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Andy Yates ~ Hetas Fitter and Gas Safe approved fireplace, stove, multi and solid fuel installer.

Wood suitable for burning on a woodburning or multifuel stove

The quality of the following firewood is based upon various characteristics such as its speed of burn, heat given off, tendency to spark (spit), ease of splitting, time required to season, etc

*
Grade: 1 = Poor
Grade: 2 = Low
Grade: 3 = Good
Grade: 4 = High.

Common Name	Botanical Name	Comments	Grade
Alder	Alnus	A low quality firewood	Grade: 1
Apple	Malus	Needs to be seasoned well. Burns well with a pleasant smell and without sparking/spitting.	Grade: 3
Ash	Fraxinus	Considered to be one of the best woods for firewood. It has a low water content (approx. 50%) and can be split very easily with an axe. It can be burned green but like all wood is best when seasoned. Burns at a steady rate and not too fast.	Grade: 4
Beech	Fagus	Beech has a high water content (approx. 90%) so only burns well when seasoned well. Not as good as Oak.	Grade: 3
Birch	Betula	Birch is an excellent firewood and will burn unseasoned. However, it does burn very fast so is best mixed with slower burning wood such as Elm or Oak.	Grade: 3-4
Cedar	Cedrus	A good firewood which burns well with a pleasant smell. Gives off a good, lasting heat. Doesn't spit too much and small pieces can be burned unseasoned	Grade: 2
Cherry	Prunus	Needs to be seasoned well. Burns well with a pleasant smell and without spitting.	Grade: 2-3
Elm	Ulmus	A good firewood but due to its high water content of approximately 140% (more water than wood!) it must be seasoned very well. It may need assistance from another faster burning wood such as Birch to keep it burning well. However it gives off a good, lasting heat and burns very slowly. Dutch Elm Disease is producing a constant & plentiful supply of small dead hedgerow Elm trees of a small diameter. Larger pieces of wood will prove difficult to split.	Grade: 2-3
Eucalyptus	Eucalyptus	Allow to season well since the wood is very wet (sappy) when fresh. Can be difficult to split due to stringy wood fibre. Best method is to slice into rings and allow to season during the summer, the rings will start to split themselves. Burns fast with a pleasant smell and without spitting.	Grade: 2-3
Hawthorn	Crataegus	Good firewood. Burns well	Grade: 3-4
Hazel	Corylus	Excellent firewood. Allow to season. Burns fast but without spitting	Grade: 4
Holly	Ilex	Can be burnt green. A good firewood	Grade: 3
Hornbeam	Carpinus	Good firewood. Burns well	Grade: 3
Horse Chestnut	Aesculus	A low quality firewood	Grade: 2
Larch	Larix	Needs to be seasoned well. Spits excessively while it burns and forms an oily soot within chimney's.	Grade: 1
Lime	Tilia	A low quality firewood	Grade: 2
Oak	Quercus	One of the best firewood's. When seasoned well, it gives off a good, lasting heat. Burns reasonably slowly.	Grade: 4
Pear	Pyrus	Needs to be seasoned well. Burns well with a pleasant smell and without spitting.	Grade: 3
Pine	Pinus	Needs to be seasoned well. Spits while it burns and forms an oily soot within chimney's.	Grade: 1
Plane	Platanus	A usable firewood	Grade: 3
Poplar	Populus	Considered a poorer firewood (see comments below)	Grade: 1
Rowan	Sorbus aucuparia	Good firewood. Burns well	Grade: 3
Spruce	Picea	A low quality firewood	Grade: 2
Sweet Chestnut	Castanea	Burns when seasoned but spits continuously and excessively. Not for use on an open fire and make sure wood-burning stoves have a good door catch	Grade: 1-2
Sycamore (Maples)	Acer pseudoplatanus	Good firewood. Burns well	Grade: 3
Walnut	Juglans	A low quality firewood	Grade: 2
Wellingtonia	Sequoiadendron	Poor for use as a firewood.	Grade: 1
Willow	Salix	Willow has a high water content so only burns well when seasoned well	Grade: 2
Yew	Taxus	A usable firewood	Grade: 2-3