- It is a smart idea to split firewood pieces less than 6 inches in diameter because this adds more exposed surface area
- The more exposed surface area, the quicker wood dries and the better it will burns
- If you’ve got pieces that are 3 inches and smaller in diameter they should be used unsplit.
- Check out this handy sizing guide if you want a visual:
When it comes to splitting firewood, one of the most important things to consider is how small you should split your wood.
Ultimately, the size of your firewood depends on a number of different factors, including what kind of fuel you are using and what type of wood stove or fireplace you have.
In general, though, there are a few general guidelines you can follow when it comes to how small to split your firewood.
One of the most important things to consider when splitting firewood is the size of your wood stove or fireplace. If you have a large wood stove or fireplace, you will need larger pieces of wood in order to get a good fire going.
On the other hand, if you have a smaller wood stove or fireplace, you may want to consider splitting your firewood into smaller pieces. This will make it easier to get your fireplace started and keep your fire burning with each piece of fuel that goes in.
Additionally, the smaller your wood is when you split it, the less space it will take up while still providing you with plenty of wood to burn.
Another factor to consider when it comes to how small to split your firewood is the type of fuel you are using. If you are using a hardwood such as oak or maple, you will want to split your wood into larger pieces in order to get a good fire going. However, if you are using a softwood such as pine, you may want to consider splitting your wood into smaller pieces so that it burns more evenly.
Ultimately, the best way to determine how small to split your firewood is to experiment with different sizes and see what works best for you. Just remember to always take into account the size of your wood stove or fireplace, the type of fuel you are using, and your personal preferences when considering how small to split your firewood.
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How Small to Split Firewood
The best burning wood logs come from most fruit trees, maple trees, oak trees, ash trees and birch trees since they get the hottest and burn longer.
If you are buying wood for the first time, you may want to do a little research first. Since not all firewood is created equal when it comes to quality, you need to know what to expect when you make your purchase.
For instance, when you visit a woodlot, you need what types of woods are available to you. This is because some woodlots may be dominated by oak and other species of wood, particularly those that produce dense and high-quality fuels.
Or, if you visit other woodlots, you may find that they are actually dominated by birch and other species that produce low-quality light fuel sources. In either case, you need to know the differences between each in order to know how these woods should be cut, treated and handled.
For instance, if you are looking to split green wood into smaller sized sections, some people recommend using the wedge since it is easier to use.
Therefore, if you are splitting wood based on a specific type of tool that you are using, you may want to take this into account first. With that being said, here are a few essential facts that you need to know about splitting wood.
How Small to Split Firewood
As referenced above, the answer to questions like, how small to split firewood may vary based on a number of different factors. So, there are a few things you should think about as you search for the right answer.
What Types of Tools are You Using to Split Your Wood?
If you want to split wood properly, you need the right types of tools to do these jobs. Typically, you may use one or more of the following manual log splitting tools as the best option for splitting wood for a fire.
If you’re starting a firewood business, these are very important considerations.
- Splitting Maul
- Felling Ax
- Splitting Ax
- Splitting Wedge
- Electric Wood Splitters
Each of these tools are used for different purposes and reasons. Therefore, you need to know exactly which tools are best for splitting wood for a fire. For instance, if you are looking to split hardwood logs, you will most likely use a splitting wedge, splitting ax or a maul.
This is because the splitting wedge, splitting ax and the maul makes the job a lot easier to do than a felling ax. For instance, when you want to split a log, you can use the benefits of the wedge in a variety of ways, especially since it gives the user the capability to split the wood along the grain.
And, once this area has been cut into, the user can begin to drive the splitting wedge into this same space to split this wood into thinner sizes.
On the other hand, if you try to use a felling ax to split the wood, it is much harder to be successful in splitting the wood. This is because felling axes are used more for chopping wood and not splitting logs into more than one thin piece of wood at a time.
Simply put, the types of tool used will also help to determine how small to split firewood.
How Long or Hot You Want the Fire to Be
In addition to choosing the best tools to split the fire wood that you need, you need to also determine what other factors are involved in how small you want your firewood to be.
Therefore, as you do a little more research on this topic, you need to also determine how long or hot you want the fire to be after you start it. For instance, if you want your fire to become a lot hotter over time, you need the smaller sized fire wood to make up the fire that you build.
On the flipside, if you want your firewood and the flame to last much longer than before, you may need the longer sized firewoods in your fireplace. This is especially true for anyone who is only dealing with limited spacing in the area required.
Do You Want to Speed up the Drying Process?
How small to split your firewood is also determined by how fast that you want the firewood to dry. Because you cannot put wet fire wood on your fire, it needs to be completely dry before you can burn it safely and properly- seasoned firewood is the best option.
For instance, if you want your firewood to dry up to 15 times faster, you need to make sure that you wood is split along the grain and it needs to be split into smaller pieces like 10cm/4inches in diameter. You can also use a firewood kiln to dry it even faster.
How to Store Firewood Once Split
Firewood is a great renewable energy source, but storing it can be a hassle if you do not know how to store it away. Typically, for the beginner, you should know that there are a few rules that you may want to pay close attention to, including the following:
If you want the firewood to last as long as possible, store your firewood in a dry place
Make sure the area is well ventilated area
With the use of spacers, make sure to stack your firewood in different layers
Inspect the firewood regularly, at least once annually and then replace the firewood as it is needed.
Conclusion
How small to split your firewood is a question that many people ask, especially when they are looking to build a fire on a cold winter day.
Therefore, when people do their research, they may find that the answer can vary based on a number of different essential factors, including how long should the fire last, and how fast should the process of drying be sped up. Whatever the case, size of the split is usually determined on a variety of essential factors and reasons.
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