Alder Firewood (16 Photos): Properties, Pros And Cons Of Chopped Alder Firewood. What Is Better Than Birch? Choosing For The Stove And Bath

2024 Author: Beatrice Philips | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-18 12:09

Various types of firewood are used to heat various rooms, including baths. They can be made from different types of wood. They are often made from alder, which has many important advantages over other types of wood. You should be aware of the features of alder firewood and in what areas they can be used.

Properties

Alder firewood is often called royal firewood. They dry as quickly as possible and at the same time retain their pleasant aroma. Alder heats up quickly and easily, and most importantly - gives a large amount of heat.

Such firewood will slowly burn out. In the process of combustion, the material will produce a minimum amount of soot and smoke . These alder products are considered a preferable option compared to many other blanks, including birch. Alder can be harvested and stored for a very long time. It is better not to store birch for more than 2 years, because it will quickly become damp and start to rot. In this form, it will no longer be able to provide the proper heat transfer.

Alder wood is considered healing; special infusions are often prepared from it to combat various diseases. In addition, the smoke emitted by it does not contain harmful impurities; it is able to collect and remove all accumulated soot from the chimney.

This wood has good water resistance . It practically does not rot, but at the same time it should not be placed in poorly ventilated rooms. Dried products will not crack and deform even after a long time. They are relatively lightweight and therefore comfortable to work with.

Pros and cons

Alder firewood can boast of many significant advantages

• Easy handling . Alder does not require any additional special drying. For kindling stoves, as a rule, they sell products from trees that grew far from water bodies, so the wood will quickly dry on its own to the desired state. But for this you will need to pre-saw the workpieces.
• Aroma . In the process of burning such firewood, an unobtrusive and pleasant smell will be emitted. Alder firewood is often used for grilling fish, meat and vegetables.
• Nice appearance . When cutting alder blanks, you can see a variety of colors, including blue, yellow, red. The color will depend on the type of alder, as well as on the place where it grows. When such firewood is burned, an amazing picture can be observed.
• Slow combustion . This allows you to significantly save on wood raw materials.
• Environmental friendliness . When burning, the material will not emit substances harmful to humans and their health.

Such firewood has practically no drawbacks. It is only worth noting that all of the above important properties will apply only to those species that grew in dry areas.

Swamp alder firewood is not suitable for heating.

Application

Such wood-based materials can be used for various purposes

• It is quite possible to heat baths with them. After all, in addition to generating heat, they will also have a healing effect on a person.
• In addition, alder chopped firewood can be taken for kindling a home stove. Sometimes they are purchased for cleaning the chimney and creating ventilation, since the smoke they emit takes away all the accumulated soot that was left after using other wood.
• Sometimes small chips are made from such products, which are later used for smoking meat and fish. Dishes prepared in this way will have a unique taste and aroma.
• Alder blanks can also be suitable for construction work. They can be used to build small outbuildings on the site, bath rooms. Materials that undergo careful processing and leveling are used to create garden furniture and gazebos.
• Rarely, such firewood is used for processing into charcoal. The resulting mass can subsequently be taken for the manufacture of gunpowder.

Storage

To prevent alder from losing all its important and useful properties, you should remember about some storage rules

• For shelter, the best option would be slate, roofing felt, or simply the most dense film. Such materials will help protect wooden blanks from precipitation. In this case, the wood will not get damp and will not collapse.
• Do not forget about constant ventilation. Firewood can only be covered with protective material, it is not recommended to cover them completely. In this case, the air circulation necessary for the wood will occur. If you have folded materials indoors and covered them completely, then even dry elements can damp.
• It is not recommended to stack the wood too tightly against the wall. The distance should be at least 20 cm. Take care in advance to create a solid base. The bottom row should not be laid directly on the ground or on the floor in the room, as the wood can quickly become damp.
• First, it is better to lay a layer of bricks on the surface. If they are not there, then an ordinary wooden board or block will do. Be sure to check that the lined firewood structure is fairly stable. If necessary, it can be securely fastened with metal cables that are fixed directly in the ground or neatly attached to other sturdy structures.
• Alder logs should be folded in such a way that there is a little open space between them. Do not send too large workpieces for storage. It is best to cut them into medium-sized pieces. They will have to be located near the house so that it is convenient to take the material as needed.