Wood for burning poem, types & usage

[johnjo]

I seem to remember seeing a link to a poem written about different types of wood and how they burned, i.e. the best to the worst for use on a woodburner. Anyone out there know the link or the poem.

Many thanks for All the info posted, found it really useful especially the different opinions.

John

 

Some of us are right some of the time, but not all of us are right all of the time.

[nursegrowl]

LOGS TO BURN

 

Logs to burn, logs to burn,

Logs to save the coal a turn

Here's a word to make you wise,

When you hear the woodman's cries.

Never heed his usual tale,

That he has good logs for sale,

But read these lines and really learn,

the proper kind of logs to burn.

 

OAK logs will warm you well,

If they're old and dry.

LARCH logs of pine wood smell,

But the sparks will fly.

BEECH logs for Christmas time,

YEW logs heat well.

SCOTCH logs it is a crime,

For anyone to sell.

 

BIRCH logs will burn too fast,

CHESTNUT scarce at all

HAWTHORN logs are good to last,

If you cut them in the fall

HOLLY logs will burn like wax

You should burn them green

ELM logs like smouldering flax

No flame to be seen

 

PEAR logs and APPLE logs,

they will scent your room.

CHERRY logs across the dogs,

Smell like flowers in bloom

But ASH logs, all smooth and grey,

burn them green or old;

Buy up all that come your way,

They're worth their weight in gold.

 

 

Note that all woods burn better when seasoned and some burn better when split rather than as whole logs. In general the better woods for burning that you are most likely to come by (including non-native species) are:

 

Apple and pear – burning slowly and steadily with little flame but good heat. The scent is also pleasing.

 

Ash – the best burning wood providing plenty of heat (will also burn green but you should not need to do this!)

 

Beech and hornbeam – good when well seasoned

 

Birch – good heat and a bright flame – burns quickly.

 

Blackthorn and hawthorn – very good – burn slowly but with good heat

 

Cherry – also burns slowly with good heat and a pleasant scent.

 

Cypress – burns well but fast when seasoned, and may spit

 

Hazel – good, but hazel has so many other uses hopefully you won’t have to burn it!

 

Holly – good when well seasoned

 

Horse Chestnut – good flame and heating power but spits a lot.

 

Larch – fairly good for heat but crackles and spits

 

Maple – good.

 

Oak – very old dry seasoned oak is excellent, burning slowly with a good heat

 

Pine – burns well with a bright flame but crackles and spits

 

Poplar – avoid all poplar wood – it burns very slowly with little heat – which is why poplar is used to make matchsticks.

 

Willow – very good – in fact there is growing interest in biomass production of coppiced willow as a fuel.

[johnjo]

LOGS TO BURN

 

Logs to burn, logs to burn,

Logs to save the coal a turn

Here's a word to make you wise,

When you hear the woodman's cries.

Never heed his usual tale,

That he has good logs for sale,

But read these lines and really learn,

the proper kind of logs to burn.

 

OAK logs will warm you well,

If they're old and dry.

LARCH logs of pine wood smell,

But the sparks will fly.

BEECH logs for Christmas time,

YEW logs heat well.

SCOTCH logs it is a crime,

For anyone to sell.

 

BIRCH logs will burn too fast,

CHESTNUT scarce at all

HAWTHORN logs are good to last,

If you cut them in the fall

HOLLY logs will burn like wax

You should burn them green

ELM logs like smouldering flax

No flame to be seen

 

PEAR logs and APPLE logs,

they will scent your room.

CHERRY logs across the dogs,

Smell like flowers in bloom

But ASH logs, all smooth and grey,

burn them green or old;

Buy up all that come your way,

They're worth their weight in gold.

 

 

Note that all woods burn better when seasoned and some burn better when split rather than as whole logs. In general the better woods for burning that you are most likely to come by (including non-native species) are:

 

Apple and pear – burning slowly and steadily with little flame but good heat. The scent is also pleasing.

 

Ash – the best burning wood providing plenty of heat (will also burn green but you should not need to do this!)

 

Beech and hornbeam – good when well seasoned

 

Birch – good heat and a bright flame – burns quickly.

 

Blackthorn and hawthorn – very good – burn slowly but with good heat

 

Cherry – also burns slowly with good heat and a pleasant scent.

 

Cypress – burns well but fast when seasoned, and may spit

 

Hazel – good, but hazel has so many other uses hopefully you won’t have to burn it!

 

Holly – good when well seasoned

 

Horse Chestnut – good flame and heating power but spits a lot.

 

Larch – fairly good for heat but crackles and spits

 

Maple – good.

 

Oak – very old dry seasoned oak is excellent, burning slowly with a good heat

 

Pine – burns well with a bright flame but crackles and spits

 

Poplar – avoid all poplar wood – it burns very slowly with little heat – which is why poplar is used to make matchsticks.

 

Willow – very good – in fact there is growing interest in biomass production of coppiced willow as a fuel.

 

 

LOGS TO BURN

 

Logs to burn, logs to burn,

Logs to save the coal a turn

Here's a word to make you wise,

When you hear the woodman's cries.

Never heed his usual tale,

That he has good logs for sale,

But read these lines and really learn,

the proper kind of logs to burn.

 

OAK logs will warm you well,

If they're old and dry.

LARCH logs of pine wood smell,

But the sparks will fly.

BEECH logs for Christmas time,

YEW logs heat well.

SCOTCH logs it is a crime,

For anyone to sell.

 

BIRCH logs will burn too fast,

CHESTNUT scarce at all

HAWTHORN logs are good to last,

If you cut them in the fall

HOLLY logs will burn like wax

You should burn them green

ELM logs like smouldering flax

No flame to be seen

 

PEAR logs and APPLE logs,

they will scent your room.

CHERRY logs across the dogs,

Smell like flowers in bloom

But ASH logs, all smooth and grey,

burn them green or old;

Buy up all that come your way,

They're worth their weight in gold.

 

 

Note that all woods burn better when seasoned and some burn better when split rather than as whole logs. In general the better woods for burning that you are most likely to come by (including non-native species) are:

 

Apple and pear – burning slowly and steadily with little flame but good heat. The scent is also pleasing.

 

Ash – the best burning wood providing plenty of heat (will also burn green but you should not need to do this!)

 

Beech and hornbeam – good when well seasoned

 

Birch – good heat and a bright flame – burns quickly.

 

Blackthorn and hawthorn – very good – burn slowly but with good heat

 

Cherry – also burns slowly with good heat and a pleasant scent.

 

Cypress – burns well but fast when seasoned, and may spit

 

Hazel – good, but hazel has so many other uses hopefully you won’t have to burn it!

 

Holly – good when well seasoned

 

Horse Chestnut – good flame and heating power but spits a lot.

 

Larch – fairly good for heat but crackles and spits

 

Maple – good.

 

Oak – very old dry seasoned oak is excellent, burning slowly with a good heat

 

Pine – burns well with a bright flame but crackles and spits

 

Poplar – avoid all poplar wood – it burns very slowly with little heat – which is why poplar is used to make matchsticks.

 

Willow – very good – in fact there is growing interest in biomass production of coppiced willow as a fuel.

 

Thanks for that, no mention of Sycamore which I was going to use, so'I'll try it and post how I get on if anyone is interested.

 

 

Thanks for that, no mention of Sycamore which I was going to use, so'I'll try it and post how I get on if anyone is interested.

 

Well, you can tell I'm a newby, posted a reply without a reply, then managed to post 3 copies in all, wouldn't be so bad if the poem wasn't so long, [not a complaint] I'll eventually get the hang of it.

 

Perhaps someone knows how to remove the bits not required.

Sorry!

[John Orentas]

My favourite type of logs.. Pallet-wood, I have never had the luxury of being so specific but I have always found that in my place of work there was always and ample supply of old pallets and the like, I usually even found some willing chap who would cut it up for me..

 

It might be a generation thing but I have always had an objection to burning timber that could be used for other purposes.

[tinca steve]

JohnJo. Try using the " fastreply " OR "addreply" buttons, these do not add any of the "QUOTE"

 

You can delete your own posts, using the "edit" button.

[Lady Muck]

My favourite type of logs.. Pallet-wood, I have never had the luxury of being so specific but I have always found that in my place of work there was always and ample supply of old pallets and the like, I usually even found some willing chap who would cut it up for me..

 

It might be a generation thing but I have always had an objection to burning timber that could be used for other purposes.

 

I'm fond of any flytipped wood, there is always lots and lots round here -either palletts or old pine furniture, that kind of thing and I know we are doing the neighbourhood a favour by removing it.

[johnjo]

Thanks for that tinca steve.

[alan_fincher]

It might be a generation thing but I have always had an objection to burning timber that could be used for other purposes.

 

I may be missing something here John, but can't wood that's made up into a pallet be used as........ a pallet?

[Nickhlx]

I didn't see Elm on the list - that burns well with a good heat and little ash ( most goes up the chimney )

 

Nick

[John Orentas]

I may be missing something here John, but can't wood that's made up into a pallet be used as........ a pallet?

 

 

These days pallets are invariably disposable items, I thought the point may be fairly obvious but when you drag one out of a skip it's useful life (other than as a fuel) has come to an end.

[alan_fincher]

Only spoken in jest, John.

 

We dragged a pallet out of the cut on the way down to London recently, expecting it to end up as just kindling.

 

However when I needed to cobble up a temporary manometer the other day, despite being rough timber, a length served quite adequately.

 

I expect to be burning my manometer back board at some stage, none the less !

[John Orentas]

Only spoken in jest, John.

We dragged a pallet out of the cut on the way down to London recently, expecting it to end up as just kindling.

However when I needed to cobble up a temporary manometer the other day, despite being rough timber, a length served quite adequately.

I expect to be burning my manometer back board at some stage, none the less !

 

 

When I moored at Worsley a mate of mine lined out his entire boat with 'flotsam' that he pulled out of the water, the canal passed through a council estated a couple of miles upstream*, many of the residents would dispose of unwanted items of furniture in the traditional manner..

 

The boat looked surprisingly effective with variegated panels of hardwoods.

 

*'Upstream', not sure you can use that word in connection with the Bridgewater.

[Hairy-Neil]

Willow – very good – in fact there is growing interest in biomass production of coppiced willow as a fuel.

 

I guess they have chosen it for its fast growing properties for burning as a 'green' fuel for electricity generation. From my experience you wouldn't want willow on an open fire in your living room...