This material is intended for burning in fireplaces, furnaces. With its help, you can achieve the necessary warmth, heat and lighting in the room. Loft, urban chic, country, eco and many others are more popular than ever. The obligatory element of the interior is the lounge-zone, which is not complete without decorative fireplaces. Firewood for them can be purchased in sawn or chopped form.
The main property of the material should be the minimum amount of moisture. Most often, firewood has a standard size from 25 to 33 cm. Products are sold by weight, they are packaged or delivered in bulk storage meters.
With the right choice of fuel, the fireplace will bring an atmosphere of comfort, special magic to the house. Of all the "food" known for today, firewood is the most environmentally friendly option. Crackling, they create an enchanting smell, reflecting in the best way on human health.
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What can be used to heat?
Any fireplace installation can be heated with briquettes, birch, beech or brushwood from any fruit tree, juniper branches, etc. Owners of country fireplaces believe that briquettes, which burn several times more intensely, give great heat transfer, leaving a minimum soot and taking up a minimum of space in the house.
Ordinary firewood is much cheaper, even such species as alder and aspen, pine pear, apple. The dry matter mass in briquettes is minimal. When kindling, they are put on paper, birch bark. Both materials light up equally well. The burning time of a briquette will be much longer than that of a standard log, but the aesthetic beauty of the flames will be given by brushwood, stumps and roots.
The British have an amazing secret to reducing soot in their chimney. They drop a pinch of salt onto the logs or briquettes during each laying. They are also often exposed to an upright position for a much more vigorous and vigorous combustion. With firewood in your stock you will have half an hour for heating, and with briquettes - a full hour.
For open structures, increased fire safety requirements are imposed, the presence of good ventilation of the room. They serve primarily to heat the premises, consume from 200 to 1000 m3 of air per hour. It is important to lay the floor around such a structure made of non-combustible materials (tiles, stone, etc.). Best used for hornbeam, beech, birch firewood.
For closed structures, you can even pick up oak, aspen, and fruit tree logs. In this case, the degree of fire hazard is reduced, unpleasant odors of combustion products do not spread in the room. The only question remains for the chimney, which will become more intensively clogged.
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What can not be used to heat?
Wood from pine and spruce will not be the best option for fireplaces, because they increase the risk of fires. Despite this, they give a pleasant New Year's scent. Yew, hornbeam, etc. will cause great difficulties in kindling a fireplace. Conifers have a high resin content, which means that they are maximally flammable. In no case should you heat the room with sawdust and the remains of old furniture, which may contain varnish or paint.
Which is better?
It is believed that the main fuel for any fireplace is hardwoods. First of all, you should pay attention to hard species, such as oak, birch. It is worth noting that when they burn, they emit a little heat, but they have a fairly high flame value, they burn for a long time. Alder and fruit wood are in demand. They should be moderately dried, not have a gray tint.
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Fuel briquettes
Briquettes are considered an excellent substitute for firewood (they also belong to the category of hard rocks). Such Euro wood is suitable for boiler rooms, home Russian stoves, fireplaces. They are produced from industrial waste, for example, woodworking, food: rice husks, various seeds, tyrsa, peat, sawdust, etc.
The briquette contains an adhesive element, which experts call a binder. To obtain maximum strength, the product lends itself to strong pressing and drying. The material does not carry absolutely any harm to human health.
Its main features are:
- high heat transfer due to humidity of 4-8%;
- high density 0.95-1g / cm3, affecting the calorific value;
- ergonomic material that takes up a minimum of space in the house, utility room, basement;
- ecological cleanliness (they do not pollute the environment);
- low humidity, due to which a little soot is released.
Fuel briquettes are supplied in three formats: pini-key, ruf and nonstro with the same chemical composition. The greatest heat transfer is obtained from the seed husk, the least - from the rice husk.
Pressed
The production of briquettes is not complete without a hydraulic or mechanical press. Such models do not contain harmful binders for health, have a different shape and resemble ordinary firewood. Experts recommend avoiding the "fuel" for the fireplace, made from waste plywood factories. In some cases, the manufacturer uses not only pressing, but also surface firing. Popular firms for the production of such materials are C. F. Nielsen, Pini-kay, RUF, Nestro, etc.
Pine
Pine is the best option for fireplaces and will serve as fuel for an open structure, but in small quantities. Pine logs are afraid to buy for only one simple reason: they are highly flammable and instantly flare up, increasing the risk of fire. On the other hand, pine gives an exceptional aroma associated with a cozy and homely atmosphere. They contain a huge amount of resin, so you can't do without crackling, smokiness, sparkling.
Birch
Birch logs generate a tremendous amount of heat when they burn. You can watch a high bright flame for hours. All the time, while the fireplace is burning, pleasant aromas will not leave the room, as well as special substances that can purify the air. An important advantage of birch firewood was its low price, and its disadvantage was the large and rapid accumulation of soot in the chimney.
Aspen
Aspen belongs to those species that have soft wood, which means they burn excellently, practically do not spark. The density of the dry material is 0.37 g / cm3. The main advantage of such wood: minimal smoke, incredibly bright fire. It will not only create a spiritual atmosphere in the room, but also "clean" the chimney from soot due to the high combustion column. Aspen can be combined with oak or birch logs to increase the fire rate.
Oak
Oak has the highest heat transfer of all known species - 4.2 kWh / kg. The only drawback, which is the difficulty of splitting oak firewood, has absolutely no effect on their high demand. They belong to hard breeds, give a pleasant aroma, and are affordable.
Alkhovye
Alder logs and branches can instantly flare up. Compared to other rocks, they emit less heat, but they perfectly burn soot and clean chimneys. Flaring up, alder releases special substances into the air, which, among other things, effectively fight colds.
How to heat a fireplace with glass?
A glass fireplace will retain its transparency, neat appearance if you use a special type of firewood in it, even better decorative (backlit models, ceramics, etc.).
It is always pleasant to watch the dance of fire through huge glasses with wide viewing angles, where soot does not appear immediately. The clarity and transparency of the glass surface is influenced by the quality of the fuel you choose.
Experts recommend paying attention to softwood varieties such as aspen and alder. Hardwoods in the form of oak, beech logs are also suitable. They will literally "smoke" the soot from the hearth.
Purchase wood with a moisture content of less than 20%. Such a dry material in natural conditions demonstrates an even flame, which means that it reduces the risks of strong smoke and soot formation. Conifers placed in the firebox, which sparkle, crackle and clog not only the glass "panorama", but also the chimney itself due to their resinousness, will not be the best solution.
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How to properly heat a fireplace?
You don't want to burn out after a few fireboxes, do you? To do this, you need to learn the technology of normal draft and how to properly reduce the volume of smoke in the stove, fireplace. While you are enjoying the sonorous crackle of wood, a natural combustion product, carbon dioxide, is released into the air. Most of it flows into the chimney and outside. But some still remain indoors. It is important to set up such cravings so as not to burn out during rest, sleep, etc.
It is important to use "fuel" with a minimum moisture content of less than 20%. The ignition must be carried out in such a way that the temperature rises gradually. The source of the smoke is the bark, so it is best to use wood that has been cleaned or rounded.
It is also necessary to systematically check the tightness, integrity of the heated system (stoves, fireboxes, fireplaces). Experts advise against closing the damper during ignition. Through a small sash or opening, the traction intensity will be regulated.
Many are wondering what to do if both firewood and briquettes do not burn well. In this case, it is worth using additional materials for high-quality ignition: shavings, thin chips, branches, etc.
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How beautiful to stack?
For a beautiful styling "arm" with wood of approximately the same size. It is better if their length is 4-7 cm less than the depth of the firebox. First, you need to lay the kindling, wood chips in the form of a slide, and on top, at a distance of 10-15 cm from the bottom - the firewood itself, like a "pioneer fire".
How much do you need?
When choosing a budget or expensive option for fireplace equipment, an important criterion is the capacity of the firebox, how much wood will fit into it optimally. Dry, but not rotten wood should occupy no more than ¾ of the structure itself. If these are thick logs, it is enough to use 3-4 pieces, and if we are talking about birch, aspen, poplar logs, you will need up to 10 pieces.
How and what is the best way to store it?
Fireplace wood material is best stored in a dry place, while fake ceramic models are prominently displayed as interior décor. Today there is a colossal number of special "storages" that will remove the unaesthetic look of ordinary firewood from the eyes. Online stores sell a special holder, drawer, basket and even a wardrobe in various sizes and colors. Thanks to such structures, you will not spoil the interior of the bedroom, living room and even the basement, and the firewood will retain its properties.
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Decorative
Decorative firewood and new technologies will help to create a cozy home atmosphere, relaxation and aesthetics at the same time. These can be processed natural logs, ceramic branches completely imitating wooden, plastic models, etc. You can use whole logs, lumps, lightly charred cuts, fir cones, and pretty branches. As close as possible to natural, firewood is often supplied with backlighting or is a 3D projection.
An important object in the design of a classic or modern interior is also considered an electric fireplace, for which, accordingly, electric wood is used. The combustion simulation looks truly impressive.
Ceramic firewood with a charred effect looks stylish. Heat-resistant ceramics show smoldering during combustion. Almost indistinguishable from the real process! Such products are made as similar as possible to real wood in the color of birch, alder, aspen, etc. You can also find charred ceramic logs in specialty stores.
To create a cozy atmosphere, it is recommended to purchase real firewood with spectacular lighting. Including, it can be an LCD screen as the basis for the design. The main advantage of such models is fire safety. You can be sure that no spark will cause a fire.
