Birch wood has a high calorific value and is therefore the favorite firewood for many. If you felled a birch in the garden or bought a freshly felled birch that you want to use as firewood, the fuel must first be properly dried.

Birch wood is good firewood

What are the advantages of birch as a heating material?

With around 1,900 kWh per m³, birch wood has a very good calorific value. It is easily flammable and has an attractive play of flames with a beautiful blue color component. Birch wood already starts to burn at medium heat and quickly produces a pleasant warmth.

Due to the essential oils, it burns with a pleasant scent and is therefore well suited, for example, for the fire bowl on the terrace or the open fireplace. The advantage here is that with birch you do not have to be afraid of dangerous flying sparks.

You can also use the pretty white bark. It makes an excellent tinder to start the fire.

Storing and drying birch wood

In order for the very good calorific value to be achieved, however, the wood must be well dried. Unfortunately, birch wood is one of the types of wood that dry rather slowly. Proceed as follows for storage and drying:

  • Split birch firewood when it is fresh, as it is then easier to chop.
  • A storage time of at least 1.5 years is recommended. It is advantageous to wait even two years before using the firewood.
  • Dry birch wood forms a natural protection due to the oils it contains, so that it is difficult for moisture to penetrate.
  • Mold formation in wood stored outdoors is therefore almost impossible.
  • However, this only applies to split material. If the birch wood has not yet been chopped, there is a risk that it will stand still. You can recognize this by the black discolored cut edges.
  • When stacking, make sure that the firewood to be dried is not in contact with the ground.
  • Additionally protect the birch firewood with a cover under which the air can circulate.

tips

There is often a hint that birch wood does not have to be dried before being burned. We can only advise against this, as damp wood in the fireplace can be dangerous, has a lower calorific value and tends to smoke.

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Trees