![]() Mulberry is an example of a wood that sparks heavily.įortunately for us, both types of Maple produce very few sparks. Wood that sparks heavily can create significant fire hazards, which can cause problems in both open-air (e.g. Some types of firewood pop or spark really badly, which may not seem like an issue at first, but it can actually be a big problem. Jump down to this section to learn more about seasoning. High smoke production may also be a sign that wood is not fully dried, and you want to make sure that you’re always properly seasoning your wood before burning it. On the other hand, some of our favorite firewoods like Hickory and Oak, create low levels of smoke. Similar to Hard Maple, Pine is also a firewood that produces a lot of smoke. Hard Maples (like Sugar Maple) are known to produce a lot of smoke, but Soft Maple produces much less smoke. This one is interesting, because in this area, Soft Maple is better than Hard Maple. There are a few other factors, that will affect how good the wood is for heating or for outdoor campfires. Heat output is definitely an important characteristic for firewood, but it’s not the only thing that matters. (Note: data sources are mentioned beneath the infographic above). Check out the table below to see a more data-driven comparison of the heat output for 15 common firewood species’.īoth types of Maple are marked with bold text below. To give you a clearer view of this, I compiled some side-by-side numbers. However, Soft Maple is TERRIBLE when it comes to heating. When it comes to heat output, Hard Maple is not bad, and it’s pretty close to Ash and Mulberry which both burn very hot. ![]() Let’s go! The 6 Burn Qualities of Maple 1. That gives you an idea of where Hard Maple and Soft Maple are in comparison to other types of firewood, and in the following section, we’ll highlight 6 important considerations for burning Maple firewood. In addition, where there was missing data (only a few occasions), I’ve used my own experience to round out the data. The information in this image is based largely off of data from the following sources: Utah State University Forestry Extension, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, University of Illinois Extension, University of Missouri Extension, South Dakota State University Extension. To learn more about the data sources, you can read the note below the image. This ranking is not an arbitrary list, and it’s actually based primarily on data from several university extension offices. The top tier (top of the pyramid) is the absolute best firewood you can burn, whereas the bottom of the pyramid is the firewood that will still produce heat, but is not ideal because of low heat output, excessive smoke, difficulty splitting, or some other reason. To help you get an idea for how Maple compares to other types of firewood, we’ve put together a graphic below, which provides a snapshot of some of the most common types of firewood in our area (in the Midwest USA), and they are divided into 3 levels of quality. Maple is a common type of wood, and both can still be good options, you will just want to know the details below before you throw it in the fire. ![]() Now, when we say soft Maple is “poor”, and Hard Maple is just “moderately good”, does that mean you shouldn’t use them? No! Hard Maple is denser than Soft Maple and produces a higher heat output. ![]() Hard Maple is moderately good firewood, and Soft Maple is poor firewood. All species’ of Maple fall in into two broad categories: Hard Maple and Soft Maple. Maple firewood ranges from poor to moderately good firewood. Let’s dive-in, and we’ll start high-level: There are over 100 species of Maple trees, and this can make it really tricky to know what to expect from Maple when you’re using it as firewood.īut hey, that’s why you’re here, and with a few basic details, this whole topic becomes a lot simpler.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |