High-quality cured hardwoods (air-dried 6-12 months) heat efficiently. Seasoned logs have cracks from center to edge, like wheel spokes.
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Use your woodstove safely
Woodstove-related fires kill many people each year. You can prevent them with regular safety checks and common sense, preventive maintenance and safe woodburning techniques.
Choosing your wood
Burn dry, well-seasoned good hardwoods such as oak, ash, apple, maple, hickory, hardhack, beech, and most other hardwoods. (Avoid low-quality hardwoods such as willow, butternut, poplar, basswood.)
Avoid softwoods: pine, spruce, tamarack, hemlock, and other softwoods are often high in pitch and create creosote problems in stovepipes and chimneys. They burn fast and have low heating value, making them inefficient fuels.
Maintaining your chimney
No chimney is self-cleaning. You or a chimney sweep must clean it regularly. Check for cracks and creosote build-up before each heating season, then mark your calendar for the next scheduled maintenance date.
A chimney's life is just one chimney fire! After a chimney fire, you must have it inspected by a competent mason or professional sweep.
Storing your ashes
Ashes contain pieces of coal that can stay hot and cause fire for up to a week! Incorrect storage causes many easily prevented fires each year.
Store ashes only in a certified metal ash bucket with an airtight lid. Keep the bucket on a non-combustible surface such as a concrete floor, or outside, away from any building, until completely cold. Never use cardboard boxes, paper bags, or open containers to store ashes!
Installing fire extinguishers
No woodstove is complete without a fire extinguisher. For homes, we recommend ABC-rated dry chemical extinguishers with at least 5 lbs capacity: one for each floor, plus one close to your stove. Businesses may need more/larger units, or specific chemicals, depending on activities. Make sure all family members or employees know how to use them.
