Birch firewood: chopped and dry: how to choose the right one

Birch firewood
Currently, home baths, saunas and fireplaces are very popular. Birch firewood creates a disinfectant effect when burned, therefore it has a beneficial effect on the body and helps in the treatment of colds. Birch logs should be stored for no more than two years.

After this time they lose their aroma. Birch firewood is hard, so it is excellent as fuel, and it has good thermal conductivity, which is important when kindling, because this requires a minimum amount of it. The disadvantages of this breed include a large amount of soot during combustion, which gradually leads to clogging of the chimney. To avoid this, you need to combine birch logs with aspen wood.

How to determine the volume of chopped wood in a car

Wood is measured in cubic meters, and split firewood is measured in “folded” cubic meters. To determine one cube of chopped firewood, you need to multiply the width, length and height of the total volume of firewood, and for a “folded” cubic meter you need to take into account the coefficient, which is equal to 0.7. This is necessary to account for the gaps of empty space that are inevitably present in split firewood because they do not fit tightly together.

Formulas for determining the volume of firewood in the car body

For clarity, let's look at an example. The width of the log of chopped firewood is 2 m, the length is 3 m, and the height is 1 m. Multiply the numbers and get 6 cubic meters. We multiply 6 by 0.7 and get 4.2 “folded” cubic meters of chopped wood.

How many cubes of wood are in the car? 1 cubic meter of firewood in a car is determined using another formula, which consists of multiplying the length, height and width of the car body. Afterwards, the resulting number must be multiplied by the conversion factor, which is 0.82. The resulting figure is equal to the number of cubes of chopped logs. Split birch, if it is wet, is profitable to buy in large quantities, because it is well stored and does not lose its original properties for a long time.

Firewood. How to calculate the total volume of brought firewood

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Unobvious advantages of birch

Birch firewood also has features that cannot be discovered immediately without using it constantly. In particular:

They leave behind large coals. They provide extra warmth. If you have a Russian stove, after the logs have burned completely, leaving reddish coals, you can close the damper. The heated air from the firebox will stop escaping, and the heat will remain longer.
Large coals are ideal for grilling and barbecuing. If you have a summer kitchen with a barbecue, be sure to order fagots with birch.
Birch bark is an excellent material for kindling. It burns much slower than paper, heats up well, and is easy to ignite. One or two palm-sized pieces are enough for kindling.
Birch almost never rots. The log dries quickly, even if you drop it in water. The firewood itself can be stored for 5-10 years without compromising its quality. Yes, they may lose their specific aroma, but they will remain good fuel.

Important! When closing the damper, be sure to check that the coals have stopped burning. Otherwise, you risk carbon monoxide poisoning.

Birch wood price

How much does a cube of firewood cost? The answer to the question is ambiguous. It all depends on the moisture content of the wood, the region of residence, the volume of the order and other factors that influence the setting of the price. Chopped firewood is more expensive than logs made from this tree. To save money, you can split the logs yourself. This requires a minimum of equipment.

A deck and an ax are the main tools. But it’s better to pierce on the ground, since there is less stress on the hands, since the shock absorption from the impact of the cleaver goes into the ground. Also, this type of splitting is convenient for people with short stature.

On average, in the Russian Federation, the price for 1 cubic meter of birch firewood is 1000 rubles. Split logs, unlike logs, are 100 rubles more expensive. In the Moscow region, for example, 1 cube of birch costs 1,500 rubles; in the Leningrad region, the price per cube of pine is only 400 rubles. So, a car of birch firewood costs approximately 6,000 rubles.

How much does a birch machine cost? The number of firewood in the machine is determined by its carrying capacity and is measured in tons. How many tons of wood are in the car? It all depends on the make of the car. One ton is equal to 1.56 cubic meters of wood. If the logs are chopped, then 1.56 needs to be multiplied by 0.82, as described above. The carrying capacity of the GAZelle is 1.5 tons, the ZIL is 6 tons, and the KamAZ is 20. To determine the price of a birch car, you need to multiply the main indicators.

Advantages and disadvantages

Let's start with the fact that many experts consider birch firewood to be the best for lighting stoves. This is explained by a number of factors, including:

Birch burns well, the fire catches on splinters of birch logs very quickly. For lighting stoves, birch bark is actively used, which contains even more resin, which means it can burn even when damp. If you need to heat the stove with raw wood, feel free to use birch logs.
Birch wood burns for a long time. This effect is explained by the high density of wood. The coals that appear after burning wood also smolder for a long time, giving off decent heat, so there is no need to constantly add firewood, which is very convenient. At the same time, the combustion temperature of birch firewood in the stove remains at the same level.
During combustion, a pleasant, intense heat is released. The heat transfer coefficient of birch firewood can be characterized as one of the highest, slightly inferior to oak, ash, and the main leaders. In ancient times, birch firewood was used in forges to create maximum temperatures. Nowadays, birch is an excellent option for lighting a stove, after which you can throw other firewood into it that does not have such outstanding characteristics.

Freshly sawn birch logs

For connoisseurs of live fire, birch is simply a godsend, since it not only burns smoothly, releasing a pleasant aroma, but also slowly crackles, creating an overall unique atmosphere.
The amount of smoke from the logs is minimal, which means the chimney does not suffer much, the most important thing is to maintain normal draft. Birch firewood for a fireplace with an open structure or for a black sauna is a good choice.
After combustion of ash, a small amount remains, which means regular cleaning of the stove is not required.
Birch firewood is considered environmentally friendly, because when burned during heating of residential premises or lighting a bathhouse, it emits a characteristic aroma that has a beneficial effect on humans. This aroma comes from burning the characteristic birch resins. It is believed that by inhaling the light aroma of burning birch firewood, a person strengthens the immune system and is cured of colds and chronic respiratory problems. You probably already guessed why birch firewood is actively used in baths and saunas, and why the best brooms are made from birch.

Industrial harvesting of birch

Since birch is not a rare tree in our area, it is harvested in many regions, which means it is available to most people. In Russia, birch is considered the most common deciduous tree. In addition, the cost of this type of wood is quite reasonable and inexpensive.

Note that it is most profitable to buy wood in logs or logs, and then saw and split them into suitable logs. Ready-to-use firewood is much more expensive, but if you don’t need a lot of wood, then this is also an acceptable option.

Birch firewood does not have any supernatural disadvantages, but there are some disadvantages:

First of all, it is worth noting that chopping firewood from birch is a rather difficult and tedious task. Birch is a medium-hard wood species; it has very durable wood with straight grain. It is not so easy to split even a wet workpiece, let alone a dry one. However, if you split wood using technology, this will not be a big problem for you.
The intense heat and high heat transfer of birch logs can also serve as a disservice if you put an excessive amount of firewood in the stove. Fire, of course, is an extreme case, but it is worth fearing.
The optimal shelf life of birch firewood is 2 years, after which it loses its unique aroma. In the future, they will lose some of their heat.
Birch wood takes a long time to dry, even under normal conditions, because it has a dense structure. If you purchased wet wood, it will take 5-6 months to dry it.
If you constantly heat a stove with poor draft using only birch firewood, soot (tar) will accumulate on the walls of the chimney. Therefore, during operation of the furnace, it is necessary to monitor the draft.

Chopping logs into logs

In order for the tree to give off the maximum amount of heat, it must be well dried, therefore it is recommended to store and prepare birch firewood according to all the rules.

Good to know: What kind of firewood is best for heating a stove, tips for choosing the type of wood

How to buy high-quality and inexpensive goods

To purchase a quality product, you must order it from a trusted supplier who has been doing his business for a long time and has regular customers. At the same time, the prices of such companies are an order of magnitude lower compared to “young” manufacturers.

High quality birch firewood

Many companies that sell birch logs hold various types of promotions. For example, if you order crushed fuel in large quantities, delivery will be free.

Birch firewood should look healthy. In this case, the wood fuel must be equal in size and free from knots and painful growths. Dry logs burn better, but have a shorter shelf life. This is important to consider if the order volume is large.

To purchase a high-quality and inexpensive product, you need to carefully study the timber market. [ads-pc-2][ads-mob-2]

Advantages of birch for fireboxes

Birch has several important advantages:

Low price. This is one of the cheapest types of fuel. The only cheaper options are aspen, which burns out quickly and does not provide as much heat, and trimmings.
High calorific value. According to this characteristic, birch is not inferior to oak and hornbeam.
Duration of combustion. Deciduous wood burns more slowly, and you won’t have to constantly add fuel. One or two logs are enough for 30-40 minutes, depending on the intensity of the fire.
Easy to cut and prepare. Birch logs dry well and are easy to process. No great effort is required for splitting.

Attention! When burning birch wood, it is important to ensure air supply. Otherwise, they will smoke heavily, and a lot of soot will remain in the firebox and chimney. Aspen will help clear them of soot.

Features of birch logs

Birch belongs to the medium-hard varieties; its wood is strong and has straight grain. It is difficult to chop firewood from it: you need to put in a lot of effort. However, they are considered the best among inexpensive varieties, as they provide excellent heat and a pleasant aroma.

Birch is even more famous for its healing properties. In a house where such wood is used for heating with a stove or fireplace, people rarely get sick. That is why birch brooms are used in steam rooms, and heating a bathhouse with birch firewood means ensuring good health.

Terms of Use

You can buy birch firewood wet to save money. In this case, they will need to be thoroughly dried for at least 4-6 months. Dried wood is more expensive, but it ensures proper combustion and a minimum of smoke and soot. During operation of the firebox, a small number of blanks are placed near the stove or fireplace. This is not only convenient, but also contributes to their final drying.

When ordering or preparing firewood yourself, it is important to consider the depth of the firebox so that the logs are completely placed in it.

Birch bark makes ignition easier, but it should be borne in mind that if the draft is poor, it releases birch resin (tar). This resin settles on the inner walls of the chimney ducts, which is why they have to be cleaned more often. In order to avoid this, it is enough to control the draft in the oven.