# Hemlock ok to burn?



## BillsWS

Around the corner a neighbor took out some maple and hemlock trees.  I stopped to ask if they wanted me to haul off the wood.  The neighbor said he promised the maple to someone else but I could have the hemlock.  Is it worth taking?  This will be my first winter with a wood stove in this house, a BK Princess.  I have wood drying that I bought last winter so I wouldn't be burning the hemlock until next year.  Should I pass and just move forward with the hard maple I have on my woodlot?  TIA


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## jwoair23

I'm sure more experienced people will chime in shortly (I've never burned any), but thought I would give you this link to look at the BTU's. Looks like its pretty comparable to pine as far as BTU's go:

http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/howood.htm


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## JP11

It's not great.. but if it's FREE and EASY.. go for it.  I've got a dozen plus Irene blowdowns that I've got cut up.  It doesn't seem to coal well.. but free heat is good heat.

JP


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## tfdchief

Zap will be along here shortly to tell you about Hemlock.


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## DexterDay

Just because you cant burn it this year? Doesn't mean you shouldn't take it.

Excellent shoulder season wood.


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## amateur cutter

DexterDay said:


> Just because you cant burn it this year? Doesn't mean you shouldn't take it.
> 
> Excellent shoulder season wood.


 
+ 1


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## Locust Post

Your question "Hemlock okay to burn" answer, any wood is okay to burn some just burn better than others. A fellow wood burner says "If it's free it's for me"


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## weatherguy

Take it and burn it next year, I have a cord and half so far from dead trees from my neighbors Ive been cutting, it'll burn just fine in your BK as long as its dry. Makes good kindling too.


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## Bigg_Redd

BillsWS said:


> Around the corner a neighbor took out some maple and hemlock trees. I stopped to ask if they wanted me to haul off the wood. The neighbor said he promised the maple to someone else but I could have the hemlock. Is it worth taking? This will be my first winter with a wood stove in this house, a BK Princess. I have wood drying that I bought last winter so I wouldn't be burning the hemlock until next year. Should I pass and just move forward with the hard maple I have on my woodlot? TIA


 
Rule #1 of heating with firewood: never pass on free wood (unless it's poplar or cottonwood)

Rule #2 of heating with firewood: See rule #1


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## thewoodlands

BillsWS, once the snow hits the ground I'll have 3 plus years of shoulder season wood c/s/s, most of that will be Hemlock. I've never burned it before so this fall will be our first, from my understanding it makes good shoulder season wood.

BillsWS, if we did not have the room I might not have the Hemlock in our stacks.

The Hemlock and Pine that mother nature put down use to stay on the forest floor, not anymore. The bigger stuff we mill the smaller goes in the shoulder season racks.

Zap


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## TimJ

That's turning your lemons into lemonade Zap


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## firefighterjake

I've burned some hemlock slabs . . . it actually burns a bit better than the pine . . . good for kindling and for burning in the shoulder seasons so you can conserve the "good stuff" for when it really gets cold.

Another vote for "Take it."


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## BillsWS

Thanks for the advice guys.  As soon as I wrap up my chimney install I'll see if the hemlock is still available.  Here's my thread with pics of the chimney progress: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/chimney-progress-pics.88651/#post-1151692


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## ScotO

I like burning hemlock for several reasons.  When cutting and splitting you don't get totally covered in sticky sap, I like the smell of hemlock when cutting and splitting, It seasons really quick when split and stacked, burns fast and pretty hot, but doesn't last long, and it crackles and pops......making it a great 'sit-around-the-fire-and-drink-some-beers' wood.  Great shoulder season wood, too.  Take it, you'll enjoy using it.


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## boisblancboy

I love burning Hemlock. Half of last years season was all hemlock. As other said no sap, smells good, splits nice. I actually like that it doesn't leave many large coals behind and I can go much longer not having to empty ashes since it turns to dust. I also burn popal too. If it's easy to get to, take it!


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## Jack Straw

For a softwood it seems quite dense. I have a ton of it and I am going to start processing it this year for the shoulder seasons.


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## bogydave

You guys down there better stock up on the hemlock.
Last winter all you had was "shoulder season" 

Hemlock: 15.3 mil BTU per cord.
Equal to the spruce here, which is for my shoulder season & occasional fires.


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## Backwoods Savage

Especially in the UP, lots of folks burn hemlock. I don't burn it but also don't have any on our place. Still have many, many cord of ash out there.


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## Cluttermagnet

I was doing some bush trimming for a friend. There was a split trunk Canadian Hemlock where one of the trunks was a bit too close to the front porch. Its foliage also was growing down and touching on the porch roof. So down it came. I noticed this was surprisingly heavy for a 'pine type of wood' when green. Long story short, I cut it up for firewood and split the bigger stuff. It seasoned fast, and I was able to burn it all, actually, later that winter. My advice is to take Hemlock if offered some. It's decent wood, and worth the trouble IMO.

Note that I burned it mixed with Oak, Cherry, Locust, and such. As with all the free Tulip (Yellow) Poplar I get, it is real good when added to the mix in the firebox. Looked like it was putting out maybe a wee bit more BTU's than typical dimensional lumber cutoffs from construction sites.


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## begreen

Bigg_Redd said:


> Rule #1 of heating with firewood: never pass on free wood (unless it's poplar or cottonwood)
> 
> Rule #2 of heating with firewood: See rule #1


 
We've burned a lot of hemlock. It's fine, especially for shoulder season burning. FWIW I passed on poplar for years. Locals call it chitwood. Then one came down in our yard. I burned some of it last fall and found out I liked it. (dope slap to head, I've passed on free truckloads of the stuff)  It's a great shoulder season wood as long as it's dry.


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## burleymike

I have burned poplar, cottonwood, and hemlock years ago and I thought it was fine.  It was not oak but it burned and it was free.  All 3 were similar to the lodgepole I burn now.


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## firefighterjake

Cluttermagnet said:


> I was doing some bush trimming for a friend. There was a split trunk Canadian Hemlock where one of the trunks was a bit too close to the front porch. Its foliage also was growing down and touching on the porch roof. So down it came. *I noticed this was surprisingly heavy for a 'pine type of wood' when green*. Long story short, I cut it up for firewood and split the bigger stuff. It seasoned fast, and I was able to burn it all, actually, later that winter. My advice is to take Hemlock if offered some. It's decent wood, and worth the trouble IMO.
> 
> Note that I burned it mixed with Oak, Cherry, Locust, and such. As with all the free Tulip (Yellow) Poplar I get, it is real good when added to the mix in the firebox. Looked like it was putting out maybe a wee bit more BTU's than typical dimensional lumber cutoffs from construction sites.


 
My dad always said hemlock was a pretty hard soft wood . . . and poplar was a pretty soft hard wood.


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## firefighterjake

begreen said:


> We've burned a lot of hemlock. It's fine, especially for shoulder season burning. FWIW I passed on poplar for years. Locals call it chitwood. Then one came down in our yard. I burned some of it last fall and found out I liked it. (dope slap to head, I've passed on free truckloads of the stuff) It's a great shoulder season wood as long as it's dry.


 
Maybe it's just me . . . but I sometimes wonder if having an EPA stove and actually burning seasoned wood instead of wood that folks think is seasoned translates into better burning times and a better burning experience with the so-called "junk wood" . . . I mean poplar, hemlock and pine aren't my "go to" wood of choice when it comes to doing the overnight fire in middle of January, but otherwise I've found that they produce a decent amount of heat with my stove.


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## Danno77

take it. I've been hanging out here for a few years and nobody (not even Dennis) has said "OMG, what do I do, I have TOO much wood"


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## Backwoods Savage

Danno77 said:


> take it. I've been hanging out here for a few years and nobody (not even Dennis) has said "OMG, what do I do, I have TOO much wood"


 
 But, OMG, I need some more wood!


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## Danno77

Hahaha! I got Dennis to use txt speak!


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## Backwoods Savage

Whoops.


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## Danno77

I think you meant:
"ROFL, I <3 Danno, he's my BFF. TTYL"


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## Backwoods Savage

Say what?


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## Danno77

well, since I got you to say "OMG" I figured the next step was learning all the other texting abbreviations:

ROFL (Rolling On the Floor Laughing)
<3 (that's a sideways heart, look closely)
BFF (Best Friends Forever)
TTYL (Talk To You Later)


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