Heating your property in France with wood is a green option.
Wood is the only plentiful and renewal energy source available excepting wind, solar etc. In fact burning wood is actually a form of solar energy. When trees grow they use solar energy and are one of the most efficient forms of solar energy around.
People often wonder about what wood to burn. Everyone in France seems to burn either Oak or Sweet Chestnut, which are two of the most prolific treas in France. I prefer to burn Ash but this is very hard to come by, especially in central Brittany. Here is an age old verse to help you remember which woods are best for heating your French property.
Beechwood fires are bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year
Chestnut only good they say
If for long it's laid away
Make a fire of elder tree
Death within your house will be
But ash new or ash old
Is fit for a Queen with a crown of gold
Birch and Fir logs burn too fast
Blaze up bright and do not last
It is by the Irish said
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread
Elm wood burns like churchyard mould
Even the very flames are cold
But ash green or ash brown
Is fit for a Queen with a golden crown
Poplar gives a bitter smoke
Fills your eyes and makes you choke
Apple wood will scent your room
With an incense-like perfume
Oaken logs, if dry and old
Keep away the winters cold
But ash wet or ash dry
A king shall warm his slippers by.
Ash is also one of the faster growing hard woods. Though it doesn't give of quite as much heat as Oak it is faster growing, coppice's well and doesn't require the seasoning that Oak does. It is also very straight grained and is very easy to split.
Wood for your wood burning stove
Coefficient list in English and French
| French Wood |
English Wood |
Coefficient |
| Chene |
Oak |
9.9 |
| Frene |
Ash |
9.2 |
| Erable |
Maple |
9.1 |
| Bouleau |
Birch |
8.9 |
| Orme |
Elm |
8.4 |
| Hetre |
Beech |
8.0 |
| Saule |
Willow |
7.1 |
| Sapin |
Pine |
7.0 |
| Meleze |
Larch |
6.6 |
| Tilleul |
Lime |
5.2 |
| Peuplier |
Poplar |
5.0 |
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| An email from a visitor to this page on wood burning stoves, who
lives in the Dordogne area of France and uses Hornbeam (Charme) in his wood
burning stove, suggests that Hornbeam is as good or even better than burning
Oak... One to try perhaps? Thanks Charles! |
Some stoves will work with coke/coal etc but be sure you know for sure that your stove will be OK! There are about a dozen grades of Cast Iron - Not all can stand the very high temperatures generated by Coke/Coal etc and must only ever be used with wood otherwise they will begin to melt and sag!!!!!!
It is also advisable to use the wood that is as dry and as seasoned as possible, for two reasons 1. you get more heat, 2. you don't soot your chimney up as quickly. Burning softwoods like pine will also leave build ups in your chimney much quicker than burning a hardwood like Ash or Oak. If burning softwoods you should think about cleaning your chimney twice a year instead of once a year.
Stay warm and safe!!