just as bad an idea to burn wet ash as it is to burn any other type of wood wet. How does this wood smell while burning in a fireplace or campfire. In europe, the smoothleaved elm and wych elm were commonly planted.
Because christmas trees are loaded with sap that burns quickly and pops, embers may rise quickly through your chimney and can start a chimney fire. For as long as i have been woodworking, ash has been a good value, costing less than other comparable hardwoods. This means that youll be able to use it much faster than you would otherwise. Palms are sometimes used as firewood in tropical climates, but usually mixed with some other betterburning wood. Removed a siberian elm, want to use as firewood, any problems. Unless you have somewhere to leave it to season for a. Its strong wood, resistance to wind damage and rapid growth made it a popular choice. As far as smoking with it i havent seen anyone say that they have used it. About 5 long and 3 wide, they have sawtoothed edges ending in a sharp point. The heart wood has a beautiful rich red colour and, if it wasnt so poisonous, id have tried a bit of carving on one. Hobbyists and professionals love this wood, not only. Everybody seems to hate elm regardless of what elm that it is.
Wood from the elm tree is very strong and its valued for its interlocking grain. The elm trees twisted internal structure means that even when the tree. As for firewood, elm is great, even too good if you arent careful. Earlier this year the utility company came here and cut down a tree for us, it was some sort of sticky pine tree, a huge one. Cedar elm for smoking wood the bbq brethren forums.
The logs are seriously dense and heavy, comparable or perhaps even denser than oak. Wood species type btu values of a cord for burning wood in. An english elm tree also known as a british elm tree is a medium sized, fast growing, deciduous tree largely found in europe. May, 2019 splitting firewood by hand can be really fun, and its a great source of exercise. We have american elm trees around here that got killed back in the 1950s from dutch elm disease that are still standing. Jun 10, 2010 no its not okay to smoke wood with pine. Good with fish, pork, poultry, and lightmeat game birds. We have a 6in heavy wall 14 in thick chimney that is about 3 ft from the house and after burning the not so cured wood we build a really hot fire to burn out the chimney when it rains or we get a good coating of snow. Burning unseasoned wood creates a lot of extra smoke and creosote and doesnt generally produce a good fire.
Cedar produces a well burning log with long lasting heat. Elm is a very dense hardwood that is very common in the northern hemisphere. Elm firewood offers only a moderate heating value and does not burn exceptionally hot. Like any hardwood, you have to season it for at least one year. As i looked at it, it struck me as some nice looking wood so i decided to try and turn some of it. As for the best types of wood to burn, in your woodburner, these old rhymes are as good a guide as anything to the best, and worst, sorts. The wet wood is miserable to burn and you should expect to let wet elm season for at least one year.
It splits just like cutting a brisket with the grain but its twisted to boot. The wood does offer firm consistency, which makes it burn well when dry. Firewood, maybe not the international association of penturners. Splitting firewood by hand can be really fun, and its a great source of exercise. Read on to learn about five different types of hardwood trees and how they stack up to one another in terms of heating, splitability, and more.
Dec 06, 2012 elm here is one of the toughest root systems to take out. Dallas tree care specialist, firewood safe for fire pits. It is a pest that has killed tens of millions of ash trees in michigan alone and is spreading quickly. Recently i was moving the wood from the wood lot and up to the wood shed. I think these differences in opinion have a lot to do with the type of elm, and how dry it is. I dont hate it because i use an hydraulic log splitter and know when and how to split it. In my experience, only elm splits this horribly, which is why many people avoid it. When burning yew we found they needed a good hot fire to get started but once going laid down wonderful slow burning coals with little flame. But if you work with wood yellow pine is very hard. Thank you in advance for the consideration to answer my. Mar 24, 2016 it is very common to find people who dont like burning elm wood, others say it is mediocre, and some really like it. Splitting the dreaded elm johns random thoughts and.