What is the best firewood for a sauna?

Sauna lovers know that in order to create a special atmosphere in the room, it is very important to heat the stove with suitable wood. In this case, a person can not only relax well, but also improve his health.

Over the many centuries of the existence of baths, people have managed to understand what materials are best suited for kindling a stove.

In ancient times, baths of noble people and even kings were heated with such wood. The highest quality materials were considered to be obtained from alder growing in dry soil. These logs are very light and burn beautifully. But aspen growing in swampy areas or next to water bodies is considered to be of lower quality. Alder logs are highly valued for the fact that they can be stored for a very long time without losing their useful properties. It is believed that the smell of alder wood in an open woodpile lasts for three years, and in a closed woodpile - 4-5 years.

Alder wood is loved because it emits a lot of heat when burned. At the same time, there is no smoke from it. Burning wood fills the room with a pleasant aroma. Therefore, it becomes even more comfortable to relax in the sauna. Moreover, such wood is not very expensive.

Bath attendants also value high-quality oak wood very highly. When burned, the material produces a stable and even flame. In the process, the room is filled with a pleasant smell. Many people like it because it evokes associations with the forest.

It is recommended to use mature oak wood for kindling the stove. However, they should not be very old. It is believed that there is not much heat from young oak logs. They don't like too old wood because after burning it, a lot of waste is generated and the attendant has to spend more time cleaning the stove. Oak logs dry quickly and store well in standard woodpiles. Therefore, there are usually no problems with harvesting and storing such wood.

It was birch firewood that was most often used for heating baths in Russia. So this material is really tested by time and by our ancestors. Nowadays, such wood is also harvested in large quantities. It is loved for its good value for money.

Birch wood is moderately resinous. It burns well and for a long time. Even damp wood is suitable for ignition. In the process of burning, the logs release birch tar into the air. Therefore, it is recommended for people with colds to visit the bathhouse melted with birch wood. When burning, firewood is not fired. Therefore, you can heat any stove with them. Correctly harvested logs are stored for several years in a row. Therefore, they can be purchased in large quantities.

This wood is consumed very slowly. Ash logs burn beautifully even when wet. But they rarely buy such firewood for a bath. The fact is that they are much more expensive than other wood options. In addition, it is not always possible to find them on sale.

Linden wood, on the other hand, burns too quickly. In addition, there is very little heat from them. But during burning, the logs exude a pleasant honey aroma. It perfectly relaxes people, and also helps to improve the condition of the respiratory system. It is for this that the linden is appreciated by lovers of relaxation in the bath.

Linden wood retains its healing properties for two years. In the future, the quality of this material deteriorates significantly. Therefore, it is not worth storing a large amount of linden firewood for future use. It is better to buy such firewood in small quantities and from trusted suppliers.

If there is no opportunity to procure or purchase the types of firewood described above, other types of trees can be used for kindling the baths.

First of all, you should pay attention to coniferous firewood. In the process of combustion, they give off a very pleasant aroma that is pleasant to vacationers. Pine and spruce firewood burns very well. Using such material, the room can be warmed up in a short time.

But coniferous logs have their drawbacks.

• When burning firewood, a lot of burning and soot are emitted. All this is deposited in a thick layer on the walls of the chimney. Because of this, it has to be cleaned more often.
• In the process of burning coniferous wood, a large amount of carbon monoxide gets into the air. This is due to the fact that this wood contains a lot of resinous substances. This is not good for vacationers.
• Coniferous firewood burns very unevenly. They are not recommended for use in open ovens. Otherwise, a fire may start in the room.

Such firewood is usually harvested in large quantities after the felling of wild or old orchards. This does not happen very often. Therefore, this type of firewood is definitely not the most popular. Fruit firewood burns well enough. The smell after burning them in the bath is pleasant, but there is no smoke. At the same time, the material is poorly suited for kindling the furnace. They catch fire very hard. This applies even to well-dried material. As a rule, fruit firewood is placed in a pre-prepared oven.

The choice of breed also plays an important role. It is recommended to use apple wood in the sauna. They burn well, give a lot of heat and do not smoke. Slightly less often, cherry wood is used to fire the stove. They give off a pleasant smell into the air, but they smoke a lot. Other types of fruit firewood are used less often for heating a bath. Plum and pear logs are usually used for kindling barbecues.

Lightweight aspen logs are difficult to ignite and burn very quickly. Therefore, they are rarely used on an ongoing basis. It is recommended to use such firewood from time to time as a preventive measure.

The fact is that aspen steam helps to clear the chimney from burning and soot. For the result to be more noticeable, the logs must be burned along with the potato peelings. The chimney must be cleaned by hand immediately afterwards. It makes no sense to harvest aspen trees in large quantities.

Softwood logs are also rarely used to light stoves. Willow is usually added in small amounts to a fire to keep the fire going. It is worth remembering that such firewood burns out very quickly. Therefore, the stock in the woodpile must be replenished very often.

Ripe acacia wood is also popular with lovers of sauna relaxation. Such logs burn long and hot. There is very little soot left on the chimney after the burning of acacia wood. The logs can be added to the oven both during the kindling phase and later. They will burn equally well at any time.

Maple wood is good for a bath. But this rare material is quite difficult to find on sale. In addition, it is quite expensive. Therefore, maple wood is most often used together with other, cheaper and slowly burning materials.

Separately, it is worth talking about those types of firewood that cannot be used for kindling the stove.

• Larch. This material burns out unevenly. In addition, when wood burns, it releases a particularly large amount of carbon monoxide into the air. Therefore, after bath procedures, you have to ventilate the room for a long time.
• Chestnut. Like aspen, chestnut is only suitable for preventive heating. The steam generated after burning the logs helps to clear the chimney from soot and soot.
• Poplar. Low-grade poplar wood burns out very quickly and does not produce heat. The smoke emitted during its combustion is very pungent and bitter. Therefore, very few people decide to use poplar for heating a bath. For the same reason, the stove is not heated with bird cherry.

When choosing firewood, it is important to pay attention not only to the type of wood. The following factors play an important role.

• Humidity. The humidity level should be within 25%. The lower it is, the better the wood will burn. To determine the dryness of the wood, you need to hit two logs against each other. If the sound turns out to be ringing, the firewood can be used for the firebox. Insufficiently dry wood must be sent to a woodpile for a couple of months.
• Procurement time. It is best to buy firewood from last year's harvest. They are fairly dry and well prepared. Such wood can be used immediately to fire the stove. Too old firewood is not worth buying. Expired logs burn much worse.
• The size of the logs. In order not to waste time on additional processing of wood, you need to make sure that the logs are properly prepared. The optimal length of the firewood is 20-30 centimeters, the thickness is 12 centimeters. Such logs fit perfectly into the stove and burn out quickly.

When accepting the ordered timber, it is important to check the delivered material. Its composition must be uniform. It is also important to make sure that the wood has been properly prepared and that there are no branches on it. Some gardeners prefer to harvest firewood on their own. This is best done in February or March. Such wood is the hottest. In addition, wood that has been frozen over the winter is easily pricked. The felled trees are sawn into logs, and then split into small lumps. They should not be too large.

The firewood harvested at the beginning of spring is immediately sent for drying. After six months, they can be used for their intended purpose. You can store firewood purchased or harvested by yourself both in a barn and in a homemade structure made from unnecessary boards. The main thing is that the storage area is well ventilated. Do not stack firewood in places with high humidity. This will lead to the fact that they will not be able to dry completely and will burn badly.