Ash firewood – A perfect fire starter!
Ash firewood is simply one of the best firewood you’ll come across, whether you’re looking for some firewood to warm up your home in winter or you’re planning something else outdoors!
The best firewood is one that starts burning quickly and lasts longer and Ash firewood is not only an amazing fire starter, but it is also easily available and does not require too much effort and time to cut it up. Furthermore, it burns evenly and for long.
When looking for burning wood, most people look up to the ash trees for firewood. Whether you’re looking for quality firewood to light up your stoves, warm up your indoors, or you’re on a camping tour out in cold, Ash firewood is definitely going to be the best choice you’ll make for any of the fire applications.
Another worth considering fact is that Ashwood is a pretty much clean burning wood and produces sufficient heat. Also, its aroma is neutral, so your hands won’t end up all pitchy.
For anyone who’s concerned about Ash wood-burning temperature, Ashwood burns at a temperature of 1000 degrees Celsius, which is an extreme temperature for some wood to burn.
Our article further contains details about the Ash firewood, and you’ll also find answers to your queries related to the burning of Ash firewood.
Is Ash a Good Wood to Burn?
Ash firewood is a lot more than just ‘good’ for burning. It starts up the fire steadily, provides a great amount of heat, and lasts longer as well. And so, Ash is considered to be one of the top burning woods, mostly because of its amazing heat output.
Ashes Are Highly Suitable for Furniture!
Ashes are pale blonde woods with a straight grain, making them suitable for furniture. It is also used to make hockey sticks and oars in Ireland because of its shock-absorbing properties. There is a good strength-to-weight ratio, making it extremely durable and strong.
Ash Dieback – A Threat
Fungal infestations such as ash dieback persist throughout Europe as a very common threat. In addition, the threat has repercussions for forest fauna at the floor level due to Ash’s ability to absorb more light than other species. Consequently, Ash dieback poses a threat to many ecological processes beyond only the Ash tree.
Some Other Things You Need to Know About Ash Firewood
Ash is one of the densest of the hardwood logs, making it a great wood for your fireplace or wood burner. It has a lot of burn qualities that make it stand out from much other firewood.
Ash can even burn while undried (green) due to its naturally low moisture content. In fact, an English proverb goes something like this: “Green or seer, Ash is fit for a queen“.
A kiln-dried log can burn for up to an hour, generating 4KW of heat, making it one of the best woods for burning. In contrast to softwood and most other hardwoods, ash is very dense, with its fibers packed tightly together, meaning it burns for much longer periods of time.
The energy density of ash is very high, with 2926 Kilowatt per hour per cubic meter, at 20% moisture. As with all logs, it can be burned green, but kiln drying produces the best heat output.
Types of Ash Firewood
Ash trees come in 16 different species, but the most common firewood species are:
- Green Ash
- White Ash
Green Ash
Hardy and fast-growing, green ash trees are popular shade trees that are tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions. In urban landscapes throughout the U.S., the Green Ash has increasingly replaced American Elms in the wake of Dutch Elm disease.
The green ash tree has an upright shape and a rounded, yet irregular canopy. The leaves are compound and have between five and nine leaflets.
Green Ash firewood produces very little smoke, which makes it an excellent wood for indoor fireplaces.
White Ash
The White Ash is an attractive tree indigenous to North America. These large trees provide shade for parks and yards.
Ash firewood, white ash is very versatile. Compared to other hardwoods, it produces a moderate amount of heat, has a moderate burning time, and is easy to light. These characteristics, combined with the fact that it is easy to split, make it an excellent kindling material. In terms of BTU value, it has a little less than oak, but it burns hotter.
The strength and flexibility of white ash make it a favorite material for baseball bats and tool handles. As a dried product, it is heavier, has a higher BTU, and is more difficult to split than Green Ash.
White ash firewood carries a heat BTU of 24.2-million BTU per cord, whereas green ash has a heat BTU of 20 million BTU per cord.
Is Ash Firewood Hardwood or Softwood?
Ash wood is a hardwood. Due to its hardwood nature, Ash is hotter and generates more heat per pound than any other wood. Ashwood burns pretty much clean, with little smoke and little sparking. Warm and cool climates, moist, well-drained soil, and plenty of direct sunlight are the best environments for growing trees.
What Does an Ash Firewood Look Like?
Ash trees, especially larger ones, have bark with large parallel ridges. They look like small parallel mountains.
Ash wood has average end grains, lacking any distinctive characteristics. Firewood made from ash tends to maintain its bark. Furthermore, the wood is uniformly light white or brown in color.
How Does Ash Firewood Burn?
Ash firewood burns extremely hot and provides heat according to its weight. It does not emit smoke or sparks. For the best burning, season the ash firewood for at least 6 months under proper drying conditions, as you would do for any green wood.
Ash Vs Oak Firewood
Ash is the most common species of firewood used for a variety of purposes. It is not only used for warming up homes in winters, but also for wood burners and fireplaces, as well as for catering firms that make woodfired pizza since it generates the high heat needed for a rapid cooking process.
Oak, on the other hand, is an even more hot burning wood but it burns slowly. The logs of oak are heavier and denser than wood species.
Ash produces 24.2 million BTUs of heat per cord, making it one of the best woods for a steady fire and good heat.
While Oak too is a popular choice to burn up for heat purposes and has a heat output of 26.2 million BTUs per cord.
White Ash Vs Black Ash Lumber
White Ash’s heartwood is typically lighter in color and its growth rings are more spaced apart. Black Ash, on the other hand, is slightly darker in color and its growth rings are closer together.
Moreover, the outermost latewood pores of White Ash are connected by winged parenchyma, whereas Black Ash does not have any such latewood connectivity.
Macroscopic anatomy can distinguish Black Ash from White Ash, but many other species of ash cannot, and they share similar characteristics to White Ash.
Ash Firewood – FAQs
Conclusion
For heating your house with wood, ash firewood is excellent. Not only is it heat-producing, but also splits effortlessly.
People who burn firewood often recommend ash wood as a top choice because it is very user-friendly.
If you ask us, we also love it because the splitting is ideal, and it can be done in a blow without much difficulty, as we’ve mentioned earlier.
Also, if you’re just starting out, this wood is perfect for practicing with an axe or maul!
