Wood quality

Certain wood materials, such as agglomerated wood, plywood, laminated wood, railway sleepers, generate toxic emissions when burning, so it is highly recommended not to use them.

There are different types of wood and they do not have the same calorific power.
Therefore, as a rule of thumb, you might want to opt for hard wood types (Oak, Beech, Ash, Hornbeam) which radiate a lot of heat and produce a lot of ambers. (1kg dry wood gives ± 4 kilowatts energy)

Yet, you should not forget about softer wood types either (Birch, Lime, Chestnut),those burn out faster, but they are great for starting or re-starting a fire.

As for evergreens, such as fir and pine, those do burn, but they contain resin that really soots up chimneys, so they should be avoided.

Storing firewood

If you’d like to store firewood to let it dry, here are a few tips:

Try to speed up the drying process by splitting the wood as soon as practicable after cutting down the trees, preferably in winter. Freshly cut wood is easier to split
and burns more efficiently than wood that’s been left to dry for too long.

Adapt the length of logs directly to the size of your stove, they will dry a lot faster.

Select a sunny and well ventilated area to store the wood. Ensure continuous air circulation by storing the wood on pallets or in wire cases, or by placing the logs in
alternate positions. Do not store the wood in a closed place and do not cover it, especially with plastic, otherwise it will rot. When the wood has dried up, protect it
against weather conditions.

If the logs are placed along a wall, leave some space between the wood and the wall.

Do not forget that wood degrades with time and thus loses its energy (calorific value).

Likewise, if you burn damp wood, your stove will be less efficient and your chimney will soot up sooner.