Using wood for heating

Wood heating is far cheaper than electricity, as well as being less drying. It has a distinct aesthetic appeal - on those crisp fall nights, nothing beats sitting in front of the wood stove.

This page is for those new to the world of wood heating, and maybe as a refresher to those who have been enjoying the benefits for years. It assumes that you have decided to use wood; if you need a reference to compare different types of heating see http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/factsheets/cb5.html

Be sure to have both a working carbon monoxide detector and a working smoke detector on all levels of the cottage.

Basics

The energy given off by burning wood is still measured largely in BTU (British Thermal Units) per cord. A BTU (technically a BTU/h, though most drop the "/h") is the amount of energy required to raise one pound of water one degree. Since this is not a metric lesson, we won't worry about converting that to litres and Joules.

Each species of wood gives off a different maximum amount - depending on the quality and condition of the logs and how well seasoned they are. For instance, one cord of hickory will produce 24.6 million BTU and one cord of Ash, 20 million. Readily available Canadian woods include: maple (21.3million BTU/cord), white pine (13.3 million BTU/cord), birch (21.3 million BTU/cord).

The bigger the pieces you put into the wood stove, the longer and slower they will burn. You will also require smaller pieces for kindling and stoking a fire. When you are splitting the wood, keep this in mind.

Burn a mix of woods (hard and soft wood), and when ordering it be sure to ask what will be delivered. Be there at the time of delivery to ensure that the wood is the types you ordered and that it is not rotten or mouldy. Stack and measure the wood immediately to ensure that you received the amount you ordered.

Storing firewood

Buy your wood early in the season to give it time to dry out. Do not stack it directly on the ground - better to have a bit of a gap underneath it for air to circulate - as well as between the logs. Keep your stack of firewood covered, if possible.

Do not burn wet (green) wood. Green wood can be up to 50% water by weight. When you burn green wood, you rely on the materials already burning to evaporate this water (to dry out this wood) before the green wood itself begins to burn. Seasoned (dry) wood gives off considerably more heat than wet wood, as it doesn't use up energy that should be going into the room to dry out; wet wood also produces more smoke.

Store two or three day's worth of wood inside so that it is free of moisture. Bang or drop the wood outside (possibly on a cement slab or patio stone) to ensure that dirt and bugs are removed before bringing it inside. You may want to consider a "straight-through" wood storage box - they are bins accessible from both the interior and exterior of your cottage reminiscent of the old milk boxes. If you have one installed, be sure to insulate and secure it from wildlife and other unwanted guests.