# Does bark make a difference?



## thombat4 (Oct 31, 2007)

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum and this is my first question posted...I'd like to know if the bark should be removed from the wood before it's burned or does it matter? Does bark cause more smoke and creosote or is this something I don't need to worry about as long as the wood is seasoned? Thanks and this is a very cool site...I'm glad I found it.

bryan


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## Wismer (Oct 31, 2007)

It isnot necessary to remove the bark, I don't know of any one that does. Bark gives you moreto burn, it would just be a pain to try and remove it. If the wood is properly seasoned and the fire is hot creosote and soot should be at a minimum. In some cases (Hemlock) The bark makes for a much hotter fire. Hemlock has been known to melt out the bottoms of wood stoves from the heat the bark produces. The only reason for removing bark I know of is so the wood doesn't rot (this mostly pertains to a sawlog) or if the bark is dirty it will dull a chain or blade as you cut into the log.

save yourself somework and leave the bark on.

Craig


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## habanero (Oct 31, 2007)

Wow, you must have a lot of time on your hands if you're even considering stripping the bark from the wood you burn! But to answer your questions, no bark doesn't make a difference. Burn it and be happy.

The only time I would even consider taking bark off firewood logs is if it is really loose and would likely fall off between the door of the house and the door of the stove. And then that is only to keep from having to clean up the mess if it does fall off.


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## wood4heat (Oct 31, 2007)

The bark seals in moisture so if your in a hurry to season your wood it may help to remove it but it sounds like a lot of work. Wet wood will cause creosote build up.


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## Al Smith (Oct 31, 2007)

wood4heat said:


> The bark seals in moisture so if your in a hurry to season your wood it may help to remove it but it sounds like a lot of work. Wet wood will cause creosote build up.


 Sappy wood causes creosote.Wet wood is just a pain to get started,steam ya know.


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## Wismer (Oct 31, 2007)

But, if you do end up taking the bark off, keep it and use it for kinding and firestarter.


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## wood4heat (Oct 31, 2007)

Al Smith said:


> Sappy wood causes creosote.Wet wood is just a pain to get started,steam ya know.



I was always told creosote build up was caused by not burning a hot fire and unseasoned wood doesn't burn hot.


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## thombat4 (Oct 31, 2007)

Thank folks! I knew this was the right place to get a good answer!

I'm very new to wood burning and we just had a fireplace insert installed over the summer and I honestly didn't know about bark so I appreciate the quick response and the good humor!

bryan


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## habanero (Oct 31, 2007)

Al Smith said:


> Sappy wood causes creosote.Wet wood is just a pain to get started,steam ya know.



Sap is ~98% water, so wouldn't sappy wood be considered wet? :biggrinbounce2: 

As wood4heat alluded to, neither sappy nor wet wood causes creosote buildup. Only incomplete combustion causes creosote buildup (though unseasoned wood often doesn't burn completely so it can lead to incomplete combustion).


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## timberwolf (Oct 31, 2007)

The compleatness of combustion is related to the temperature of the combustion, water does not burn as water and it then must be driven off into steam to allow the wood to burn, that takes a lot of energy and lowers combustion temperatures. So in a way it is moisture that causes the problem, though it is a chicken and the egg arguement. On the other hand low combustion temperatures and incompleate combustion can be generated if there is not enough oxygen introduced for the fuel, or if heat is stripped away too fast in the combustion chamber like with water jacket wood fired boilers.

There realy is little difference in heat energy by weight for most normal natural based combustibles, wood (all types), paper, cardboard, straw... they all give about the same by weight. So bark is fuel just like the rest of it. 

Soot or creisote deposits on the flu are from condensation, if the flu liner is sufficently hot it will stay free of major accumulation.


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## blunt (Oct 31, 2007)

Wismer said:


> But, if you do end up taking the bark off, keep it and use it for kinding and firestarter.



+1 yup. I get the dried pieces of bark and scrap wood off my trailer and use that to start my fire. This time of year I'm only lighting the fire in the evenings and letting it burn out overnight. Dried crispy bark burns quick and hot


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## thombat4 (Oct 31, 2007)

I think I'll be keeping that pile of dried bark that I was going to dump!

Thanks guys


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## turnkey4099 (Oct 31, 2007)

Burning bark is not a problem except:

1. It burns fast so you have to keep feeding the fire.

2. It tends to produce more ash.

I burn it if it comes in with the wood, otherwise it goes on a pile to be hauled off to the brush pile. I probably should burn it also but... 

Harry K


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## Billy_Bob (Nov 1, 2007)

Actually mother nature has made bark to resist forest fires. Ive read that some very large trees with very thick bark can resist and live through a forest fire.

I have noticed that it is difficult to get a fire started with unsplit wood, so I now split everything including small pieces of wood. So just split it and then no problem getting it started burning. Once the fire is going and hot, then no problem burning unsplit wood.


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## thombat4 (Nov 1, 2007)

Thanks Billy Bob I'm gonna remember that one.


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## Al Smith (Nov 2, 2007)

Well,either way,sappy or wet is not the best.An observation though,if I may.Rain soaked dry white oak will not produce as much tarry cresote as unseasoned shagbark.Some times though,you run out of options if that's all you have on hand.Heavy tarps are a good thing but you have to use them before it rains.Which reminds me,I must cover my piles because the monsoons are about to be on us.


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## Wismer (Nov 2, 2007)

Billy_Bob said:


> I have noticed that it is difficult to get a fire started with unsplit wood, so I now split everything including small pieces of wood. So just split it and then no problem getting it started burning. Once the fire is going and hot, then no problem burning unsplit wood.



Good point billy bob. To get a fire started i will usually use newspaper or birchbark, then kindling (cedar split down to about a half inch-2 inches diamater, then put on some split pieces of whatever hardwood i'm burning. 

Splitting your wood makes it easier to start, but if you split ALL your wood you are missing out on burn time. Wood in the round burns longer.


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## thombat4 (Nov 2, 2007)

Wismer,

Thanks for that tip about rounds...I was sorta under the assumption that everything needed to be split.


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## Wismer (Nov 2, 2007)

A little rule of thumb is if you can handle it easily you shouldn't have to split it. I only split rounds if they are getting to large to handle.. by hand



Craig


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## Shipper50 (Nov 2, 2007)

Wismer said:


> A little rule of thumb is if you can handle it easily you shouldn't have to split it. I only split rounds if they are getting to large to handle.. by hand
> 
> 
> 
> Craig




In your opinion, how much drying time is added by leaving wood in the rounds? I was always told to speed up drying, split it? 

Shipper


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## turnkey4099 (Nov 2, 2007)

Shipper50 said:


> In your opinion, how much drying time is added by leaving wood in the rounds? I was always told to speed up drying, split it?
> 
> Shipper



Not all that much. Most drying (and moisture absorbing) is done from the ends. That is why you only cover the top of a rick, not the sides. I don't even cover the top but I am in a semi-arid area (SE wa).

My starting procedure is two normal, or 3 smaller chunks on the grate, 2 or 3 sheets of newspaper in the ash pan, open draft, leave ash door open and torch it off. Usually starts first shot. sometimes I have to repeat with the paper. If on a very cold day I will add a sheet of newspaper on top of the wood, torch that and the bottom. The sheet on top warms the chimney and aids in getting good draft going.

Harry K


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## Wismer (Nov 2, 2007)

Good point shipper, i'm not sure.... but i think any one who is worried about to split vs not split doesnt need to worry because their wood will have sat enough to season in the round anyways. What i mean is some one who buys firewood from a firewood guy and doesn't care too much they just buy one day and burn it within a week. Most of us on the site who care/know about splitting and drying, we cut enough wood and have it stockpiled for enough time to dry anyways.

Take er easy


Craig


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## turnkey4099 (Nov 3, 2007)

Wismer said:


> Good point shipper, i'm not sure.... but i think any one who is worried about to split vs not split doesnt need to worry because their wood will have sat enough to season in the round anyways. What i mean is some one who buys firewood from a firewood guy and doesn't care too much they just buy one day and burn it within a week. Most of us on the site who care/know about splitting and drying, we cut enough wood and have it stockpiled for enough time to dry anyways.
> 
> Take er easy
> 
> ...




Yeah. What gets me is the people who see my stock and stop asking to buy wood _now_ when the heating season is already here. I also worked with some who cut their own but wouldn't start cutting until they needed it. Weird. I don't think I have ever burned anything that was less than 1 year in the stack.

Harry K


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## blunt (Nov 3, 2007)

And if you cut and season enough to sell some ... youre gonna get more $$$ than wood thats been dropped for only a month.


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