Remember the Ice Storm?...
Computer Bugs?...
Are you sick of oil price increases?...
There are numerous reasons for looking at other options.
How about an inexpensive and pleasant solution such as a slow combustion stove.
According to the Canadian Government, just one cord of hard dry wood will produce as much heat as 100 gallons of oil.
Some important facts about fire wood.
-Soft woods such as aspen, spruce and poplar do not have much calorific value and should be used mainly as fire starter or for ambiance fire place.
-For efficient heating, hard woods are recommanded. They should be dry and without sap. Therefore for the best results, use wood that was cut in the winter time since it will not have the sap that comes up mainlyin spring and summer.
-Here is a list of our Canadian hard woods as supplied by the government. It shows the calorific value of the hard woods that you will find on the market.
Calorific value of Canadian hard woods |
||||
Species |
Calorific value |
|||
|
(Wood dried outside) |
||||
|
Gj/m |
Millions |
Number of |
Number of cords |
|
|
(volume) |
of BTU |
cubic meter |
equivalent to |
|
equivalent to |
100 gallon |
|||
|
1,000L of fuel |
of oil |
|||
Elm |
13,2 |
32,0 |
4,71 |
0,84 |
|
Caryer in sweet nuts |
12,7 |
30,6 |
4,93 |
0,88 |
White oak |
12,7 |
30,6 |
4,93 |
0,89 |
|
Caryer in bitter nuts |
12,1 |
29,2 |
5,17 |
0,92 |
Sugar maple |
12,0 |
29,0 |
5,20 |
0,93 |
Black oak |
11,7 |
28,2 |
5,35 |
0,95 |
American Beech |
11,5 |
27,8 |
5,43 |
0,97 |
Red oak |
11,3 |
27,3 |
5,53 |
0,99 |
Yellow birch |
10,8 |
26,2 |
5,76 |
1,03 |
Red elm |
10,5 |
25,4 |
5,94 |
1,06 |
White ash |
10,3 |
25,0 |
6,03 |
1,08 |
American elm |
10,1 |
24,5 |
6,16 |
1,10 |
Red maple |
9,93 |
24,0 |
6,29 |
1,12 |
Black Birch |
9,68 |
23,4 |
6,45 |
1,15 |
Black ash |
9,55 |
22,6 |
6,67 |
1,19 |
Green ash |
9,15 |
22,1 |
6,83 |
1,22 |
Silver maple |
8,98 |
21,7 |
6,95 |
1,24 |
Negundo maple |
7,99 |
19,3 |
7,82 |
1,39 |
Bigthoot aspen |
7,53 |
18,2 |
8,29 |
1,48 |
Quaking aspen |
7,33 |
17,7 |
8,52 |
1,52 |
|
Aulne of Oregon |
7,20 |
17,4 |
8,67 |
1,55 |
Walnut |
7,20 |
17,4 |
8,67 |
1,55 |
|
Poplar baumier |
7,12 |
17,2 |
8,77 |
1,56 |
Linden |
7,04 |
17,0 |
8,87 |
1,58 |
|
Poplar |
6,95 |
16,8 |
8,98 |
1,60 |
|
Poplar baumier of the west |
6,42 |
15,5 |
9,73 |
1,74 |
Here is why you should buy wood in the spring.
-Your chances of getting winter wood are greater by avoiding sappy wood which boils more than it burns creating less heat.
-Suppliers will be more open to give you rebates since most customers wait in autumn to order.
-In cording properly the wood at home, it will be drier for the next winter.
Here are few rules to follow when buying fire wood.
Your supplier
Buy from a company that has a listed address and that will supply an invoice. This will provide you with some protection in case of dissatisfaction.
The quantity
A cord of wood is 4' high by 8' long and 16' deep. More and more suppliers offer a cord of 32 cubic feet. You than get only 3/4 of a cord since a real cord is 42 cubic feet.
The payment
If you are dealing with your supplier for the first time, you should pay with a postdated check (few days later). This will give you time to cord your wood and make sure that you have the quantity and quality you ordered.
The size of wood
For optimum efficiency, make sure you specify to your supplier the diameter of the pieces you wish to obtain since a smaller piece will burn more quickly. The average diameter is 5". If you burn 6 cords or more per winter, you should request "night pieces". These are pieces, not split, of about 8" to 10" in diameter. They will last longer during the night. We recommend 10 "night pieces" per cord purchased. If you have a smaller stove, you will specify a maximum lenght of 12".
Storage of wood
-You should store your wood on planks or pallets against a wall but not higher than 5', it becomes very dangerous for the wood to fall. Do not forget that a cord of wood weighs close to a ton.
-The wood will be left outside to dry or inside (if no other choice) with a dehumidifier and a fan. Outside, it will be covered only on top and not on the sides to let it breathe and dry, otherwise it won't dry and will eventualy rot.
-In all kinds of wood you could find bugs. If you are worried when bringing the wood inside, just spray lightly with an insecticide.
Reasons why wood is more efficient for heating.
-It is the most inexpensive way to heat.
-Remember that a cord of good hard wood will produce as much heat as 100 gallons of heating oil.
-The romantism of a heating stove is incomparable to any other heating devices.
The quantity
-If you use your stove as the main heating system, you will need 10 to 15 cords per winter.
-Custumers that works during the day and use their stove at night and on weekends will need from 6 to 9 cords.
-Custumers that use it occasionally an during Hydro breakdowns will need 3 to 5 cords.
-Climatic variations, frequency of blockouts and the type of stove used will all have an impact on the quantity of wood required for a season.
Fire starters
-As it was mentioned previously, soft woods are not recommanded to heat your house (poplar, spruce) but they represent a good choice to start your fire if they are dry.
-You can use unpainted scrapwood which is inexpensive and easily obtainable.
-We also recommend the fire starter that is also unexpensive, secure, practical, clean and that makes it very convenient to start your fire. They will burn for about 20 minutes. They are the size of a chocolate bar and can be cut in 2 or 3 pieces without loosing efficiency.
Safety
Make sure that fireplace-stove-chimney are cleaned at least once a year.
Bois du Haut-Richelieu
You can buy wood from us on site or delivered. Our prices vary depending on the season and the delivery site. We deliver on the South-Shore of Montreal from Chateauguay to Varennes and from Sabrevois to St-Hilaire. We deliver a minimum of 2 cords for that territory. We also deliver on the Island of Montreal for a small additional fee and for a minimum of 4 cords.
Special offer
80% of our customers buy their wood in autumn when they should do so in spring. Many do not have space to stock their wood during summer but we do. If you pay for your wood in the spring, we will store it all summer so it is properly dried and ready to deliver in autumn. We will send you a detailled bill. we have the space to store a limited quantity so order soon. If you are interested contact us immediately.
Set your senses on fire, heat with wood
Bois Du Haut-Richelieu Inc.
Claude Charette, Président
1299 Boul. St-Luc, St-Luc, Québec, J2W 2G6
Tél.:450-348-5972, Rive-Sud de Montréal:514-238-4938
If you have any question, want to place an order or check what essence is in stock,
call us by phone or via email boisbhr@hotmail.com
06-04-01
This webpage is a creative idea of Madmax