Wood Ratings
| Type of Wood |
Heat Output |
Easy to Burn |
Easy to Split |
Heavy Smoke |
Spar ks |
BTUs per Cord |
Rating |
| Ash Black | Medium | Yes | Yes | No | No | 19.1 Mil | Excellent |
| Ash Green | High | Yes | Yes | No | No | 20.0 | Excellent |
| Ash White | High | Yes | Medium | Np | No | 23.6 | Excellent |
| Red Oak | High | Yes | Yes | No | No | 21.7 | Excellent |
| White Oak | High |
Yes |
Yes | No | No |
26.5 |
Excellent |
| Live Oak | High | Yes | Yes | No | No | 25.0 | Excellent |
| Beech | High | Yes | Yes | No | No | 21.8 | Excellent |
| Beech Blue | High | Yes | Yes | No | No | 26.8 | Excellent |
| Birch Black | High | Yes | Yes | No | Mediu m |
26.8 | Excellent |
| Birch Grey | High | Yes | Yes | No | Mediu m |
20.3 | Good |
| Birch Paper | High | Medium | Medium | Medium | No | 20.8 | Fair |
| Birch White | High | Medium | Medium | Medium | Mediu m |
20.3 | Good |
| Birch Yellow | High | Yes | Yes | No | Mediu m |
23.6 | Excellant |
| Box Elder | Medium | Medium | No | Medium | No | 18.3 | Fair |
| Buckeye Ohio | Low | Medium | Medium | No | No | 13.8 | Fair |
| Butternut | Low | Medium | Yes | Medium | No | 14.5 | Fair |
| Catalpa | Low | Medium | No | Medium | No | 15.5 | Fair |
| Cedar Eastern Red | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium | Yes | 17.1 | Fair |
| Coffeetree Kentucky |
High | Medium | Medium | No | No | 21.6 | Good |
| Hickory Bitternut | High | Yes | Yes | No | No | 26.7 | Excellent |
| Hickory Shagbark | High | Yes | Medium | No | No | 27.5 | Excellent |
| Hard Maple | High | Yes | Yes | No | No | 29.7 | Excellent |
| Pecan | High | Yes | Yes | No | No | Excellent | |
| Dogwood | High | Yes | Yes | No | No | 24.3 | Excellent |
| Soft Maple | Medium | Yes | Yes | No | No | 19.1 | Good |
| Cherry | Medium | Yes | Yes | No | No | 18.5 | Good |
| Black Cherry | Medium | Yes | Yes | No | No | 18.6 | Good |
| Walnut | Medium | Yes | Yes | No | No | 20.3 | Good |
| Elm American | High | Medium | No | Medium | No | 20.00 | Fair |
| Elm Red | High | Medium | Yes | Medium | No | 21.6 | Good |
| Elm Rock | High | Medium | No | Medium | No | 23.5 | Good |
| Elm Siberian | High | Medium | No | Medium | No | 20.9 | Fair |
| Hackberry | High | Yes | Yes | No | No | 21.2 | Excellent |
| Sycamore | Medium | Medium | No | Medium | No | 18.5 | Fair |
| Gum Black | Medium | Medium | No | Medium | No | 18.1 | Fair |
| Gum Sweet | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium | Mediu m |
18.7 | Good |
| Mesquite | High | Medium | No | Medium | No | Good | |
| Aspen | Low | Yes | Yes | Medium | No | 14.5 | Fair |
| Basswood | Low | Yes | Yes | Medium | No | 12.6 | Fair |
| Cottonwood | Low | Yes | Yes | Medium | No | 12.2 | Fair |
| Chestnut | Low | Yes | Yes | Medium | Yes | Poor | |
| Yellow Poplar | Low | Yes | Yes | Medium | Yes | 16.0 | Poor |
| Southern Yellow Pine |
High | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Good | |
| Douglas Fir | High | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 21.4 | Good |
| Cypress | Medium | Medium | Yes | Medium | No | Fair | |
| Redwood | Medium | Medium | Yes | Medium | No | Fair | |
| White Cedar | Medium | Yes | Yes | Medium | Yes | 17.5 | Good |
| Western Red Cedar |
Medium | Yes | Yes | Medium | Yes | 17.5 | Good |
| Mulberry | High | Yes | Yes | Medium | No | 25.8 | Excellent |
| Eastern Red Cedar | Medium | Yes | Yes | Medium | Yes | 17.5 | Good |
| Juniper | Medium | Yes | Yes | Medium | Yes | Good | |
| Piinon | Medium | Yes | Yes | Medium | Yes | Good | |
| Eastern White Pine | Low | Medium | Yes | Medium | No | 15.8 | Fair |
| Western White Pine |
Low | Medium | Yes | Medium | No | 15.8 | Fair |
| Sugar Pine | Low | Medium | Yes | Medium | No | 15.8 | Fair |
| Ponderosa Pine | Low | Medium | Yes | Medium | No | 17.0 | Fair |
| True Firs | Low | Medium | Yes | Medium | No | 19.5 | Fair |
| Tamarack | Medium | Yes | Yes | Medium | Yes | 20.8 | Fair |
| Larch | Medium | Yes | Yes | Medium | Yes | 20.8 | Fair |
| Spruce | Low | Yes | Yes | Medium | Yes | 15.9 | Poor |
| Alder | Medium | Fair | Yes | Medium | Yes | 17.6 | Fair |
| Apple | Medium | No | No | Medium | Few | 17.6 | Fair |
| Ironwood (Hornbeam) |
Very High |
Yes | No | No | Few | 24.7 | Excellent |
| Black Locust | Very High |
Yes | No | No | No | 26.5 | Excellent |
| Honey Locust | High | Yes | Medium | No | No | 25.8 | Excellent |
| Magnolia | Medium | Yes | Yes | No | No | 18.0 | Fair |
| Madrone | High | No | No | No | No | 30.0 | Excellent |
| Willow | Low | No | Yes | Fair | Fair | 14.5 | Fair |
| Ratings are variable, moisture content effects results firewood should be well seasoned and dry for its optimum BTU rating. Firewood is easier to split while it is still green. Firewood with High or Very high heat output 1 cord = 21,000,000 – 24,000,000 BTU = 200-250 gal. of fuel oil or 250-300 cu. ft. of natural gas. Firewood with Medium heat output 1 cord = 17,000,000 – 20,000,000 BTU = 150-200 gal. of fuel oil or 200-250 cu. ft. of natural gas. Firewood with Low heat output 1 cord = 12,000,000-17,000,000 BTU = 100-150 gal. of fuel oil or 200-250 cu. ft. of natural gas. Consider the cost of 1 cord of firewood vs the cost of fuel oil or the cu. ft. of natural gas. The cost of firewood is usually more stable than the cost of fuel oils or gas and should prove to be a huge savings on your heating bill. Firewood Measurements 1 cord measures 8 feet long, 4 feet high and 4 feet wide or 128 cubic feet |
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