Here is our list of the best woods to burn in a fireplace. Out of the 9 common woods fireplace owners ignite, only 4 stand out as clean and hot. The type of wood you use in the fire place or stove will keep your chimney cleaner and safe.
So, let’s chat about what’s the cleanest wood to supply your fire place. Number one wood is CEDAR. This is the cleanest, best woods for maximum heat and little soot in your chimney.
Number 2 is the OAK family. White oak, pin oak and red oak wood is fantastic for burning in fireplaces or stoves. This wood is also clean and hot compared with other woods to use.
A cord of hot, clean wood.
Only the other side, these are not the best wood to burn in your fireplace if at all possible
Unless you are in a bad situation and will freeze, avoid these woods if at all possible. First, NEVER burn any wood that is not dry. Trees are best cut down in the winter time as the sap has drained out of the tree. It should be cut and stored for a year if possible. Wet wood will not burn correctly and is the leading cause of creosote build up and dangerous clogging in your chimney.
From worst to not so good – PINE. Bad wood to burn over time. Sappy and hardly worth the risk. Second, HICKORY is great for smoking meat but not so good for heating your home.
Completing the list of not so good woods to use is BLACK OAK, GUM TREE AND POPULAR. Popular is known as a weed tree. It grows very quickly but is terrible to use to heat your home.
If you have questions, call your reliable chimney sweep company before you buy the wood. Ask them if they have a reliable source of wood. Most companies will deal with several suppliers of firewood.
The companies share customers all of the time. Especially in the winter time, it can be hard to find good, dry clean wood. Some suppliers keep a low profile so they can service their long time customers in the winter. Our Knoxville chimney sweep companyhas several suppliers and each of us have a stack of business cards to hand out.
Try this little known trick to get firewood
Use the search engines to see who supplies the oak and cedar wood around your area. Ask neighbors and friends about firewood suppliers. Everyone has an opinion, right? Don’t overlook the groups and forums on social media. They are full of folks like you that will gladly point you to a source for oak and cedar wood. Remember, these are the best woods for your fireplace.
Often times, someone will be clearing land and cutting trees. They may reach out to you just to have a place to take the wood. If not, they will have to burn it or put it in a landfill. That is simply a waste of resources. They would much rather deliver the firewood to you and get a little extra money for their time.
It is very important to perform a chimney cleaning prior to the sell of your home. This is one of the most overlooked systems in a home inspection. The home inspector told us “we don’t have the expertise to check out the fireplace or chimney.” We have followed up on many recent home sales to find issues in the chimney or fireplaces.
Chimney cleaning (sweeping) is a dangerous but valuable service that prevents creosote build up. This is a highly flammable material and can start chimney fires.
If you are a home buyer, it is mandatory to inspect the chimney, the chimney cap and the chimney flue for defects and build up. The home inspection probably will not cover this in detail.
Below are the levels of chimney inspection and cleaning before you sell the home.
Level 1 inspection – a visual chimney and fireplace inspection. A chimney sweep uses a headlamp to look for damage, obstructions (bird nests, debris), creosote build up and soot. They are looking for the basic soundness of the chimney structure, support and flue. Also, if a chimney liner is in place, is the connection sound. Finally, the chimney inspector will provide a report of the findings for the seller.
Level 2 inspection – required when major changes were made to the original system. Changes include: fuel type, the shape or material of the chimney flue and changes to the efficiency or chimney rating. This chimney inspection includes all level 1 steps. A level 2 inspection is required in some areas upon the sale or transfer of a home. Any event that caused damage to the chimney, its foundation or flue must be inspected.
Level 3 – includes both level 1 and level 2 chimney inspection items. Level 3 chimney inspection removes parts of the chimney wall, chimney crown and interior fire blocks. It also inspects the foundation (crawl spaces, supports), required limits from combustible materials and roof openings.
What is the cost for a chimney inspection?
Chimney cleaning cost to sell your home range from $250 to $1,800. The total price depends on the number of fireplaces and the levels of chimney inspection.
Realtors will update their skill training to advise home sellers of this vital inspection. It is an additional cost. The peace of mind in the buyer’s eyes is so worth the expense.
Finally, call your home insurance agent. Insurance companies lower the cost of house insurance if the chimney is inspected. Also, a monitored fire and smoke system lowers most insurance premiums.
Recently, the requests for chimney services near me on social media networks has surged. Why? Social proof and testimonials to assure trust.
We receive many stories of projects half completed and money wasted on up front advances. Burner phones used to disguise a shaky company. However, calls go unanswered and projects are left with little or no successful completions.
An honest trustworthy chimney sweep company will always get rave reviews and repeat customers year after year. Chimney services near me is one of the top requested searches in our industry. This is due to the cell phone GPS systems that allow local companies to pop up on the browsers of a customer phone.
Testimonials are the best way to research a company in the chimney industry. Therefore, don’t just check the company webpage. Check out Yelp Clear Chimney Reviews and Google Clear Chimney for reviews.
Google reviews provide an extra layer of protection for your investment.
What do people search for in chimney services?
First, the other terms we see are chimney cleaning near me, chimney repairs near me and chimney services near me. Secondly, since we are in the Knoxville TN area, our customers routinely see our ads. Finally, the research and testimonials start to matter.
Our customers or potential customers want to sleep well at night knowing their investment in their chimney and fireplace or stove is safe as money gets tighter. Social media allows this to happen quite easily. We are often mentioned on the Facebook boards in our town. For instance, it is like a town hall meeting with opinions, thumbs up and down and questions. Folks love to give their opinion. This is the backbone of social media.
In conclusion, we were always taught the cream rises to the top. Therefore, let Clear Chimney be your cream in your largest investment – your home. Here is how to call us in the Knoxville TN are.
