History

Firewood is one of the oldest natural renewable resources. It is basically wood that is used for fuel. Firewood was the primary fuel source used around the world. It was not until the 1800s that coal took its place as the most abundantly used energy resource. By 1857 the oil industry began using crude oil, which soon after became the most used fossil fuel in the world. With the increase of coal and oil as fuel sources, firewood has become a secondary type of energy source. Firewood is also known as "cord wood" because in the United States it is sold by a unit called the cord.

Significance

Firewood is obtained from trees that are unwanted or unusable for building supplies. Firewood is a reusable source as long as the trees it is obtained from are replaced with new tree seeding. Firewood such as oak is also used when using a cooking method called smoking. This technique allows the barbecue cook to give prepared meats an outdoor cooked taste. Firewood is still used to heat homes in fireplaces and wood burning stoves and it is a cheaper source of energy when compared to electric heaters or central heating.

Identification

Firewood is often harvested purely from deadfall, otherwise known as timber that has already fallen to the ground and has been seasoned. Seasoned wood is wood that has lost its moisture. To quicken the time that it takes for wood to become seasoned, it is split through the bark that holds the watertight seal of the tree's inner core. This allows air to dry out the wood and make it usable for burning. Proper stacking of firewood will also hasten the seasoning process. The proper haystack like stacking system with your woodpile facing the southern sun with no trees blocking the sunlight will help reduce your wood's seasoning time. The normal seasoning process can take eight months.

Types

Before your wood is given the label of seasoned firewood, it is considered green wood that is still moist and will not burn efficiently. Cutting down still-living trees for firewood is done in the winter because the tree will have less sap and it gives the wood time to season and be ready to burn for the following winter. Tree logs can be cut down and split into firewood using a hand axe, chain saw or a hydraulic splitter.

Considerations

When gathering deadwood look for wood that does not have any sign of rotting. Rotted wood, although it burns easily, burns out very quickly and does not produce the same amount of heat as non-decayed wood. A standing tree that has died but has not fallen to the ground is the ideal firewood source since it has experienced much less rotting during the seasoning process.