Winter has already met with us and to protect our living places from the shivering touch of winter we must need to kindle our log burner. Firewood is the fuel of log burner. Though any type of wood that can be used as fuel of firing is called firewood generally soft woods like oak, maple, cherry, birch, pine, elm, chestnut etc. are used as firewood. Before entering firewood into log burner the logs are split into small pieces.
Splitting logs and firewood to use in the log burner is very important and needs to follow proper technique. You can know this entire information by going through this short but effective article organized with important information.
Why Do You Need to Split Logs and Firewood?
Splitting logs and firewood is a must for using them in the log burner because of the following reasons:
- To Fit in the Log Burner Chamber
Logs are generally large in size but your log burner or wood stove does not have an unlimited space to fit a large log. So you must have to split the logs to fit them in the chamber of your log burner.
- For the Ease of Carrying and storing
It’s really tiresome to carry a large log and it also takes large space to be stored. If you split logs into small pieces using splitting maul it will become thin and light and you can carry them easily to your fireplace.
Moreover, these pieces will consume less space to be stored. You can store them by stacking one over one within a small space.
- Fast Heating
A split log can catch fire faster than an unsliced log even if the log is smaller in size. Because the bark of the tree has a tendency to resist fire but the inner part does not have fire preventing property.
- Fast Drying
You cannot use wet pieces of wood in your log burner. If you split the log into pieces with the aid of wood splitting maul it will get dried comparatively quickly. It generally takes 6 months to dry firewood properly.
How to Split logs and Firewood for Perfect Use of Log Burner?
The first task is to select the cutting tool for splitting. You can use splitting maul, splitting ax, splitting wedge and hammer for splitting logs and firewood. Do not forget to wear safety shoes, goggle, and gloves before starting the cutting operation.
Then you have to observe the surface of the wood to find out a line and hitting along this line will make your work easier. If you find out nails, knot or curve in it then it will be difficult to split that log.
Place the log on a chopping block or on the ground and stand at a safe distance. Now try to hit along the center point using your splitting maul or splitting ax or whatever cutting tool you are using. Hit several times and the log will split into pieces.
The following video clip will help you to understand the process clearly:
Conclusion
Splitting logs and firewood accelerates the burning process in your log burner. The inner part of the log contains a resin which helps to burn the firewood. It is also one kind of homesteading. Though you can use electricity to warm up your living places during winter it is expensive. On the other hand, using a log burner is a green and cheap way to stay warm during winter.
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