What Kind of Wood Should be Used?

The hard broad-leaved types of trees (oak, beech-tree, ash-tree, chestnut, hornbeam, walnut-tree, fruit trees, etc.) offer wood material of the best quality which emits more heat and burns for a longer period compared to the coniferous trees. It is also important how damp the wood is, since this affects directly the energy content. The difference between a dry, ready for use, piece of wood (less than 20 % dampness in proportion to the gross weight) and a fresh-cut piece of wood (45 % dampness in proportion to the gross weight), the emitted energy is two times less ! You should also know that the use of damp wood leads to the increase of emitted fumes. The fresh-cut wood, in logs of 1 m, should stay for 2 years in order to yield optimal burning capacity. Cut, chopped and stored in a ventilated room, the wood will dry faster and this term will be shortened to 1 year. If you burn "dirty" wood, i.e. wood treated or soaked in varnish, of woodworking wastes or old furniture, this is to the detriment of the life of your fireplace and causes contaminating of air and toxic emissions, which are harmful to health. In short : a good piece of firewood is a "clean" and dry piece of wood. FONTE FLAMME recommends you to use firewood certified under the Standard NF, which guarantees its type, length, dampness percentage and the quantity supplied for 1 m3.
Consult www.nfboisdechauffage.org to find out everything about certification of firewood and the certified distributors under the Standard NF.