I never knew I would write this. I have firewood fore at least 15 years ahead. In Sweden covid is a big problem at the moment. So if we are going to meet someone it's a good idea to meet outside. As you might recall in my thread Corona Christmas We among most swedish people celebrated Christmas outside. A few days before new year a neighbor asked if I had any birch firewood to sell. He has a side business selling wood chips to powerplants and also selling bundles of firewood at a couple of gas stations. He told me he has at least 100 kubik meters or around 30 cords of dry firewood but no birch. Most people in Sweden believe that birch is the only firewood you can burn. Especially people that only buy camp firewood bundles. I told him that I didn't have dry birch. The only birch firewood I have was the firewood I cut in the end of October. Meadow maintenance But he was ready to dry it in his boiler room. So the statement you can never get enough firewood is obviously true. So 2021 will be a birch hoarding year. Happy new year my friends and have a happy hoarding year.
Very interesting! I had heard one of the Scandinavian countries will have to start importing wood due to some clean air legislation recently passed? I believe prior to that, the country was exporting a lot of wood. Maybe that's having an effect on things? I can't remember where I read that.
Nice stacks. I’m not familiar with birch. Is it good heating wood? I remember your meadow maintenance thread. How does birch compare to ash?
Very pretty! Never have enough firewood......the #1 rule when it comes to firewood! I've never burned white birch but my neighbor loves to buy it from his guy....... I do have some black birch that is seasoning. That stuff smelled so amazing when split - like root beer.
White birch is around 20 and white ash around 21 MBTU per cord. Used to be illegal to cut in Massachusetts and was protected. Yuppies liked rounds to put in fireplaces for pictures. Birch is decent firewood but needs to be split to dry as bark is water tight. Hence why it was used on canoes by native Americans.
Slocum I have been burning some paper birch the past couple of weeks. There is no punk in the wood and it has no troubles keeping a bed of coals 10 hours after a reload. It seems to keep coals longer than red oak. If you can get it before it starts to rot, it is great firewood.
Maybe it will be a learning you can burn other wood besides birch year. Lots of people here have learned bread is pretty easy to make at home and have at least tried it.
15 years ahead. Most of it is inside my wood shed so it's dry and will be good for at least twice that time. So no problem with my own supply. I have until I became a member here refused to sell any sense it's not worth my time. I planed to sell that birch in bundles next year but I didn't need to do that now. I think the propper name is silver birch Betula pendula. It's not a top firewood but most in Sweden believe it's the only trees for firewood. It contains a lot of gases so you need a modern stove with secondary combustion to burn it properly. Some people claim you can burn fresh cut birch if it's really cold (below 0°F). But you need to bring it directly from the tree to the fire. Anyway. The reason people prefer it is because it's really clean wood to bring inside. Most other wood hold on to some dust. Plus it's really nice look
My father in law has some next to his fireplace. He acts as though it's some super rare sacred firewood. Years ago my sister in law's boyfriend started a fire and burned the sacred firewood. You would of thought he burned the house down the way father in law acted. I would love to have a pile of it and burn when he comes over.
That was going to be my question. Does anyone else plan on keeping firewood that long? Of course, I guess if it's kept dry and off of the ground.
I store most of it in an old barn with walls and tin roof. So it will not be any problem store it for even longer. I found some firewood in the barn when I bought the place. It was more than 10 years old probably 20 years. That was some nice btus. The reason I haven't sold any is because most people believe birch is the only firewood and I have to little access to birch. My plan is that I will start sell bundles outside my house in the city next winter. That was the plan with that firewood. Let's see if I can hoard more birch this winter. As a hoarder I hate see perfect firewood go to waste. So here I am at least 15 years ahead.
I never knew that about Mass! Thanks for sharing. There was a some birch along our local snowmobile trail system. The land owner opted to have it cut down. Apparently, they harvest the bark, then took the down the trees. I had never heard of that before. A friend in our sled club told us that they took the bark to be sold for "crafts" and the trees were taken down later for wood use. Not sure if it was used for firewood, lumber or pulp.
The bark can be harvested without killing the tree and it contains a lot of oil and hardly any water so you can use it as firestarter even freshly harvested. I see if I can take some photos of birch bark crafts. It's rather common in Sweden.
