What is the cleanest wood for a wood burning stove?

Best wood for burning in a stove
Hardwoods are usually better suited to burning in a wood-burning stove than softwoods. As a rule of thumb, hardwoods are produced from slow-growing deciduous trees (those that shed their leaves), so the logs are denser than softwoods from faster-growing evergreen trees. Since hardwood logs are heavier than softwood logs of the same size, they will give you more heat output - up to 50 percent. For furnace owners, using hardwood logs means that less of the furnace needs to be filled than with softwood logs.

Use only dry, fully air-dried, chopped logs with a moisture content of less than 20%. As a rule of thumb, well-dried wood makes a distinctive "click" rather than a dull "thud" on impact. It also feels much lighter than unseasoned logs. Other signs of air-dried logs include peeling bark and cracking and splitting of the exterior wood. Ideally, wood should be air-dried outdoors for 18 to 24 months - the harder the wood, the longer it will take to dry. It should be stacked off the ground, with enough space between the logs to allow for air circulation, and with the tops covered to keep rain and snow out. Air-dried wood is said to provide about 50% more heat than an equivalent unseasoned log, so this alone is well worth the effort.

Most types of hardwoods such as ash (often considered the best), birch, beech, oak and elm can be used. However, avoid burning wood with a high resin content. As a rule of thumb, the heavier the wood, the greater the heat output and the longer the burn time (time between refills).

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