Some thoughts on burning wood:
1) Get a woodstove. They are far more efficient than a fireplace.
2) Add thermal mass to the wood stove if it lacks it. Masonry. The woodstove should burn hot and fast to heat the masonry which slowly releases the heat to the house. A fast hot fire makes for less creosote in the chimney and is less polluting.
3) The chimney should be interior to the house for as long as possible, as straight as possible, as vertical as possible and extending a minimum of three feet above the roof within 10' or more. Any horizontal chimney or stove pipe sections should be close to the woodstove where it gets maximum velocity and heat to minimize creosote.
4) Provide fresh air to the fire. If your house is too tight you'll not get a good draft. Control the inflow of air. I like
earth air tubes as they offer free pre-warming of the fresh incoming air. Stale house air is constantly being exhausted by the chimney. This is good.
5) Don't burn pine. In general, avoid the creosote filled evergreen woods. They are fine for a little use as very dry kindling to start the fire. Poplar is another fast burning wood, pretty, fast growing, blows down easily and gives little heat.
6) Burn hardwoods. There is more energy per log, they burn longer, have less creosote and are less likely to cause a chimney fire. Think oak, maple, birch, etc. They do take longer to grow - burn the junk logs and use up the whole tree. The tops are filled with kindling and kitchen wood.
7) Burn dry seasoned wood. Cut it, block it, stack it and ideally let it sit under cover for a year to dry - Three months at the minimum. Less moisture in the wood means you waste less energy driving off the water so you get more heat. Less water in the wood means less water going up your chimney cooling the smoke which means less creosote build up which means less chance of chimney fires. Less water in the wood means less moisture on the metal parts of the chimney which means less rusting and they last longer saving you money and time replacing them.
8) Clean your chimney at least once a year. Inspect it too. Depending on what you burn and your chimney condition & design you may need to do this more often.
9) A chainsaw uses little fuel. If you think it's about to be a SHTF situation, stow ten gallons or so for the saw along with its oil. It will last a long time.
10) Learn to sharpen and maintain the saw well. They cut a lot faster using less fuel when sharp. They're also safer.
11) Wear protective gear - boots, chaps, helmet, face guard, ear protection... Calculate the value of your leg... Likewise, don't work with dangerous tools when you are tired. Do it when you are at your best.
12) Split with an axe for most wood, a sledge and wedges for the worst. Try to avoid the worst stuff - use it for outdoor bonfires so you don't have to split it. Some wood splits a lot easier than
other woods. Split in the dead of winter when it is cold and it is even easier. At -10°F wood almost falls apart from a tap of the axe. See
this article for a good slitting axe.
13) Cut the worst trees from your land, the junk, the pulp, to burn yourself - of the burnable species of course. Thinning the forest allows other trees to grow better and is an important forest management technique. The next up are to cut and sell. The next up should be left to grow and become timber. In time you'll improve your wood lot and eventually you may have some timber to sell. I get up to a couple thousand dollars for a single veneer quality tree, many hundreds of dollars for a lumber quality tree and about $10 for pulp and firewood quality trees. It is worth cultivating your forest to gradually improve it.
Here's
some more on heating with wood.
Cheers
-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
Sugar Mountain Farm
Holly's Pencil Portraits
NoNAIS.org
