I have a guy wanting me to cut a big Elm and a big sweet gum down for the wood to burn, looks like a lot of bark on the elm tree and the sweet gum looks hard to split. What can anybody tell me about these 2 tree species, good or no good for splitting / burning?? Any replies appreciated.
Elm / Sweet gum any good to split / burn
- Thread starter Keith42
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hautions11
ArboristSite Operative
Elm/Sweetgum
The elm will never split and the sweetgum dries in to Balsa wood. Horrible to burn.:jawdrop:
The elm will never split and the sweetgum dries in to Balsa wood. Horrible to burn.:jawdrop:
coveredinsap
Addicted to ArboristSite
Liquidambar (sweetgum) is harder than superman's kneecap. I'm digging a stump of this stuff out now....do yourself a favor, either walk away or charge the guy a hefty fee for your trouble.
sweet gum
Thanks guys, that's about what i had thought. I have never tried to split / burn either of the two tree species mentioned but i kind of had a clue that neither one would be good. Thanks again.
Thanks guys, that's about what i had thought. I have never tried to split / burn either of the two tree species mentioned but i kind of had a clue that neither one would be good. Thanks again.
wmthrower
ArboristSite Operative
Walk into any old cow barn around here and most of the beams are elm. You can't even drive a nail or put a screw into most of them.
BlueRidgeMark
Addicted to ArboristSite
treeseer said:
Oh, BOO! HISS! That was BAD! You ought to be flogged!
DeanBrown3D
ArboristSite Operative
hautions11 said:
Sweet gum burns very well, why do you say it dries into balsa wood? Its one of the most common furniture woods too.
Freakingstang
Doctor Freakinstein
Elm is a medium BTU wood. Burns ok. I just got done removing a large elm for firewood(47" at 36" DBH). It is a bear to split green, just let it season and split it, or split it when Frozen. Then again, I split everything by hand. A splitter would prolly do it in quick time <while still green>
Steve
Steve
ironhead
ArboristSite Member
I have used elm for firewood and liked it. Its kinda stringy to split but burns like a good hardwood.
PWB
ArboristSite Guru
About 90 % of what I burned this winter was elm, it's a good hardwood. Only problem is splitting it. If you have a hydraulic splitter, it's not a problem. As for the sweet gum, never dealt with it.
Newfie
Addicted to ArboristSite
Freakingstang said:
It sucks to split green, almost impossible after it sits for a while.
Here in Southern Minnesota, elm has been widely available for 30 years because of Dutch Elm disease. First thing I do when looking at an elm is get a chunk and try splitting it. Then I decide how much effort to put into it.
Red elm(Slippery or Rock Elm) is primo firewood. It can sit in the woods for years without much rot. The bark falls off easily, so it is really clean wood. It usually splits OK until the pieces get 20-25” across. Then you need wedges or a power splitter. Burns nice, hot, with little ash.
White elm is OK. Splits hard by hand, but pretty good with a hydraulic splitter. Smaller branches are nice wood that usually is dry enough to use right away if need be. The trunks are really hard to split. There are lots of old yard trees with trunks 3 or 4 feet across that are not worth a lot.
Chinese elm seems like crappy white elm. I’ve burnt it, but wouldn’t go out of my way to get any unless I was desperate.
"Elm burns like the churchyard mold,
even the very flames are cold."
Red elm(Slippery or Rock Elm) is primo firewood. It can sit in the woods for years without much rot. The bark falls off easily, so it is really clean wood. It usually splits OK until the pieces get 20-25” across. Then you need wedges or a power splitter. Burns nice, hot, with little ash.
White elm is OK. Splits hard by hand, but pretty good with a hydraulic splitter. Smaller branches are nice wood that usually is dry enough to use right away if need be. The trunks are really hard to split. There are lots of old yard trees with trunks 3 or 4 feet across that are not worth a lot.
Chinese elm seems like crappy white elm. I’ve burnt it, but wouldn’t go out of my way to get any unless I was desperate.
"Elm burns like the churchyard mold,
even the very flames are cold."
elektrobot
ArboristSite Member
Red elm(Slippery or Rock Elm) is primo firewood. It can sit in the woods for years without much rot. The bark falls off easily said:
DeanBrown3D
ArboristSite Operative
I get a load of sweet gums for firewood. I end up sawing it into 1/4s for a furnace, instead of splitting it on a splitter (where it just shreads.)
Schultzz
ArboristSite Operative
DeanBrown3D said:
Yes, It shreds and even with a good logsplitter it can be a pain in the a$$. Black Gum cuts well and makes good pallets or furniture but is impossible to split. Elm centers get pithy. Elm does not split easily. When I buy poles for firewood I tell them no Gum and hope they don't bring Elm either. :deadhorse:
DeanBrown3D
ArboristSite Operative
Yeah I use gum rounds about 6" thick as a base to chop any other wood on with a maul. The gum takes all the beating and never splits! Worst that happens is a few pieces chip off the edge.
Any other base I use is toast in 10 wacks.
Any other base I use is toast in 10 wacks.
WoodTick007
Addicted to ArboristSite
Elm
Elm is a great wood to burn if you have a closed stove. It does not have large flames and coals up very well. It can present some difficulty when splitting. Most Elm I have been getting has been standing dead and is infested with large cream colored grubs that are easily 1" long. When splitting start at the outer edge with a maul and sledge when the wood is frozen. It splits somewhat easy.
I suggest you go by when they are cutting and try splitting a round or two. You might be suprised.
Elm is a great wood to burn if you have a closed stove. It does not have large flames and coals up very well. It can present some difficulty when splitting. Most Elm I have been getting has been standing dead and is infested with large cream colored grubs that are easily 1" long. When splitting start at the outer edge with a maul and sledge when the wood is frozen. It splits somewhat easy.
I suggest you go by when they are cutting and try splitting a round or two. You might be suprised.
