Wood Burning Tips

There are many reasons to choose wood burning as your main source of heat these days. A few of the main reasons being that it is environmentally beneficial and it can be a more economical way to heat your home. In this article, we will discuss some tips and resource suggestions for preparing your wood pile.

There are many great tools on the market to help you get started with establishing your wood pile to heat your home. One such tool is the Mantis electric log splitter. Right away this will save you money on a rental or the option of purchasing large amounts of wood to heat your home.

Not only is heating your home with firewood economical and environmentally sound, having a fire in your fireplace can be very soothing to your spirit and home in general. There is nothing like the sound of wood crackling in the fireplace as you go about your morning.

Here are some tips for gathering your source of fuel and the best uses of your electric log splitter.

Be sure to cut your wood to an appropriate length for your fireplace or stove. You will want to measure to be sure that it is at least 3-4 inches shorter than the width of where you will be placing it.

Be sure to work on your splitting technique as wood that is split too big does not burn very well. You should work to have a variety of sizes ranging from 3-6 inches in diameter for the best burning results. You will want to measure or eyeball the pieces of wood at the largest cross section of the log. Wood cut for a furnace can be just a bit larger than for a stove or fireplace. It is great to also have some kindling or smaller pieces of wood available as this is the best to use for getting your fire started.

For effective burning to take place, wood cannot be wet and needs to have the moisture removed from it that it will naturally contain. This does require some planning ahead with your wood purchase, splitting and drying process. The best way to remove the water content from the logs is a natural way by letting the wind and sun dry them outside. Create your wood pile in a place where it can be warmed by the sunshine, yet the wind is able to blow through it at the same time.

It actually can take about 6 months for this drying process if you want to be sure that all the moisture has been removed from the logs. For this reason, you will want to start this endeavor in the early spring to be sure that you have your wood prepared for the next winter cold season. Keep in mind though that this depends largely on where you live. Some climates and the types of wood that you find there may take longer to dry so you will want to take this into consideration.

Now it’s time to fire up the Mantis Electric Log Splitter, or your tool of choice, and get to stacking that great wood pile. Winter will be here again before you know it and you’ll be sitting pretty by that very nice and soothing fireplace knowing that you are saving money and the environment in your choice to heat your home with wood.