Official BTU Chart coming soon. In the meantime, the simple chart below will give you a good idea:
SOFT-WOODS (lowest to highest BTU):
Cottonwood
Ponderosa Pine, Lodge pole Pine
Pinon Pine
HARD-WOODS (BTU’s listed are approximate):
Boxelder (18)
Elm (20)
Ash (22)
Maple (19-25)
Hack-Berry – (21.2)
Not Sure What Firewood To Get?
Any tree that has needles is a soft-wood, and any tree with leaves is a hard-wood.
Choosing the proper combination of firewood can be confusing if you are unfamiliar with different types of trees. Remember, it is much easier to start a fire with a soft-wood (pine, for example), and then put on hard-wood (oak, for example).
Typically, our customers order a “mix & match” of firewoods – anywhere from a 1/4 to 1/2 softwood and the remaining is one or two species of hard-wood. An average order looks like this:
- 1/2 Softwood
- 1/4 Maple
- 1/4 Hack – Berry
Soft-Woods vs. Hard-Woods
Although pine can produce a high BTU, always remember that pine is the heaviest creosote producing wood to burn. Creosote (or creosole) is the by-product of fire that lines your chimney over time.
It is important to have your chimney swept at proper intervals to prevent a chimney fire! A proper combination of the right firewood mix and burning habits are essential to a healthy stove and chimney.
Hard-woods still produce creosote, but not quite as much as pine.