On cold evenings, there can be nothing more comforting than the warmth of a fireplace. One of the essentials for a good fireplace is quality firewood. When the firewood is not up to the mark, you can’t get a good fireplace experience. The wood needs to last longer and burn more, which is one of the main criteria of good firewood. This not only applies to domestic firewood but commercial firewood as well.

Let’s have a look at the tips to buy good quality firewood:

• If you are looking for firewood for a restaurant, you must opt for commercial firewood that is dense, like oak and maple. Softwood such as poplar burns faster and does not last long. Ash is not as dense as maple and oak, but it burns well. The best commercial firewood is the one that is easily found in your locality and is seasoned, split, and affordably priced. Ideally, you must opt for hardwood such as oak and not softwood, such as pine.

• The difference between hardwood and softwood is the time for burning. In hardwood, the food fibres are denser, and logs of the same size can burn longer. They burn with more heat and generate lesser smoke than softwood. The common types of hardwoods are birch, beech, hickory, apple, locust, white oak, mulberry, red oak, yellow birch, white ash, elm cherry, and sycamore.

• You must also check if the firewood is split and seasoned. Seasoned firewoods are the ones that have been stored outdoors and kept away from rain for 6 months and longer. Seasoned firewoods are cracked at the ends, have falling bark, and is lighter as compared to the greenwood. If you are still in doubt, notice the sound it makes when dropped on a solid surface. The dry wood produces hollow noise while green wood produces thick sound. When the wood is kept outside for several months, any moisture exits from the wood, and the wood becomes suitably dry for burning well.

You also need to ask certain questions from the commercial firewood seller. Ask if he would send the wood in the form of split logs. If not, inquire about the cost of getting it split, or you will have to do it yourself. Also, ask for approximate measurements so that it fits well in the fireplace. You can also ask these additional questions:

• The price of the wood and if they will negotiate?
• Do they deliver or charge extra for the delivery of firewood?
• Will they arrange the wood in the storage area or leave it in a pile along the driveway?
• If you choose to pick the woods on your own, will the seller help in loading up the wood?

Some additional tips for buying firewood:

• Look for a local firewood dealer as getting it from elsewhere can prove to be expensive. It is better to buy your stock from a local dealer. It can be a cost-effective option to buy from a local dealer.

• You should look for a vendor during the offseason. Some people wait to buy the firewood right before they want to use it. Buying wood during an offseason like summer will give the wood a chance to dry out and make it easier to burn. Purchasing early can even help you with lower prices as the business is low. However, this depends on the vendor.

• If you are buying hardwood, make sure that the lumber is heavy and can’t be scratched easily using a fingernail. If you are buying pre-cured wood, make sure that the ends are slightly grey and have small cracks in them.

• After buying the firewood, make sure to get a receipt or proof of sale as this will protect you from any scam. If a vendor doesn’t offer you a bill of sale, don’t do business with them.

• You must ask if the seller offers home delivery services for helping the customers get their firewood back to their house. While some sellers might do this for free, others might charge you for the same. Some might also offer to stack the lumber for you.

• Selecting the right wood is also important. As mentioned above, hardwood is the most popular form of firewood, which burns hot without creating a lot of smoke. It can be more expensive than softwood, but it is worth paying for.

• If you are going to use the firewood outdoors, softwood is less dense than hardwood. It burns very fast and creates large flames with a lot of smoke. It is not suitable for long-term or indoor fires; softwood is perfect for short, outdoor fires. If you want to buy softwood, pine, poplar, and spruce are best.

• If you want to save money, buying loose logs can be an effective solution. They cost less than full cords. It is suitable for people who use firewood occasionally.

These are some of the essential tips that will help you in finding good commercial firewood for your fireplace and let you enjoy warm evenings during the winter season.