Heating Properties of Firewood by Tree Species

Heating Properties of Firewood by Tree Species Firewood performance can differ from species to species. The type of tree you use for burning can vary widely in heat content, burning characteristics, and overall quality. I have created a table that presents several important burning characteristics for many species used in North America. The chart ranks each tree species by its density which is a good indicator of overall heating effectiveness. Wood Characteristics Influencing Quality Heating and Ignition Density of Wood - density is the amount of space a volume or mass of firewood occupies. The denser the wood, the less space its given mass takes up and the greater a particular volume of firewood weighs.  For an example,  hickory is about twice as dense as aspen, so a cubic foot of hickory weighs approximately 50 pounds while a cubic foot of aspen weighs only about 25 pounds.   Green Vs. Dry Wood - Firewood should be dried (seasoned) to 10% to 20% moisture content for best burning performance. Much of the energy generated from burning green firewood actually goes toward evaporating the water held in the wood. Green firewood only gives off about 40% of the energy of dry firewood. To get the most heat production out of your firewood, you should season it by first cutting into short log bolts. Split these bolts and stack in a dry,  well-ventilated  area for at least six months before burning. Available Heat by Wood Species  - Available heat is a measure of the heat given off when wood is burnt and measured in million British Thermal Units. Hardwood trees give  off more energy in BTUs than a comparable volume of softwood because it is denser. It should be noted that  the volatile oils in some softwoods can increase the heat output of some species but only for a short time. Ease of Splitting - Wood with a straight grain is easier to split than wood with a tighter more complex grain. Knots, branches, and other defects can also increase the difficulty of splitting firewood. Remember that dry wood is generally easier to split than green wood. Ease of Igniting Firewood - Ignition ability is an important factor wood factor. Low-density wood is easier to light than denser wood. Woods with higher levels of volatile chemicals in their structure, such as conifers, will ignite  and burn more readily than those with less volatile chemicals. These woods should be used to start fires where dry  high-density woods will provide the heat. Definitions of Chart Terms Density - woods dry weight per unit volume. Denser or heavier wood contains more heat per volume. Note that hickory ranks at the top of the list.Green Weight - the weight in pounds of a cord of freshly cut wood before drying.mmBTUs - million British Thermal Units. The woods actual available heat measured in BTUs.Coaling - wood that forms long-lasting coals are good to use in wood stoves because they allow a fire to be carried over a longer period effectively. Wood Heating Values Chart Common Name Density-lbs/cu.ft. Pounds/cd. (green) Million BTUs/cd. Coaling Hickory 50 4,327 27.7 good Osage-orange 50 5,120 32.9 excellent Black locust 44 4,616 27.9 excellent White oak 44 5,573 29.1 excellent Red oak 41 4,888 24.6 excellent White ash 40 3,952 24.2 good Sugar maple 42 4,685 25.5 excellent Elm 35 4,456 20.0 excellent Beech 41 NA 27.5 excellent Yellow birch 42 4,312 20.8 good Black walnut 35 4,584 22.2 good Sycamore 34 5,096 19.5 good Silver maple 32 3,904 19.0 excellent Hemlock 27 NA 19.3 poor Cherry 33 3,696 20.4 excellent Cottonwood 27 4,640 15.8 good Willow 35 4,320 17.6 poor Aspen 25 NA 18.2 good Basswood 25 4,404 13.8 poor White pine 23 NA 15.9 poor Ponderosa Pine 3,600 16.2 fair Eastern Red Cedar 31 2,950 18.2 poor

Heating Properties of Firewood by Tree Species

Heating Properties of Firewood by Tree Species Firewood performance can differ from species to species. The type of tree you use for burning can vary widely in heat content, burning characteristics, and overall quality. I have created a table that presents several important burning characteristics for many species used in North America. The chart ranks each tree species by its density which is a good indicator of overall heating effectiveness. Wood Characteristics Influencing Quality Heating and Ignition Density of Wood - density is the amount of space a volume or mass of firewood occupies. The denser the wood, the less space its given mass takes up and the greater a particular volume of firewood weighs.  For an example,  hickory is about twice as dense as aspen, so a cubic foot of hickory weighs approximately 50 pounds while a cubic foot of aspen weighs only about 25 pounds.   Green Vs. Dry Wood - Firewood should be dried (seasoned) to 10% to 20% moisture content for best burning performance. Much of the energy generated from burning green firewood actually goes toward evaporating the water held in the wood. Green firewood only gives off about 40% of the energy of dry firewood. To get the most heat production out of your firewood, you should season it by first cutting into short log bolts. Split these bolts and stack in a dry,  well-ventilated  area for at least six months before burning. Available Heat by Wood Species  - Available heat is a measure of the heat given off when wood is burnt and measured in million British Thermal Units. Hardwood trees give  off more energy in BTUs than a comparable volume of softwood because it is denser. It should be noted that  the volatile oils in some softwoods can increase the heat output of some species but only for a short time. Ease of Splitting - Wood with a straight grain is easier to split than wood with a tighter more complex grain. Knots, branches, and other defects can also increase the difficulty of splitting firewood. Remember that dry wood is generally easier to split than green wood. Ease of Igniting Firewood - Ignition ability is an important factor wood factor. Low-density wood is easier to light than denser wood. Woods with higher levels of volatile chemicals in their structure, such as conifers, will ignite  and burn more readily than those with less volatile chemicals. These woods should be used to start fires where dry  high-density woods will provide the heat. Definitions of Chart Terms Density - woods dry weight per unit volume. Denser or heavier wood contains more heat per volume. Note that hickory ranks at the top of the list.Green Weight - the weight in pounds of a cord of freshly cut wood before drying.mmBTUs - million British Thermal Units. The woods actual available heat measured in BTUs.Coaling - wood that forms long-lasting coals are good to use in wood stoves because they allow a fire to be carried over a longer period effectively. Wood Heating Values Chart Common Name Density-lbs/cu.ft. Pounds/cd. (green) Million BTUs/cd. Coaling Hickory 50 4,327 27.7 good Osage-orange 50 5,120 32.9 excellent Black locust 44 4,616 27.9 excellent White oak 44 5,573 29.1 excellent Red oak 41 4,888 24.6 excellent White ash 40 3,952 24.2 good Sugar maple 42 4,685 25.5 excellent Elm 35 4,456 20.0 excellent Beech 41 NA 27.5 excellent Yellow birch 42 4,312 20.8 good Black walnut 35 4,584 22.2 good Sycamore 34 5,096 19.5 good Silver maple 32 3,904 19.0 excellent Hemlock 27 NA 19.3 poor Cherry 33 3,696 20.4 excellent Cottonwood 27 4,640 15.8 good Willow 35 4,320 17.6 poor Aspen 25 NA 18.2 good Basswood 25 4,404 13.8 poor White pine 23 NA 15.9 poor Ponderosa Pine 3,600 16.2 fair Eastern Red Cedar 31 2,950 18.2 poor

Heating Properties of Firewood by Tree Species

Heating Properties of Firewood by Tree Species Firewood performance can differ from species to species. The type of tree you use for burning can vary widely in heat content, burning characteristics, and overall quality. I have created a table that presents several important burning characteristics for many species used in North America. The chart ranks each tree species by its density which is a good indicator of overall heating effectiveness. Wood Characteristics Influencing Quality Heating and Ignition Density of Wood - density is the amount of space a volume or mass of firewood occupies. The denser the wood, the less space its given mass takes up and the greater a particular volume of firewood weighs.  For an example,  hickory is about twice as dense as aspen, so a cubic foot of hickory weighs approximately 50 pounds while a cubic foot of aspen weighs only about 25 pounds.   Green Vs. Dry Wood - Firewood should be dried (seasoned) to 10% to 20% moisture content for best burning performance. Much of the energy generated from burning green firewood actually goes toward evaporating the water held in the wood. Green firewood only gives off about 40% of the energy of dry firewood. To get the most heat production out of your firewood, you should season it by first cutting into short log bolts. Split these bolts and stack in a dry,  well-ventilated  area for at least six months before burning. Available Heat by Wood Species  - Available heat is a measure of the heat given off when wood is burnt and measured in million British Thermal Units. Hardwood trees give  off more energy in BTUs than a comparable volume of softwood because it is denser. It should be noted that  the volatile oils in some softwoods can increase the heat output of some species but only for a short time. Ease of Splitting - Wood with a straight grain is easier to split than wood with a tighter more complex grain. Knots, branches, and other defects can also increase the difficulty of splitting firewood. Remember that dry wood is generally easier to split than green wood. Ease of Igniting Firewood - Ignition ability is an important factor wood factor. Low-density wood is easier to light than denser wood. Woods with higher levels of volatile chemicals in their structure, such as conifers, will ignite  and burn more readily than those with less volatile chemicals. These woods should be used to start fires where dry  high-density woods will provide the heat. Definitions of Chart Terms Density - woods dry weight per unit volume. Denser or heavier wood contains more heat per volume. Note that hickory ranks at the top of the list.Green Weight - the weight in pounds of a cord of freshly cut wood before drying.mmBTUs - million British Thermal Units. The woods actual available heat measured in BTUs.Coaling - wood that forms long-lasting coals are good to use in wood stoves because they allow a fire to be carried over a longer period effectively. Wood Heating Values Chart Common Name Density-lbs/cu.ft. Pounds/cd. (green) Million BTUs/cd. Coaling Hickory 50 4,327 27.7 good Osage-orange 50 5,120 32.9 excellent Black locust 44 4,616 27.9 excellent White oak 44 5,573 29.1 excellent Red oak 41 4,888 24.6 excellent White ash 40 3,952 24.2 good Sugar maple 42 4,685 25.5 excellent Elm 35 4,456 20.0 excellent Beech 41 NA 27.5 excellent Yellow birch 42 4,312 20.8 good Black walnut 35 4,584 22.2 good Sycamore 34 5,096 19.5 good Silver maple 32 3,904 19.0 excellent Hemlock 27 NA 19.3 poor Cherry 33 3,696 20.4 excellent Cottonwood 27 4,640 15.8 good Willow 35 4,320 17.6 poor Aspen 25 NA 18.2 good Basswood 25 4,404 13.8 poor White pine 23 NA 15.9 poor Ponderosa Pine 3,600 16.2 fair Eastern Red Cedar 31 2,950 18.2 poor

How Often Should You Take Complete Official ACT Practice Tests

How Often Should You Take Complete Official ACT Practice Tests SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Taking official ACT practice tests under realistic testing conditions is vital to good ACT prep, but after a certain point you can hit a wall and stop getting any benefit out of it. In this article, we’ll discuss the frequency with which you should take ACT practice tests. feature image credit: Flying/used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped and resized from original. Why Use Official Practice Tests? In order to figure out how often to take practice tests, you must first be clear on what you’re getting out of them. The top four reasons for taking official ACT practice tests are to: get accustomed to the experience of sitting down and taking the real thing (including becoming comfortable with taking the full test at 8am) build up your stamina and ability to focus for long periods of time figure out where your weaknesses are judge your progress and studying efficacy Another way of using practice tests is to break them up and only go through the particular section you need to work on at a time. For example, if you run out of time on the Reading section, you may want to take several ACT Reading sections in isolation to work on your time management. This way of using official practice tests is a good way to focus your studying and break up the monotony of doing complete practice test after complete practice test. It's also a better use of your time to do this if you’re only struggling with particular subject areas or question types. Because there are a limited number of official practice tests available to practice with (either as full tests or broken up into section-specific practice), if you think you have a decent chance of going through all of them, it’s important to plan out ahead of time when you’re going to take ACT practice tests. Set Up an Official Practice Test Schedule Now that we’ve discussed why students take official practice tests, we’ll explain how to space them out for students with varying amounts of time before the test. Note that this is only a rough guideline to get you started and that you should be flexible in your own studying to make sure you get the most out of each practice test. We’ve deliberately only included four complete practice tests in the schedules for various scenarios. For most students, practicing specific sections of practice tests is a valuable and necessary addition to taking full-length official practice tests, so you should break up and use the remaining official practice tests at your own discretion. In general, we recommend frontloading your studying with practice tests, because you’re most likely to need the most practice across different sections at the beginning of your studying. If you’re studying effectively, your problem areas should shrink as you go along, making it more advantageous to spend more time on specific sections, rather than taking full-length practice tests (or if you do take full-length practice tests, you need to be sure to review in between so you can improve). At the same time, you need to make sure that you’re taking practice tests close enough to the real ACT to not get rusty. 1-Year Practice Test Schedule If you have a full year to study before the ACT, we recommend planning out your official test taking so that you take... one practice test when you begin studying one practice test 2-3 months into your studying one practice test 6-8 months into your studying one practice test a week or so before the ACT You’ll probably want to take more than four practice tests over the course of a year of ACT prep, but they don’t all have to be official ones. Spend the time in between practice tests reviewing the questions you got wrong and drilling yourself on questions you find difficult. 6-Month Practice Test Schedule The way you space out practice ACTs over a six-month study period is similar to the yearlong study schedule, but the time between each test is a little more condensed. Plan on taking an official practice ACT... at the start of your studying 1-2 months into your studying 4-5 months into your studying a week or so before the real ACT 365-316/used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. Condense the sandwich of a yearlong study plan into a panini of a six-month practice schedule. 3-Month Practice Test Schedule With just three months of studying before the test, the timing of official ACT practice tests will get even tighter. You'll want to take an official ACT practice test... at the beginning of your studying three weeks into your studying 1-2 months into your studying a week or so before the ACT If you compare this to the six-month practice test schedule, you'll see that there are a lot of similarities; the main difference is in the timing of the second practice test, which needs to happen much sooner if you're only studying for the ACT over a period of three months. 1-Month Practice Test Schedule With only one month to study, you’ll be cramming a lot of work into a short amount of time. The same basic principles of lessening practice test frequencies still hold, however. Below, we've mapped out a sample schedule for students who only have one month to study for the ACT: Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Week 1 Practice Test Practice Test Week 2 Practice Test Week 3 Test Week Practice Test ACT! In the one-month study schedule, we've intentionally put the practice tests on Saturdays and Sundays so that students can take them at the same time of day as they’ll be taking the real ACT. However, if you can’t do this because of scheduling conflicts, that’s fine – just try to keep the same basic shape and spacing as the above schedule. What’s Next? More than a year out from college applications and wanting to start your test prep? Then be sure to read our article about SAT/ACT test dates and study plans for sophomores and juniors. What about if your prep time can be measured in hours, rather than months? Read our special 20-hour prep guide to using ACT practice tests for advice and tips. Ready to start taking practice tests but not sure where to find them? Check out our massive collection of free online ACT practice tests here. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also have expert instructors who can grade every one of your practice ACT essays, giving feedback on how to improve your score. Check out our 5-day free trial: