Your fireplace is a place to gather round and chase the winter chill away. Having a fire will also go along way to keeping the rest of your home nice and cosy. You can have your firewood delivered to your door in the greater part of Johannesburg. Give us a call to check whether we deliver in your area.
You want to have a fire that burns warmly and does not generate alot of unnecessary smoke. Properly seasoned wood is the best solution for this. Seasoning of wood refers to the drying of firewood so that it burns optimally.
The moisture content in properly seasoned firewood is 20 to 25percent. Different types of wood and wood of differing ages will contain varying degrees of moisture. Wood that contains a high percentage of moisture will take long to burn and the energy of the fire will be focused on drying out the wood so it can burn, reducing the heat that you fell from the fire. This colder fire will also cause soot and moisture to collect inside the chimney meaning it will have to be cleaned more frequently.
Seasoning requires that the wood be cut and left in a dry place, off the ground, where there is suffiecient air circulating to facilitate the drying process. Wood that is left on the ground will not dry properly and in some cases it will rot. Dry wood that is left on the ground will absorb mosture and the wood will either rot or not burn efficiently.
On the other hand if your wood has dried to a point where there is no moisture left in the wood, it will burn but it will burn out quickly and the heat provided will be minimal. This is because the volatile esters in the wood will have evaporated leaving the wood with less inherent energy.
Check if wood is properly seasonedOnce your firewood has been delivered and you have packed it into your new firewood rack you are almost ready to build that fire. There are a few ways in which you can check whether wood if properly seasoned.