This is the most difficult method because it requires individuals to cut down a tree, cut the wood into lengths, split the wood, carry the wood home, and stack the wood. Once firewood has been split, it's challenging to tell the woods apart. Check a firewood guide before splitting or buying wood for firewood. I always thought that you simply cut the wood and burn it straight away. Pine vs. Oak for Burning. These woods burn well and emits high heat with little or no smoke. Lastly, Pine doesn’t have leaves, but it does have needles. Roll the dice: wood identifcation is not too unlike shooting craps I know, that’s not what you wanted to hear. Emily Beach works in the commercial construction industry in Maryland. You can identify Oak firewood very easily using the end grain of the wood. Pines are usually faster growing trees. Examine the color of the wood. Homeowners who heat with wood or just enjoy the ambiance of an open fireplace should be aware of various types of firewood available as well as the differences between woods. Additionally, you can always try the “fingernail test” as a rough hardness indicator: find a crisp edge of the wood, and with your fingernail try to push in as hard as you can and see if you’re able to make a dent in the wood. But I saw a TV show the other day where they had a bunch of people who had bought firewood that hadn't been cured properly and it basically held too much water to burn. Oak is one of the hardest trees, which is why its wood is a popular choice for furniture, flooring and other household amenities. Pine is often good for kindling, while hardwoods are best for regular burning. TreePointer. What Causes Soot Buildup in a Wood Stove? Other adequate types of firewood for the home use include soft maple, black cherry, and yellow pine. However, they are actually quite different types of wood. These woods are a little more difficult to split and produce a greater amount of smoke. Pine also tends to have a lot of branches and knots on the side. Here’s what to look for when identifying pine, oak, acacia and mindi wood. Step 4 Joined Feb 6, 2010 Messages 30 Age 39 Location missouri. You wanted me to tell you that with all this data, with all these pictures, facts, and identification techniques, surely there is a foolproof method of identifying a piece of wood correctly down to the species level, each and every time. Consider the difficulty of processing various different species of firewood. This is not just touchy feely environmentalism, this is a serious issue. Probably the most common way to get firewood, at least for the city sweller, is to order it from wood brokers or wood delivery services. Even if you use oak exclusively, have your chimney cleaned annually to prevent creosote buildup. Oak vs Pine: Appearance Oak. A tabletop made of pine will have much deeper dents than a tabletop made of Oak. I had not spent much time considering the threat until I went to Colorado over the summer and saw the way this one little beetle has decimated forests out there. Sep 30, 2010. Fire starter pine cones can also be purchased or made at home following a prescribed formula. A second option is to collect wood from forests, with appropriate permission. Using the best wood can produce the most heat with less smoke, and some woods are easier than others to handle. Elm and sweet gum do not burn as easily or as well as other wood and are difficult to split. Because oak takes much longer to ignite, it is a poor source of kindling but an excellent source of fuel for long, slow burning. Basswood, poplar, and white pine are also used with good results. Which might be best for your needs? In addition, pine tends to have small splinters along the flat surfaces and edges, while oak … Use pine as a source of kindling to get the fire started, and then add oak to keep the fire burning. Switch to pine in the spring and fall for shorter, cooler fires that burn out quickly without overheating your home. Firewood, Heating and Wood Burning Equipment > red oak vs pin oak. Using the best wood can produce the most heat with less smoke, and some woods are easier than others to handle. A number of different species of oak fall under the ‘oak… All chimneys, regardless of what type of wood you burn, develop a tar-like buildup over time. Pine varies in color from creamy white to yellow, and is more suited to rustic and traditional styles. Oak trees usually have have a rough, ridged bark while pine tree bark is of a more flattened texture. Sep 30, 2010 #1 How can I tell the difference between a red oak and a pin oak? what is the difference between a bush cord and a face cord? A cord of seasoned hardwood has about twice the energy content -- measured in British thermal units -- as a cord of seasoned softwood, according to the Chimney Safety Institute of America. White pine has a density of 26.3 pounds per cubic feet, compared to 47.2 pounds per cubic feet of white oak. For example, white oak contains 29.1 million Btu per cord, compared to 15.9 million Btu for white pine, according to the Utah State University Extension. Does anyone know of a tool or a machine that can help us split the wood even after our bodies have given out? Here in Missouri there has been a big campaign to discourage people from moving firewood from one place to another because it promotes the spread of a parasitic beetle that is ruining tree populations all across the country. @anon23033 - I believe a bush cord is a standard amount of stacked wood (I'm not sure how much, but so many feet, by so many feet by so many feet) while a face cord is the same measurements without looking at the depth. Let’s explore the key differences between oak and pine: their properties, uses and benefits. Pine is pale yellow and has a grain pattern that is lighter than the rest of the wood. Elm and sweet gum trees may also be used as firewood, but their use is recommended only in the absence of other, more desirable options. Successful wood burning starts with choosing the right wood for the job. While both pine and oak have their place in the fireplace, the difference in density between these two woods can impact not only warmth and comfort, but also fireplace safety and maintenance.