# Burning Hemlock



## boisblancboy (Jan 8, 2011)

Hey guys,  I have a giant Hemlock tree in my back yard that needs to go.  The top half of the tree is dead so I want it gone before the whole thing ends up dead.  The tree is at least 36" across at the base.  So my question is, can I burn hemlock without any problem?  I wouldnt be burning it until next burning season.


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## Hardrockmaple (Jan 8, 2011)

It will burn hot and fast.


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## RNLA (Jan 8, 2011)

Hi, I live on the west coast and I know the Hemlock is suposed to be a different tree out here but we burn hemlock all the time. I would give it a try if there is that much wood.


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## hemlock (Jan 8, 2011)

Hemlock burns hot and fast, as one other said.  I have burned it for a few years (not exclusively Hemlock), but a few logs worth, with no issues at all.  Just like with all wod, make sure it is seasoned.


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## boisblancboy (Jan 8, 2011)

Thats why I wanted to know if burning it would be alright, there is a ton of wood in that big boy, hate just seeing it go to waste.  I am guessing around 3 face cord in it, as long as the top of it is not rotten.  I generally burn, popular and bass wood for thing in the heating season anyway, better than using my hardwood for the cold parts of the year.


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## RNLA (Jan 8, 2011)

CUT IT UP, Hemlock will burn hot and fast compared to the eastern hardwoods, but as I said before, we burn it out here on the west coast. Then again we do not have all the oaks, and sugar maple ETC. Move on this now where is my maul? :gulp:


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## boisblancboy (Jan 8, 2011)

Bondo said:
			
		

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Awesome good to know!  I have a few other smaller ones that I am going to bring down as well to open my yard up to more sun, also so that I can see a few of the nice hardwood trees, (Maple, Birch, Red Oak).  I have a few cedars to come down as well, but I just save some of them and split them up for kindling.


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## billb3 (Jan 8, 2011)

We have hemlock, white pine and a little bit of red pine.
I mix them all together.

Hemlock might split a little easier of those three.


Probably burn well next Winter if you get it split up soon.


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## begreen (Jan 8, 2011)

I've burned a few hemlocks. Brought down a similarly sized tree last year and we have some mixed in our wood right now. It burns fine. Maybe not as much heat, but it's ok as firewood. Split it somewhat large to slow it down a bit. A big tree like that will provide about 1.5-2 cords of good firewood.


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## Wood Duck (Jan 9, 2011)

I like Hemlock. The knots can be a pain when you're splitting. I think you'll get more than three face cords from a 36 inch diameter tree. I'd save a lot of the larger branches too. I always seem to need small, fast burning wood when I am trying to burn down the coals in my stove.


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## ISeeDeadBTUs (Jan 9, 2011)

Let's see. . .yer gonna cut down a tree that the top is dead and will prolly snap off and crush your head while yer bent over cutting it . . . all for what? 1 cord of Hemlock a/ka/ a weeks worth of semi-warmth . . .???

Don't bother :down:


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## firefighterjake (Jan 10, 2011)

My motto . . . if it's a tree I'll burn it . . . since for every season there is a species to burn . . . being a softwood you will most likely get a quick, hot fire from this wood . . . don't overstuff the firebox with a bunch of small stuff and you should be fine . . . excellent wood for the shoulder seasons . . . I have some pine and poplar that I tend to burn myself during the shoulder seasons along with some slab wood.


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## boisblancboy (Jan 10, 2011)

ISeeDeadBTUs said:
			
		

> Let's see. . .yer gonna cut down a tree that the top is dead and will prolly snap off and crush your head while yer bent over cutting it . . . all for what? 1 cord of Hemlock a/ka/ a weeks worth of semi-warmth . . .???
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> Don't bother :down:



I used an Excavator.


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## FLINT (Jan 10, 2011)

yes, it will burn fine. 

but I've decided that its not worth it - unless you have a hydraulic splitter.  the knots in hemlock are harder than steel and you will not split through them by hand.  a knotty oak crotch is like splitting tulip poplar compared to a knotty round of hemlock.   I've got some white pine right know that's almost as bad.  

If I were you - I would saw that tree up into lumber or sell it to someone who wants to make lumber or something like that.  After splitting up one tree each this year of hemlock and white pine I believe that in the future I will not be seeking them out as firewood. 

so there's my opinion - saw it up and build a sweet shed to hold some better wood.


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## ISeeDeadBTUs (Jan 10, 2011)

boisblancboy said:
			
		

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I luv hydraulics :coolsmirk:  The Hemlock's still gonna burn like sheetz,but the 45 seconds it takes to get it down might be worth it.


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## billb3 (Jan 10, 2011)

boisblancboy said:
			
		

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I watched someone do that with a big excavator on some huge pines.
Got the bucket up on the tree top and  just pushed straight down on it.
It shatterred into hundreds of pieces.
He did  five of them  on a house lot with just the foundation in.
Five piles of pine shards in  five huge piles.
Took him longer to position the excavator than it did to  squash the trees.

The piles were all gone several days later, but I wasn't home to see how they cleaned it all up.


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## boisblancboy (Jan 11, 2011)

Yeah lucky for me I have a nice splitter or you guys are right, I wouldnt be splitting it by hand thats for sure.  You know I have a bunch of these big hemlocks on my property, but my neighbor used to own a saw mill and told me the lumber from those trees are worth much or I would have sold them possibly.  Either way it was easy enough for me to get the tree down, cut and split I might as well use it as firewood.  Nicest part of it, is that it was right at the house, no need to go out looking for wood.

I had to take the tree down anyway, didnt want to take the chance of that top coming out of it while the kids were playing around it in the yard.  So really a win win all the way around.


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## CTYank (Jan 11, 2011)

Wood Duck said:
			
		

> I like Hemlock. The knots can be a pain when you're splitting. I think you'll get more than three face cords from a 36 inch diameter tree. I'd save a lot of the larger branches too. I always seem to need small, fast burning wood when I am trying to burn down the coals in my stove.



Excuse me, please, but what is this repetitive noise of "face cords"?

That's like "fat bolt" and "skinny washer." Meaningless, or intentional deception.


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## FLINT (Jan 11, 2011)

thats nice that you still have some big hemlocks.  They are all dead here now.  Such big beautiful trees that were one of the icons of the appalachian cove forests.  The hemlock whooly adelgid has killed practically all of them in the central appalachians - there are some pockets of them at high elevations in WV yet, and some small ones around here and there, but most are gone.  

so hold on to those while you can before they are all gone.


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## boisblancboy (Jan 13, 2011)

CTYank said:
			
		

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Seem to be a problem with face cords?


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