Agreed, the only time it goes in the stove is because the tree was cut down for another reason. It's also a pain to split, even in -40 where in those temps spruce and pine just pops.
Choosing firewood - limited options, limited space
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Agreed, the only time it goes in the stove is because the tree was cut down for another reason. It's also a pain to split, even in -40 where in those temps spruce and pine just pops.
SpaceBus
Minister of Fire
I wish my spruce popped apart when it's cold! Even well frozen spruce rounds were the devil for me to hand split. The Poplar we have here is like alder by comparison. Regional differences are huge in some cases!
I had a Colorado blue spruce in the front yard by the power lines pieced down by a couple arborist guys that have been at it for about 70 years tried to talk me out of saving the spruce for firewood. I should have listened to them. It's awful to split. I still have about a 1/3 cord of rounds. It doesn't burn much better than the eastern white pine I've got tons of.
SpaceBus
Minister of Fire
Yeah, yard tree so lots of limbs, but it was rubbery. I used to watch it bend and wiggle in high winds and how it reacted to wind and snow made sense when I tried splitting it.
Regarding creosote and chimney cleaning: I would recommend skipping the creosote logs and learning to clean your chimney yourself. I use a rotary brush that attaches to flexible rods and then to a handheld drill; it's called a Soot Eater and cost about $30. Most setups can be cleaned from the bottom up, so you don't even have to get on the roof. I don't know if you have a catalyst, but I don't think creosote logs do good things to the catalyst.
