Can you burn white birch

You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. Status Not open for further replies. Oct 26, Long Island, New York. I was just offered some birch wood. I have always burned mostly oak and cherry. I know birch probably won't compare to those, but is it still a choice wood?

I checked out the main informational article about heat values in wood, but I also wanted feedback from people here who have burned it. I am not sure if it's white birch, paper birch, or yellow birch. I live on Long Island if that helps. EatenByLimestone Minister of Fire. Jul 12, 7, Schenectady, NY upstatepestandwildlife.

I've heard about that Long Island Birch. I've heard it's pretty good firewood. RedRanger New Member. Nov 19, 1, British Columbia. If you are a predomantily softwood burner, then paper birch is a "treasure to behold".. So even though it may not be oak, it's still some good stuff? I think white birch may be the same as paper birch.

I was just searching online and found some pictures of paper birch- the pictures I see look like the only birch I have seen around here- they have a white papery bark that likes to flake off. I'd take it in a heartbeat. As a matter of fact, send it out to me. Noah New Member. Jul 31, 83 Anchorage Alaska. It better burn, that's all we have around here, well that and spruce but the birch burns longer.

I have never burned anything else, I wish I could get my hands on a pile of oak. Todd Minister of Fire. Nov 19, 9, NW Wisconsin. Yellow and Black Birch is even better.

Nov 8, 70 Connecticut. May 8, 1, Peru, MA. About half the wood I burned last year was white birch The bark is a great starter or restarter after an overnight burn too Its not oak and it doesn't have the same btu's, but it burns fine and produces good heat without monster ash piles.

May 16, NY Capitol Region. We've got a lot of white birch on the property, not as good as oak but not bad. From heat output, scent, smoke, seasoning time, and the best uses for each variety, this guide has everything you need to know about Birch firewood. BTU: Birchwood usually burns steadily at to degrees. Also, Birchwood turns into coals quickly and retains heat. Birch firewood is known for burning quickly, sometimes as fast as 60 minutes.

Sometimes a little oak or elm wood can be added to help birch wood burn longer. Black birch wood is probably the best species in the Birchwood family that you can use for firewood. The wood of the black birch tree is extremely dense and fibrous.

These qualities mean that black birch wood burns hotter and longer than other species. Black birch is also known as cherry birch, sweet birch, and mountain mahogany. This wood also has a unique and sweet smell as it burns.

If you cut down your own black birch trees, just remember to cut them up. Birch trees contain a lot of sap and moisture because of their tightly encompassing bark. So, they can take longer to season. The bark of the white birch tree is very durable and waterproof. In fact, the bark of the white birch tree is used in the manufacture of canoes, bowls, and other items. Because white birch bark is so strong, the inner bark of the tree is not as strong or dense relative to black birch or even yellow birch.

White birch burns fairly, but you may need to use more or add a little oak or elm. White birch is also known as paper birch because its strong bark is thin, white, and features distinctive horizontal dark stripes.

White birch, like other birch trees, retains a lot of sap and moisture. Make sure you cut them into small, plank-like pieces and give them a lot of time to season properly. Yellow birch wood is also known as swamp birch. Yellow birch wood bark has a distinctive silver-yellowish hue. When the bark from white birch ignites it tends to give off a black, sooty smoke that can be undesirable for some people.

Also, don't store the wood directly on the ground because it can soak up ground moisture and rot. Although white birch is not as dense as other popular hardwoods, once it's seasoned I have not found any research that proves it's unsafe to burn. In fact, seasoned white birch is relatively lightweight and is known for burning very hot and many people love to burn it in a fireplace because of this.

However, white birch can get pretty sooty if you try to burn it wet which leads back to making sure the wood is dry before you use it. Even dry wood can create creosote in a chimney if it's allowed to smolder inside a wood stove, especially if you don't have a good draft or if you have any air leaks. That's why it's important to clean your chimney on a regular bases and have it inspected by a professional. Overall, if the white birch is seasoned and has a moisture content of around 20 percent or less and your wood burning device is in good working order, I would not be afraid to burn it or mix it in with other species of firewood.

There are many people who burn white birch all the time and have never had a problem with it. To answer the second part of your question I would stay away from any firewood type that is wet and I would not burn it until it's seasoned. I personally don't burn red pine in my fireplace because of the high resin content found inside the wood. There are mixed opinions about burning pine.

Many people burn it and have never had a problem with creosote. Since we have numerous other options available, I tend to burn ash, beech or hard maple in our fireplace and leave the red pine for our outdoor wood furnace.

I hope this helps! In the end, if you're still not comfortable burning white birch just like I avoid red pine in a fireplace you can always choose a different firewood type and avoid any additional concerns you might have about the wood. Nick firewood-for-life. Average Rating. Click here to add your own comments.