| Wood Variety | Rating | Heat Yield | Burn Difficulty | Split Difficulty | BTUs per cord (Millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ash | Excellent | High | Easy | Hard | 25.9 |
| Red Oak | Excellent | High | Easy | Hard | 21.7 |
| White Oak | Excellent | High | Easy | Hard | 26.5 |
| Beech | Excellent | High | Easy | Hard | 21.8 |
| Birch | Excellent | High | Easy | Hard | 21.3 |
| Hickory | Excellent | High | Easy | Hard | 30.0 |
| Hard Maple | Excellent | High | Easy | Hard | 29.7 |
| Pecan | Excellent | High | Easy | Hard | |
| Dogwood | Excellent | High | Easy | Hard | 24.3 |
| Soft Maple | Good | Medium | Easy | Hard | 19.1 |
| Cherry | Good | Medium | Easy | Hard | 18.5 |
| Walnut | Good | Medium | Easy | Hard | 20.3 |
| Elm | Fair | Medium | Medium | Easy | 23.8 |
| Sycamore | Fair | Medium | Medium | Easy | 18.5 |
| Gum | Fair | Medium | Medium | Easy | 18.1 |
| Mesquite | Good | High | Medium | Easy | |
| Aspen | Fair | Low | Easy | Hard | 14.5 |
| Basswood | Fair | Low | Easy | Hard | 12.6 |
| Cottonwood | Fair | Low | Easy | Hard | 12.2 |
| Chestnut | Poor | Low | Easy | Hard | |
| Yellow Poplar | Poor | Low | Easy | Hard | 16.0 |
| Southern Yellow Pine | Good | High | Easy | Hard | |
| Douglas Fir | Good | High | Easy | Hard | 21.4 |
| Cypress | Fair | Medium | Medium | Hard | |
| Redwood | Fair | Medium | Medium | Hard | |
| White Cedar | Good | Medium | Easy | Hard | 17.5 |
| Western Red Cedar | Good | Medium | Easy | Hard | 17.5 |
| Eastern Red Cedar | Good | Medium | Easy | Hard | 17.5 |
| Juniper | Good | Medium | Easy | Hard | |
| Pinon | Good | Medium | Easy | Hard | |
| Eastern White Pine | Fair | Low | Medium | Hard | 15.8 |
| Western White Pine | Fair | Low | Medium | Hard | 15.8 |
| Sugar Pine | Fair | Low | Medium | Hard | 15.8 |
| Ponderosa Pine | Fair | Low | Medium | Hard | 17.0 |
| True Firs | Fair | Low | Medium | Hard | 19.5 |
| Tamarack | Fair | Medium | Easy | Hard | 20.8 |
| Larch | Fair | Medium | Easy | Hard | 20.8 |
| Spruce | Poor | Low | Easy | Hard | 15.9 |
| Alder | Fair | Medium | Fair | Hard | 17.6 |
| Apple | Fair | Medium | Hard | Easy | 17.6 |
| Ironwood | Excellent | Very High | Hard | Easy | 24.7 |
| Black Locust | Excellent | Very High | Hard | Easy | 26.5 |
| Madrone | Excellent | High | Hard | Easy | 30.0 |
| Willow | Fair | Low | Hard | Hard | 14.5 |
Data is from: U.S. Forest Products Laboratory.
You will get the best results burning wood with the highest BTU (available heat) content.
Firewood Measurements
1 full cord measures 8 feet long x 4 feet high and 4 feet wide or 128 cubic feet.
A face cord measures 8 feet long x 4 feet high, with the average log length being 16″-18″, making it approximately 48 cubic feet.
Looking for a log rack to properly dry and season your firewood? There is an abundance of sizes, styles, and prices of indoor and outdoor firewood racks available.