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The Best Firewood for Outdoor Fire Pits and Fireplaces

Burning firewood outdoors is in a lot of ways different than burning indoors. The best firewood for outdoor fires can be different than what you might think is best for indoor burning. When heating with a wood stove indoors, most people prefer dense hardwoods to give off long radiant heat. But with outdoor fires, this is not always the case. But in all cases, dry wood is by far the best.

The best wood for an outside fire will depend on what you want from the fire. What you might want for cooking or roasting hot dogs may be different than if you want a lively fire with big bright flames to sit around. Dense hardwoods are good for cooking over. They make good hot coals that put out a steady heat with low flames. Hardwoods are also the types of wood that have the best smoke flavors and aroma.

Softwoods like fir, pine and cedar are often better if you want big bright flames. This is what can create the type of outdoor fire that will light up the area at night and bring a lot of warmth and great atmosphere. But be careful with some softwoods like cedar, since they have a tendency to throw sparks. And with softwoods, they do burn a lot faster than dense hardwoods so be prepared to go through more wood and put wood on the fire more often.

Pinion pine is a very popular firewood for outdoor fireplaces, fire pits, and chimineas. Pinion pine is a softwood, but one of the more dense softwoods. It burns longer and puts out more heat, and it is resinous which helps to make more brilliant flames. It is also popular because of its aroma when burned and its mosquito repelling properties.

Many people consider pinion pine to be the best firewood for outdoor fires. But because of its popularity and limited growing area, it can also be expensive. Pinion pine grows in the arid southwestern USA and Mexico. It doesn’t grow very fast and the trees don’t get very large. It also usually has to be shipped a long distance for most markets. So to me, I would rather burn more local woods that cost much less. But many people enjoy it enough to pay the higher price for it.

If you are burning wood in a thin metal or clay fireplace or other outdoor burning device, be cautious of the super hot burning woods like mesquite, manzanita, and Osage orange. these types of wood can get so hot they can damage these devices. If you do burn them you may want to keep the fires small or mix in other types of wood. Thick cast iron and copper are not so much a worry.

You should avoid burning treated wood or wood soaked in creosote or paint. These can put off toxic fumes. Beware of burning used lumber and building material scraps, since some of it might be treated. As long as it is clean untreated wood, it is fine to burn. You can usually tell if wood is treated because it will burn with a greenish flame.

Just about any type of clean dry wood will burn fine. So if you have it, try it out. The best way to know what type of wood you like best is to try different types and decide for yourself.

Post your experiences and preferences of types of wood for outdoor burning below.

Choosing the Best Types and Designs for Outdoor Fireplaces

Outdoor Wood Burning Fireplace

Outdoor fireplace designer/contractor, Scott Cohen will show you different types of outdoor wood burning fireplace designs as well as some gas burning designs. Scott will explain the advantages and disadvantages to the different types to help you decide which design might be best for you.

No matter what style of outdoor wood burning fireplace you choose, from the elegant custom concrete designs to the the simple outdoor fire pits for sale at your hardware store, there is nothing like the atmosphere that can be created by an outdoor wood burning fire. With an outdoor fire you and your family can have the campfire experience and transform your backyard into a living space to relax, entertain guests or cook meals.

The first thing to consider with an outdoor fire or any fire is safety. Assuming outdoor fires are allowed in your location check with your local fire department and local officials for fire safety procedures. Outdoor fires should be kept away from wood or other flammable decks, walls and overhangs. Use common sense and keep fire a safe distance from anything you don’t want to burn.

Tips for Selecting an Outdoor Fireplace

There are different styles to choose from, fireplaces, fire pits, chimineas and different materials they are made of to choose from. A simple outdoor wood burning fire pit can be anything from a ring of rocks on the ground to a metal bowl that is elevated off the ground and sometimes even placed in the middle of a table top.

A fireplace like a chiminea has the advantage of having a smoke stack that draws air into the fire and helps it burn more efficient and clean. It also vents the smoke above head level. Fire pits without smoke stacks tend to smolder more than a well designed chiminea. Without the venting the smoke can linger and become annoying or blow into people sitting around the fire. Anyone who has spent any time around a campfire knows what that’s like.

The size of the outdoor wood burning fireplace may be more important than you think. It may be tempting to choose one that is small in size because it may costs less. But a smaller fire pit may end up costing you more money or more work in the long run. In order for wood to fit in a small fireplace it will usually have to be cut into smaller pieces. This will usually mean either more work for you or more expensive wood if you are buying it. You may actually save money buying a larger fireplace. Even if you only want small fires you can still use a larger fireplace, just put less wood in.

Outdoor wood burning fireplaces that are made of thin metal are light, inexpensive, and easy to move, but they may not last long. Enamel finishes don’t last and the exposed metal can rust, burn through, and some may even melt if they are thin enough and the fire gets hot enough. Thin metal fireplaces do work but consider them to be disposable.

Cast iron will rust on the surface, but if it is thick, it will still last a long time. A little maintenance, like occasionally coating it with high temperature stove paint, can slow or stop the rust and make it last longer. Some models come with a cast iron body but the neck or chimney will be sheet metal. Eventually you may end up with a fire pit with no neck because it rusted away.

Cast iron is heavy and durable so it will take a lot of abuse over a long time. The weight makes it difficult to move but this can be a good thing if you want it to stay put. It is not going to blow away or be as likely to disappear when someone else decides they want it more than you while you are not looking.

If you do go with cast iron, the heavier it is the better because thicker metal will last longer. Rust from iron will stain whatever surface you put it on so keep that in mind if you were thinking of putting it on a deck.

Cast aluminum can be a great choice if you want the advantages of cast iron but you don’t want the weight and want it to last long. Cast aluminum alloy is lighter and easier to move, doesn’t warp and has a melting point only a few hundred degrees lower than cast iron.

Cast aluminum outdoor fireplaces and chimineas are a good low maintenance choice. They are usually cast from the same molds as the cast iron models so they usually look similar. Since they don’t rust they won’t stain the surfaces they are on. They are light enough to be portable so you can take them camping or to any other outdoor event.

Clay chimineas are a popular type of outdoor wood burning fireplace since they are inexpensive and attractive. But they can and do fail. Repeated or sudden heating and cooling and moisture can cause them to crack and fall apart. This can be dangerous if it happens while a fire is inside. For this reason avoid using a clay chiminea on a wood deck or around anything flammable.

Copper Fire Pits

A copper fireplace can last the longest of any of the metals. Copper is durable, has a higher melting temperature and doesn’t corrode like iron or steel. Copper has a beauty and classic look that has a lot of appeal. But don’t expect it to keep the shiny copper color that it comes with. After use and being out in the weather, copper will develop an oxidized coating or patina on the surface. Some people like the patina look but with some work the copper can be restored to its original look. The main disadvantage of copper is the higher price.

Fuel for Outdoor Fireplaces

Some outdoor fireplaces are designed to burn propane, natural gas kerosene or fuel gel. This may be all you have available or are allowed to use. But for the real experience burning real wood burning fireplaces are the only way to go. People are naturally drawn to a wood fire, its like a primal part of humans. Wood is also natural, renewable and provides a better flavor for cooking.

Advertise Firewood

Advertise Your Firewood Business with a Website or Web Page

The internet is in my opinion becoming the best place to advertise firewood. Most of my firewood sales come from this website.

I can create a page for your firewood or other forest products business and host it on this website free or create a firewood website for you, which would not be quite as free. Both options would be listed and optimized with the search engines so potential customers in your area will find you when they search for firewood.

More consumers are turning to the internet to find what they want to buy and that includes firewood buyers. Traditional firewood advertising mediums like newspapers and phone books are quickly losing readers. Without an internet presence optimized for your local area you are missing out on a lot of customers.

A great advantage of a firewood website is you can tell your story about you and your business and post pictures to show them what you have to offer. When they know more about you and your products they will be more likely to trust you and want to do business with you. This can give you an edge over the competition and make you look more like a professional business instead of just someone with a chainsaw and a pickup. (even though that’s what a lot of us are)

Websites can be expensive to have built but you can also build them yourself inexpensively or even free if you have plenty of free time and the desire to learn. Building the site is the easy part, the more difficult part is getting your website in a position where people will find it when they do a search. That can take an entire education in internet marketing. Just because you build it doesn’t mean they will come. The internet is a competitive place and there are millions if not billions of websites on the net and competing your way to the top of search engines is not always easy.

An alternative is to take advantage of an already established website like this one. I have been an internet marketer for over 10 years but come from a firewood and wood products background. My family has a 3 generation firewood business. Working in the woods can be addictive so I still sell some firewood and it only made sense for me to make a firewood website. I get more orders off of this site than I want to produce so I refer some customers to other local wood cutters I know. My point here is I know how to sell firewood online.

Free Firewood Advertising

For select firewood businesses I can host a page for your business free. It will be optimized in the search engines so local customers can find you when they search for firewood.

If you are interested in promoting your business and getting free firewood advertising here send an email with a little about your business to sales@firewoodresource.com.

This service is available to responsible forest product businesses and non competing firewood dealers outside of S. Oregon and N. California.

Here are some things we may want to put on the page:

A summary of what you do and offer with good compelling reasons why your customers should buy from you (sustainable, reliable, quality etc). I can write it if you list a few things but I think it would be best in your words.

Any other text you want to put on there within reason.

List of products with prices and descriptions if you want to include that.

Any pictures or video code you want of your products or operation.

Contact information or how your customers should place an order.

For best search results I suggest you send a list of the local areas you are targeting and willing to deliver to. Cities, counties etc.

How to Sell Firewood

How to Sell Firewood Online and Offline

Sometimes producing the firewood can be the easy part, the next challenge is to let people know you have firewood for sale so they can buy it. There are many offline places to sell firewood that still work but unless you learn how to sell firewood online you will be missing out on a lot of business. I can help you with that here by giving you some information on where to start or I can even set up a free internet marketing campaign for your firewood business.

Selling firewood can be a way to make extra money or even a living. Firewood is a consumable product that people use and buy year after year. In many areas reliable firewood dealers are hard to find. If you treat your customers right and bring them a quality product you can have customers that will happily buy from you every year for many years.

Common Places to Advertise Firewood

Newspapers: Local newspaper classified ads can get good results and are fairly inexpensive. Some papers have categories just for firewood. If you have the budget display ads can work too but they are more expensive.

Yellow Pages: When people want to find a business traditionally the yellow pages have been where people go to look. With the internet yellow pages are being used less but still can be worth being listed in.

Word of Mouth: Word of mouth works with just about any business and firewood is no different. Tell people you know and people you meet that you are selling firewood and the word can spread.

Bulletin Boards: Posting fliers or business cards on local bulletin boards in businesses and other public may work although I have not tried it.

Street Signs: A firewood for sale sign in front of your home or business on a busy road can bring in a lot of customers. My Grandfather used this method to build a large customer base. Some of these customers have been buying every year for almost 2 decades. He is fortunate to live on a busy rural road so it worked well in this case.

The Internet: This is my favorite way to advertise. The majority of my firewood sales come from the internet. Following that in second place are newspaper ads but newspapers are losing readers to the internet and that trend will no doubt continue.

When people want something the internet is increasingly becoming the place where people go to search. There are many places you can advertise on the internet and many of them are free. Classified ads, forums, craigslist, directories, the list is endless.

A position you want to be in is to have your business come up at the top of search results when people do an internet search for firewood in your area. One of the best ways to do this is to have a website.

Learn how I can help you advertise firewood.

Don’t Move Firewood

People carelessly moving firewood around is to blame for the spread of many tree-killing insects and diseases that are an increasing threat to our forests. These invasive pests are being spread around the world by moving vegetation, wood products, and especially firewood, from one location to another. Serious imported diseases like Sudden Oak Death in California, and Emerald Ash Borer in the Eastern US and Canada are wiping out entire tree species in some forests.

Most of the forest products industry falls under strict guidelines that prevents this spread by treating wood products before they are moved from their native location. But firewood cutters and users have fallen short and often carelessly spread these pests to new locations by moving untreated wood around.

One of the areas where this has been a big problem is with campfire wood. When you bring firewood into the forest from another location, you can be spreading all kinds of potential pests into the forests. You can do your part to prevent this problem by only buying firewood that is heat treated or that has been harvested from your local area. And if you are going camping, consider buying wood from the campground or make sure the wood came from a location nearby.

Get more info about preventing the spread of forest diseases through firewood at: http://www.dontmovefirewood.org/

Burning Firewood and the Environment

Before we get into the effects of burning firewood on the environment, we first need to get some biochemistry out of the way. For those of you who are not interested in this kind of science, don’t worry it’s only two short paragraphs and very basic and simple.

Ok here we go…..

In the natural cycle, trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow. The tree breaks down CO2 into it’s basic elements carbon and oxygen. The tree releases some of the oxygen back into the atmosphere and combines the carbon with other elements to form the mass of the tree.

After the tree dies, which all trees eventually do, it will usually fall to the forest floor and decay or be burned in a wildfire. As a tree decays or burns, oxygen from the air combines with the carbon and other elements in the tree. The oxygen and carbon are converted back to carbon dioxide which is released back into the atmosphere where it came from.

See that wasn’t so bad was it?

What you just read is called the carbon cycle which has been going on since the beginning of life on earth, and will continue. This process is considered carbon neutral which means over time the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere is the same as the carbon being absorbed. What this means is this process does not increase the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Most people heat their home with fossil fuels which does increase the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. Some believe this is contributing to climate change.

Whether or not you believe this is contributing to climate change, there is a growing trend of people wanting to get away from using non-renewable fossil fuels. From political situations, the environment, rising costs, dependence on other countries and big corporations and governments, to just wanting to do the right thing, there are a lot of good reasons to choose a renewable form of energy.

For many homes firewood can be a practical form of renewable energy for heating. Firewood is a form of renewable biofuel. When you burn wood in your home it releases the same carbon that it would have if left in the forest. Only now the energy stored in the wood is being used to heat your home instead of being released in the forest and gong to waste.

If the firewood was responsibly harvested the tree that was cut will be replaced with new or existing trees that will absorb CO2 from the atmosphere to counteract what you released by burning wood.

If the forest being harvested from is well managed the remaining trees may even absorb more CO2 over time than what was released by burning the tree. this is done by selecting trees and performing silvicultural practices that will result in a forest full of larger faster growing trees than what was originally there.

Read more about how I manage my own forest land and harvest wood products in this way.

What About Pollution from Wood Smoke?

Wildfires have been burning across the earth for much longer than humans have been around. Because of this, wood smoke is a natural part of the earth’s cycle and nature has adapted to it. Since humans started suppressing natural wildfires the earth may have less wood smoke in the atmosphere now than it did centuries ago.

Burning wood does release some pollutants into the atmosphere, but they are similar to the type of pollutants that would be released by nature if the wood was left in the forest to burn in a wildfire.

With modern wood stoves and responsible wood burning practices, emissions can be greatly reduced. With dry wood and a well designed modern stove wood can be burned with almost no visible smoke or particles.

If you burn responsibly firewood can be one of the better choices for home heating and the environment.

Ways to Burn Wood Responsibly

Choose firewood that comes from a responsibly harvested source
Burn only dry well seasoned wood
Use well designed low emission stoves
Build smaller but intense fires using smaller pieces of firewood

Wood Burning Soapstone Stoves

Wood burning soapstone stoves are not only beautiful, they also last longer and radiate heat longer than stoves made from traditional materials like iron or steel. Soapstone has been known for centuries for its ability to retain and radiate heat, this makes soapstone a perfect material for wood stoves and fireplaces.

Soapstone has a high thermal capacity so it absorbs heat from the fire and can continue radiating heat for hours after the fire has gone out. Some soapstone stoves can still radiate heat up to 12 hours after the fire has gone out. With a wood burning soapstone stove you will be able to let the fire go out at night or while you are away and the stone will still be radiating heat.

Soapstone radiates an even comfortable heat that you can sit next to. Soapstone eliminates the constant fluctuations in intensity of heat that you get from a traditional stove where one minute it is too hot and the next it is too cold.

Soapstone is a natural metamorphic rock created deep in the earth through intense heat and pressure. Soapstone is unusually stable and can withstand the intense heat from fire and sudden temperature changes. Soapstone stoves will last for many years without eroding and corroding from the heat the way a metal and ceramic fire brick in a traditional stove will.

Wood burning soapstone stoves are made of thick slabs of this natural stone that directly form the firebox. The stone lasts much longer than metal or fire bricks and directly absorbs the heat from the flames to slowly radiate it into your home through its beautiful polished surface.

Wood burning soapstone stoves not only radiate heat into the room, they also radiate heat back into the fire box. The inside of the fire box of a soapstone stove reaches much higher temperatures than a metal stove. This high heat creates a more efficient and complete burn. This converts more of the wood into heat and also makes for a cleaner burning fire. Smoke is unburned fuel particles and when they go out your chimney it is wasted energy. With the intense heat inside a soapstone stove, the smoke and organic gases are burned before they can escape. This way the smoke is converted into heat to heat your home instead of being released out the chimney to pollute the air.

Soapstone is a beautifully grained rock with naturally formed patterns. Unlike metal stoves which deteriorate over time, soapstone will maintain its natural stone look.

Learn more about soapstone and buy raw soapstone from Southern Oregon Soapstone.

Ecofan Heat Powered Wood Stove Fan

Here is a great device that is is both useful as well as a great conversation piece. The Ecofan heat powered wood stove fan uses the heat from your wood stove to power its fan. The heat powered fan can move up to 100 cubic feet per minute of warm air from your stove throughout the room to help evenly distribute heat. By circulating the warm air away from your stove and into your living space, your stove will be more efficient because you won’t have to keep it as hot in order to make your room feel comfortable. This will save you money by burning less firewood or gas.

Ecofan heat powered wood stove fan comes already assembled. Simply place it on the top of your stove and when the stove reaches at least 150ºF (65°C) it will automatically generate its own electricity and start circulating air. This temperature is easy to reach since wood stoves typically operate well above that temperature. The hotter it gets the faster the fan will operate. Ecofan is 100% self contained, has no power cord and uses no batteries.

Ecofan heat powered gas stove fans are also available.

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How Ecofan Works

Ecofan works by using a thermocouple to generate electricity. In order to work, its base which must be in contact with the top of your stove at a minimum of 150ºF (65°C) and the top of the fan must be cooler than the base. This is easy to accomplish by placing the fan close to the back or side of the stove where cooler air from the room can circulate over the top of the fan.

As heat from the base travels through the Ecofan to the cooling fins on top, it passes through a semiconductor thermocouple device that generates an electric current. When two dissimilar conductors or semiconductors are joined together they can create an electric current as heat passes from one to another.

This electric current is then used to power the motor that turns the fan. As the heat powered fan blows hot air away, cooler air moves in to replace it and passes over the cooling fins on top of the fan. This continues to maintain the temperature difference between the base and the top.

What are the Advantages of Ecofan?

Saves energy and money by making your stove more efficient
Makes your room feel more comfortable by circulating warm air away from the stove and into your living space
Ultra quiet operation
1 year manufacturers warranty
Zero operating cost, generates its own electricity
Comes pre-assembled and ready to use
Comes with carbon neutral shipping
Makes an excellent conversation piece

The FTC will get very angry if we don’t inform you that if you purchase any product from any of the Ecofan links above, we will receive a commission.

Where to Buy Firewood

Depending on what part of the world you live in sometimes it can be difficult to find where to buy firewood. Any place where people commonly burn firewood there will likely be able to find firewood dealers, you just have to know where to look.

Unlike with many other products and services that we buy that are well advertised, firewood often comes from small, often one person businesses who don’t have much of a budget for advertising. Firewood dealers do advertise but typically not on TV commercials, radio and in many areas you won’t find them in the Yellow Pages of the phone book.

If you only want a few pieces sometimes grocery or convenience stores will sell bundles of firewood but it can be expensive. Below you will learn where to buy firewood in larger amounts.

Where Firewood Dealers Advertise

A very common place for firewood dealers to advertise is in local newspaper classified ads. Also the weekly papers that you can pick up free that are all ads. There are some dealers who have websites or are listed on the internet so you can find them with an internet search but most do not. If you want to find firewood on the internet look on Craigslist. A lot of dealers are advertising on Craigslist.

If you drive through some rural areas it common to see firewood for sale signs in front of people’s homes or in industrial parts of the city where a commercial firewood yard may be. You may not want to drive around specifically looking for signs but when you are driving keep a look out for them.

How to Find Firewood Dealers Who Don’t Advertise

Word of mouth in a good way to find where to buy firewood. Ask people you know who burn firewood where they get their wood and what kind of experience they had with the dealer and whether they would recommend them. Sometimes this way you can find dealers who don’t advertise at all, they may just sell a little on the side to make some extra money. These people may be more willing to bargain.

Ask a local tree service or forestry related business. In most areas of the world where there are trees you can almost always find tree services advertising, often in the yellow pages. If you call them a lot of times they will be able to tell you where to buy firewood. And a lot of times tree services will sell firewood on the side. Other businesses who may be good referrals are loggers, sawmill operators, lumber yards. Anyone who deals with forest products may be able to tell you where to buy firewood or will know someone who can.

How to Ensure The Firewood You Buy is Truly Seasoned

I am hearing many stories from people who are buying firewood that they are being told is seasoned but it’s not actually dry. Some are buying dry wood from me after they already thought they had a supply for the winter because the wood they got from another source really isn’t dry the way they were told it would be.

There are many firewood suppliers that bring logs into the area and let the logs season for a while and then cut them up into firewood. The problem is whole logs don’t dry out very well especially in a cool foggy climate. Whole logs can hold a lot of moisture inside for a very long time. It’s not until they are cut up into firewood size pieces that the moisture in them will easily evaporate. In order for the wood to truly be dry it needs to be first cut and split and then let it season.

Before you decide to buy seasoned firewood from someone make sure it has been seasoned after it was cut into firewood and not seasoned as whole logs. If not your firewood may produce more steam than heat.