Is there anything that warms your heart more than the perfect firewood glowing in a traditional fireplace design? But, did you know, there is an art to choosing the best wood for your fireplace?
By knowing what to look for, you can instantly enhance the warmth and cosiness of your home, while extending your burn time even further.
Designer fireplaces deserve the best firewood. As well as enjoying a stellar ornament in your home, great wood means you can burn your fires for longer and enjoy it with loved ones all night without stressing about how to keep it going. The best wood takes care of it for you.
Here are our expert tips for choosing the best wood for your fireplace, so you can start enjoying the comforts of fireplace living in the best way possible.
Opt for Dry Wood Varieties
When selecting wood for your fire, start by ensuring it’s dry. The drier your wood, the longer your fire will last unattended. Secondly, choose hardwood over softwood— it’s denser and will crackle nicely at a high temperature.
We recommend keeping your own wood supply in a dry area and using the oldest stock first. If you can’t do this, the next best thing is purchasing wood from a local nursery or wood specialist. They will have the varieties you need for a glowing fire all year round.
Types of Wood to Look Out For
The best wood types for traditional fireplaces vary, depending on the Australian state in which you live. For Victorian fireplaces and those in South Australia and New South Wales, it’s a good idea to use River Red Gum. Other good hardwoods include Yellowgum, Ironbark and Jarrah varieties.
Firewood you should avoid includes anything with a treated surface. This means railway wood, old telephone poles, anything painted, laminated or stained, old pieces of furniture and any softwood types. These can produce harmful emissions in your fireplace surrounds which will not make for a pleasant experience.
Sustainable and Eco-Friendly
Choose firewood that comes from certified, sustainable sources. Wood is a renewable type of bioenergy, so choosing sustainable wood is more helpful to the environment than using electricity.
The Firewood Association of Australia recommends sources such as Government registered plantations, sustainable forests and waste timber outlets. When buying from retailers make sure you ask about the source, to ensure you’re enjoying the best firewood for your fireplace that is also smart for the environment.
For more firewood ideas and fireplace designs that will add comfort and style to your home, call the fireplace experts at Richard Ellis Design today on (03) 9489 7654 or contact us here.