To fire a sauna stove and fireplace, you need to choose wood that has good heat transfer and emits a pleasant smell. It is better to give preference to firewood from deciduous trees, since pine and spruce firewood emit acrid smoke when burned, and the resin contained in coniferous wood contributes to the formation of soot in the chimney.
For a sauna stove, you need to choose wood with long burning and high heat transfer. They should not smoke and leave a minimal amount of ash after combustion. The highest quality firewood is obtained from trees cut down in winter, when sap flow in the trunks stops. Firewood must be dry.
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Choosing firewood according to the characteristics of the breed
Firewood belongs to the category of goods that are not transported from afar, but are content with those that are harvested in nearby areas. Otherwise, transportation costs more than the fuel itself. But if you have a choice, you should think about which firewood is better, analyze the prices and buy high-quality fuel.
Chopped firewood is more expensive Source bizorg.su
Whenever possible, preference is given to hard hardwoods with a dense wood structure that burn hot and long. Coniferous firewood is also used, but, given its resinous nature and the formation of soot, they try to do this not all the time.
We invite you to learn more about the different types of firewood and their efficiency for heating.
Oak
In all respects, oak firewood is considered the best for stove heating, but also the most expensive. Hard and dense oak wood:
- burns for a very long time;
- gives off more heat than all other breeds;
- due to slow and long burning it is economically consumed;
- emits a pleasant forest aroma and releases beneficial fumes.
These qualities are most characteristic of firewood from middle-aged trees. Below you can see which firewood is the hottest: the calorific value table for the main types puts oak in first place.
Heat transfer depends on the moisture content of the wood Source baza-drov.com.ua
Beech, ash, maple
Wood with properties similar to oak are ash, maple, yew, beech, hornbeam and other hardwoods. They are also difficult to ignite, but burn for a long time and release a large amount of heat.
But firewood from maple, beech and hornbeam is almost never found on sale, since these species are valuable and are not cheap; using them for heating a house is too wasteful. Firewood made from yew, acacia and ash is more affordable in price and availability, but it is better to use it sparingly - in severe frosts or for gatherings by the fireplace.
Typically, only waste of valuable species from woodworking or furniture production is used for firewood Source ytimg.com
Spruce
Many woodworkers wrinkle their noses at the mention of spruce because its heat output is usually low and it burns to ashes without leaving any embers.
But this variety of trees still occupies its niche among wood suitable for use as firewood. Spruce burns easily and produces heat quickly, so it is excellent if you need to quickly warm up a cold house. In addition, thanks to its structure, it is easier to chop spruce into small chips, and no supply of firewood would be complete without spruce chips for ignition. So-called firewood for baking in special ovens is often made from finely chopped spruce (or aspen) precisely because such firewood burns quickly and evenly. By adding small amounts of spruce wood frequently, every three to five minutes, you can maintain complete control over the heat. Previously, spruce firewood was called kitchen firewood, but birch firewood was called firewood for the living room.
According to the old Norwegian tradition, the fireplace was heated with spruce wood at Christmas. The Christmas bundle - a small woodpile that was specially prepared for Christmas and kept inside the house - was traditionally made from spruce logs. Many made it from damp wood for the sake of the smell and did not burn it with this wood until Easter.
Spruce has a fairly dense internal structure. This makes the wood crackle and bounce as the resin pockets explode in the fire. Therefore, it is better to use them in a stove or fireplace with a glass door. Many people like this crackling sound - it gives a feeling of life in the fireplace.
Due to the great demand for birch firewood, loggers often sell spruce firewood quite cheaply. The difference in price turns out to be much higher than the difference in heat output. On average, the density of spruce is 380 kilograms per cubic meter, possible variations are from 300 to 600 kilograms. Late spruce is heavy and full of energy.
Video description
How to clean a chimney by burning aspen or sedge firewood, watch the video:
Linden
Like birch, linden firewood is stored no longer than two to three years, after which it loses quality. However, they are highly valued as fuel for sauna stoves, as they are capable of burning very intensely and heating it in a short time.
When burned, linden produces aromatic smoke and releases phytoncides with medicinal properties that promote wound healing and alleviate the symptoms of pulmonary diseases.
Linden is an excellent fuel for a bath Source element-house.ru
Linden firewood is not suitable for constant heating of a house in winter due to its ability to burn out too quickly.
Primary requirements
The best firewood for heating stoves is dry. Humidity should be within 20%. This is the main requirement. The calorific value of wood depends very much on its moisture content.
Dry wood flares up and burns well, emits more heat, and smokes less. The logs should not be rotten or saturated with water. Water logs are not suitable for heating stoves.
Good firewood leaves little ash. It is advisable to harvest wood in late autumn or winter, when sap flow stops and the wood is denser.
The size of firewood for the stove depends on the size of the firebox, usually 35-40 centimeters long. The thickness is medium, thick logs split. Small logs are easy to light. They also burn quickly, which must be taken into account when preparing them.
How to prepare and store firewood
You can buy oak, birch or poplar for firewood in the form of whole logs or already split into logs. There is another option - to purchase waste in the form of branches, twigs, bark, but it may only be of interest to summer residents who come to relax by the fire.
It is more profitable to purchase unchopped firewood, but if there is no one to chop it, preference should be given to the seller who carefully and tightly placed the logs in the back of the car or woodpile. The fact is that the unit of measurement for firewood when selling is a cubic meter. If they are folded carelessly, there will be a lot of empty spaces between them, and you will literally pay some of the money for air.
It is impossible to determine the true volume of piled firewood. Source drovenik.ru
Split firewood is stored for storage, since logs take longer to dry, and birch logs can generally rot. The woodpile is placed under a canopy or in a special woodshed with ventilated walls. It is also possible in the open air, but by making a flooring above the ground and covering or laying the top row so that precipitation does not seep inside.
Why wood is the best fuel for a sauna
Firing a sauna stove with wood is a labor-intensive process. But despite this, many continue to use this fuel. After all, firewood gives a special feeling of warmth and Russian flavor, wood burning, crackling.
The advantages are undeniable, since firewood:
- optimal type of fuel combining ecology and safety;
- are characterized by low cost;
- have a long burning period;
- give off a lot of heat.
Video description
See the video for what improper storage leads to:
For fireplaces and pyrolysis stoves, it is advisable to further dry the fuel by keeping it in a warm and dry place for several days. The “cleaning” firewood – aspen and alder, used for cleaning chimneys – should also be well dried.
It is advisable to harvest oak in advance and put it into use after a year or two - this is the time it takes for the wood to dry. Birch, on the contrary, is used in the year of purchase. Linden is stored for no longer than 2-3 years if you want to enjoy its amazing aroma in the bathhouse.
Which ones are best for the oven?
Any wood can be used as fuel. The main thing is that they exist. Each region has its own preferences, depending on what trees grow in the area. Many people believe that birch or alder are the best. The choice is yours.
To the bathhouse
The choice of logs for heating a sauna depends on the design of the stove. Many people prefer:
- Alder. They produce a persistent heat and burn almost smokelessly. There is a popular belief about their healing power;
- Birch. Burns evenly, the heat is strong;
- Willows. The heat transfer is low, you will need a lot of them, but the spirit in the bathhouse will be especially light.
It is not recommended to use oak ones - they take a long time to burn out, the heat is intense, and they emit a large amount of carbon monoxide. Periodically, aspen is used to clean the chimney. If the furnace firebox is remote, the main selection criterion is heat transfer.
For home heating
Hardwood firewood has the best qualities and is used more often. Birch, oak, linden - any, depending on their availability and needs. The main thing is to be dry. In fireplaces it is better to use those types that smoke less and do not “shoot”.
Heating with wood can be caused either by necessity - due to the lack of another type of fuel, or by personal desire. Logs burning in the oven create an unsurpassed atmosphere of warmth and comfort, emit a lot of heat, and for the most part provide a healing effect.
Aspen traditional medicine recipes
Alternative medicine contains dozens of aspen-based recipes, and all of them can be useful in practice if used correctly. But it is not always necessary to know all the several dozen options for preparing medicinal products. Sometimes just basic, classic recipes are enough.
Infusion
The simplest remedy to prepare is an infusion. It can be created from leaves and buds. It is better to boil the bark and branches, but in some cases they can also be infused. To create an infusion, you need to use a clean enamel pan with a lid, a thermos, or even a thick ceramic cup that reliably retains heat. Here are the recipe options:
- 30 grams of earrings per 600 ml of water, pour and keep in a thermos for 4 hours;
- 20 grams of leaves and 500 ml of water, keep covered for 2 hours;
- Take 20 g of leaves and catkins, pour boiling water to the top in a liter jar, keep covered for 3 hours.
Drink an infusion of 50-100 ml for colds, acute respiratory infections, gout, diabetes and urinary tract infections. This medicinal composition can also be used externally to treat skin affected by fungus or allergic rash.
Decoction
A decoction can be prepared from catkins or bark; it is better not to use the leaves for such purposes, because they lose some of their active components during the cooking process. You can prepare the decoction according to the following recipes:
- 50 grams of bark to 1.2 water - simmer in a saucepan for 40 minutes so that a third of the liquid evaporates and leave;
- Boil 20 grams of earrings and the same amount of bark in a water bath for 1 hour in a liter of water, leave.
The decoction allows you to extract the full potential of the medicinal raw material, the full concentration of active components. In addition, the decoction can be stored longer; during the boiling process, all pathogenic bacteria are destroyed in it; you can stock up on the finished medicine for 5-6 days and store it in the refrigerator.
Aspen tea
Tea should be brewed immediately before use. The following types of raw materials are used for it:
- bark;
- leaves;
- young branches;
- catkins and plant buds.
You need to take ½ teaspoon of raw material, pour boiling water and cover with a lid for 5 minutes, and then drink with honey or just like that. Tea tones, strengthens the immune system, normalizes water-salt balance and helps the body cope with infectious diseases.
Ointment
Ointment is prepared from aspen in different ways. It is used for external purposes - for fungal and bacterial skin infections, hair loss, and joint pain.
For preparation you need aspen bark and ash obtained during the burning of the bark. For 10 grams of powdered ash, take 400 grams of ground bark, as well as 250 grams of pork fat.
The ingredients must be simmered in the oven for 40 minutes at temperatures up to 70 degrees. After this, the ointment is filtered, and the cake can be thrown away. When the ointment hardens, you need to put it in the refrigerator and use it as needed, scooping out a small amount with a clean, dry spoon.
Balm
To prepare the balm you will need aspen leaves and catkins. It is necessary to make a strong alcohol tincture. Mix leaves and catkins in a 1:1 ratio, take 2 tablespoons of raw materials and soak in 100 ml of alcohol for 20 days. The finished tincture must be filtered and mixed with 200 ml of any vegetable oil. You can take the following options:
- hemp – will additionally add antioxidant, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects to the product;
- flaxseed – will complement the balm with a softening and antitumor effect, and accelerate tissue regeneration.
Oil hood
An oil extract can be prepared from aspen raw materials, which helps to effectively cope with tuberculosis and is used externally for pain in the lumbar region and joints. The oil extract can also be used for hair loss and for the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases.
Alder - a royal gift
If you want to feel like a member of the royal family, you should get hold of some alder logs, because it’s not for nothing that they are popularly called royal logs. They flare up quickly, emit a huge amount of heat, and produce virtually no smoke, which also eliminates the appearance of soot and soot. In addition, logs burn for a very long time. That is, the question of what kind of wood is best to heat the stove in the house has already been resolved!
But the main highlight is the unique aroma, which has a healing effect. It has long been accepted that if you heat a bathhouse using alder wood, you can forget about colds once and for all. Moreover, even in ancient times, it was alder logs that were put into the royal furnaces, as well as the fireboxes of other estates of rich peasants or nobles.
A fresh cut of alder has a red-orange hue, giving the woodpile an unusual and bright appearance. However, there is one interesting feature that everyone should know about. All the benefits described apply to trees that grew in dry areas. If the plants bloomed in the swamp, then there will be soot and unbearable heat.
Alder is especially popular among those who like to smoke meat or fish. Under normal conditions, wood dries quickly, and it retains its healing natural properties for 3 years.
This is important to know!
Regardless of the type of trees that will be used for firewood, you need to know about some features:
- Deadlines. Of course, those logs that have already served their “allotted” time will also burn (provided that they are dry and there is no mold on them). However, most trees retain their aroma only for two years. Alder and aspen are a pleasant exception in this regard - 3 years.
- Everything has its time. In winter, the humidity of trees is at a minimum level. In this regard, the preparation of firewood must be done during this period. Drying usually takes about 12 months. However, the timing depends on the type of forest, harvesting time, storage conditions and a number of other factors. In this case, the duration may increase significantly or, conversely, decrease.
- Dimensions. Which firewood is more profitable? Of course, those with optimal sizes. And these are 40-50 cm in length and 8-10 cm in thickness. This is how they are convenient to store and are suitable for any firebox.
- Rot. Under no circumstances should you use rotten firewood. Keeping logs on the ground for a long time results in the accumulation of toxic substances released during combustion, which is not beneficial to humans. For this reason, when cutting down branches, you should immediately take the correct measures to store them. When choosing raw materials for heating among dead wood, you should not take into account long-fallen branches.
- Storage issues. Logs should be laid with the bark facing up. This will protect the firewood from accidentally entering moisture, which evaporates faster from the surface of the bark. And if you show your imagination, you can build an original woodpile to the delight and surprise of your guests.
As can be seen from this material, it is not enough to know which firewood is best for the stove. It is equally important to ensure that they are stored correctly.
Regarding the arrangement of a woodpile, you can always come up with a lot of different ideas: from the most creative and crazy to the simplest to implement.
Methods of using aspen
There are many folk recipes for all occasions. For each individual diagnosis, the methods of using aspen in folk medicine differ. Below are the most common treatment regimens for each disease.
Diabetes
To restore normal well-being in diabetes mellitus and control blood glucose levels, it is necessary to use young aspen branches (fresh or dry), as well as an infusion on the buds. Tea made from the leaves of this tree is also useful. Read more about each treatment method below.
- Tea from the leaves is brewed immediately before use and drunk 2-3 times a day before meals.
- Young branches (20 grams) are used to prepare a decoction - boiled in 700 ml of water for half an hour, and then infused for 2-3 hours. You need to drink 50 ml of the strained mixture before each meal.
- Kidneys (30 grams) are poured into 600 ml of boiling water in a thermos and infused for 5-6 hours. You need to drink the infusion 2 times a day, 100 ml.
For diabetes mellitus, aspen medicines can sharply reduce blood sugar levels, so there is no need to experiment - you should consult your doctor before use.
Gout
Aspen helps with gout for one simple reason - it contains salts and organic acids that restore the natural course of metabolism in the body. The plant forces the body to process excess uric acid and stimulates the kidneys to quickly remove toxic breakdown products. For gout, use the following recipe:
- 40 grams of bark;
- 800 ml water;
- boil for 30 minutes.
You need to drink 50 ml of the decoction every 2 hours for 10 days, and then switch to three times a day and continue the course of treatment for a whole month. Gout requires long-term treatment. Along with the decoction, you need to adjust your diet so that the body can cope better with uric acid, and you should also drink plenty of fluids to flush out all poisons and toxins.
Fungus
Fungal infections of the nails and feet can also be treated with aspen. For nail fungus, use an alcohol tincture made from earrings. You need to pour 1.5 tablespoons of raw material with 100 ml of alcohol and leave for 21 days.
The finished tincture should be instilled under the affected nails, and also used for wiping every day, 2 times - in the morning and in the evening.
If a fungal infection has affected the skin of the feet, it is necessary to use baths based on an infusion of a mixture of leaves and catkins. To prepare the base, use ½ cup of crushed leaves and the same amount of catkins.
You need to pour 2 liters of boiling water over the raw material, wait for the infusion to cool to a comfortable temperature and pour it into a basin. Immerse your feet in the container for 20 minutes, then dry them with a towel and put on clean socks. This procedure must be done every evening for 20 days.
Logs from fruit trees
Fruit trees also have good properties needed for a hearth. They are used both for stoves and for barbecues and smokehouses. Fruit wood has a very good aroma.
When cutting down fruit trees, it is advisable to store this wood and then use it to light the stove. It will also be used for barbecue and smokehouse. Most often, this wood can be purchased by cutting down old orchards. The most common trees for kindling are cherry or apple. Cherry logs emit more soot, but light up very well. Apple logs do not produce much smoke, therefore they are considered the highest quality fuel.
Medicinal properties are attributed to many fruit trees, for example, apple and pear trees of certain ages.
Fruit trees for flavor
Of course, no one will specifically grow fruit trees for the sole purpose of using them for firewood. However, there is still an apple, pear, plum or cherry tree on the site. Over time, you can collect a lot of branches and twigs, which you can put into the firebox. Some people make fires right away, but it would be much more correct to carefully cut them and put them in a woodpile. They are ideal for lighting a sauna, since along with a good and even heat, the combustion of wood produces light steam accompanied by a pleasant, delicate aroma.
It costs nothing to saw and chop firewood; the apple tree is the leader in terms of heat release, and there is practically no smoke. But this choice is more of an aesthetic nature.
