Is Elm any good for firewood? i had someone bring a load of elm and i cant say i've ever heard anyone use it or talk about it.
Thanks.....Dennis
Thanks.....Dennis
Elm ?
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howard270
Addicted to ArboristSite
I burned a little of it last year and was pleasantly surprised. Decently hot and burned down to a good clean bed of ashes, compared to the Hedge I usually burn. I have about 2 cords of it cut, split and stacked ready to start this season and will use the Hedge and Black Locust for the really cold spells.
I burned a small rick of Red ElmI had from 2 years ago at the beginning of this season. Very good wood. Burns hot, last long. Does leave a lot of ashes.
I and a friend both harvested Elm trees then. Due to the monstrous amount of brush one of those produces, the long curing peirod and they real nasty splitting problem (strings worse than any other owod I ever worked) we both swore we will never cut another one.
Now if someone was to deliver elm already worked up. Yep I would be right there.
Harry K
I and a friend both harvested Elm trees then. Due to the monstrous amount of brush one of those produces, the long curing peirod and they real nasty splitting problem (strings worse than any other owod I ever worked) we both swore we will never cut another one.
Now if someone was to deliver elm already worked up. Yep I would be right there.
Harry K
Thanks, guess I’ll go ahead and split it and set it aside for next year. Does it split better green or dry?
howard270
Addicted to ArboristSite
I found it split a lot better after being dry. I bucked up 2 trees, one standing dead and one that was alive when my dad pushed it out with a dozer about a month prior. The standing dead tree was a little stringy, compared to hedge and black locust here, but we got it done. I tried a few rounds from the green, dozed over tree and got so fed up fighting with it and cutting it through the rest of the way with an axe after my hydraulic splitter completed its stroke, that I just left it to dry for a year or so and will tackle it then.
savageactor7
ArboristSite Guru
Huh surprised elm grows down there where it's so hot.
But yeah I'm unlucky enough that elm is the hardest wood I have growing here presently. We've burned tons of it over the years...very difficult to spit. Even with a gas splitter you have to remind yourself 'be careful this is elm'. Otherwise it'll stall the splitter and you'll have to bang it off the wedge with a sledge.
But yeah I'm unlucky enough that elm is the hardest wood I have growing here presently. We've burned tons of it over the years...very difficult to spit. Even with a gas splitter you have to remind yourself 'be careful this is elm'. Otherwise it'll stall the splitter and you'll have to bang it off the wedge with a sledge.
woodhounder
ArboristSite Operative
very good wood, it has an underestimated heat value in my mind.
Ok thanks again. I ran a few pieces through the splitter last week and saw that it was very stringy and thought I’d check to see if it was worth my time or not. I have plenty of oak to work on so I’ll just set it aside for another time when it a bit dryer.
I’ll take the few pieces that I split and put them by the heater when it get cold and let it dry and try it out.
Thanks for the speedy responses. Dennis
I’ll take the few pieces that I split and put them by the heater when it get cold and let it dry and try it out.
Thanks for the speedy responses. Dennis
No, you didn't give a wrong impression. I tried to word myi reply so there was no doubt that you were correct. I was just quibbling over the one point were you (very weakly) implied that a 'rick' did have a standard measure.
Begin rant:
I do wish that the people who are so enamored of face cord, bush cord, etc. would restrict their use to their local area. This a world wide, fairly professional site and standard measure should be used when discussing the ammount of wood in any context.
End rant:
Harry K
Nice:confused2:
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Elm will split easier when allowed to sit for a while and dry out some. The wide wedges on a lot of the splitters are not the best choice for Elm or even Hickory. I have a 8" or so long narrow wedge with a spreader behind it. With this I have very little trouble with Elm green or slightly cured.
IPLUMB
ArboristSite Operative
Love dead Elm. One of my favorites
...(hot) But kinda stinks outside.
...(hot) But kinda stinks outside.
Davej_07
ArboristSite Operative
Make sure the edge of your wedge is sharp! Use a file, hand grinder, etc, but if you put an edge on it it will slice alot of the stringy stuff rather than bog down......at least this worked with my Speeco 25.
Dave
Dave
Bowtie
Gearhead
Red Elm is one of THE very best firewoods there is. Hard to find, most died out years ago. Im burning some now.
American Elm is good firewood. Stinks a little, but splits decent if straight grained. I like it when the temps arent under around 15 degrees or so.
Chinese Elm, aka Piss Elm I try to avoid. This is the stringy super wet stuff. Just like posted above, it burns ok, but burns up quick and leaves a lot of ashes. I have burned it, and will again if thats all i can find.
Its better than willow or cottonwood!
American Elm is good firewood. Stinks a little, but splits decent if straight grained. I like it when the temps arent under around 15 degrees or so.
Chinese Elm, aka Piss Elm I try to avoid. This is the stringy super wet stuff. Just like posted above, it burns ok, but burns up quick and leaves a lot of ashes. I have burned it, and will again if thats all i can find.
Its better than willow or cottonwood!
In Texas, Houston area, you would have three likely species of elm, two of which would be natural or native. The American Elm and Cedar Elm are both native to southern and eastern Texas, and the imported Siberian Elm could be found near anywhere in the U.S. I have no experience with the Cedar Elm but would think it's a lot like the American Elm. Both the American and Siberian Elm will split much easier if it's allow to season in-the-round for a year or so. As far as firewood quality, heating value, I would place it a bit higher than most charts I've seen... with American Elm being somewhat better than the Siberian.
One other possibility would be the Red Elm (Slippery Elm), but its natural range is considered a bit north of the Houston area and east Texas is the far western reaches of that range... still. The Red Elm is a different animal all-together, way under-rated on any chart I've ever seen... which makes me think that the people making those charts have never actually seen, handled and burned Red Elm. It is a heavy, dense wood... with heating values approaching that of Red Oak. Red Elm isn't near as stringy as American Elm and will actually split easier wet than dry... wet, frozen Red Elm can be split with a maul... hard, dry Red Elm will make all but the stoutest of hydraulic splitters scream in agony.
One other possibility would be the Red Elm (Slippery Elm), but its natural range is considered a bit north of the Houston area and east Texas is the far western reaches of that range... still. The Red Elm is a different animal all-together, way under-rated on any chart I've ever seen... which makes me think that the people making those charts have never actually seen, handled and burned Red Elm. It is a heavy, dense wood... with heating values approaching that of Red Oak. Red Elm isn't near as stringy as American Elm and will actually split easier wet than dry... wet, frozen Red Elm can be split with a maul... hard, dry Red Elm will make all but the stoutest of hydraulic splitters scream in agony.
borat
ArboristSite Operative
I remember years ago that I had the good fortune to clean up two huge elms that had been standing dead for a few years. The trunks were a good 36" across. It was a chore just bucking and loading the wood into the back of my pick-up. I made probably 12 or more trips to get it all home. Little did I know that the bucking and hauling was the easy part. Spitting that stuff with an eight lb. maul and wedge was brutal. I recall working so hard that I'd be out splitting that stuff in sub freezing temperature with my shirt off. Heavy work indeed. That was many years ago. I still have some of it in my woodshed!
I agree that it's a great firewood. The embers almost sound like ice in a glass of water when stir them up.
I agree that it's a great firewood. The embers almost sound like ice in a glass of water when stir them up.
Could not agree more. I've got a little of the red elm left over from last year and love burning that stuff.
Had a lot of chinese elm that I burn earlier in the fall (still burning a tad now) because it burns so fast, it's great when you just need to take the chill off.
AIM
Addicted to ArboristSite
In a scientific study of elm. It may not rank all that high in the BTU/ ash content/ splitability score.
In the "I wanna run around the house naked and chase the wife while being warm" score....
It's a 10!
In the "I wanna run around the house naked and chase the wife while being warm" score....
It's a 10!
1project2many
ArboristSite Guru
Always interesting reading people's impression of Elm. It must depend partly on what's available for wood locally. I burned a bunch of American Elm that was cut green. It burned, but it wasn't my favorite wood. For a lightweight, low density wood it definitely didn't ignite easily. I could light paper thin pieces with a match and they'd burn slowly or even go out. Throwing a piece on the coals in the morning only resulted in a cool, lazy fire that really needed help from other wood. This wood had seasoned for at least a year in the shed after being split and the burn characteristics didn't change over subsequent years. It also left a bunch of ash compared to many of the other woods I burn. And of course, every single piece needed to be pushed all the way across the splitter knife. Even a few small strings resulted in a fight. You need a good, hot fire to burn Elm. The last of it will be burned this winter and I can't wait. Now this year I happened on some Siberian Elm. Although it felt heavy when taken home, it's all water. Once this stuff dries out it has no weight whatsoever. I was warned by another forum member that it was garbage, and after burning a few pieces for a test I would agree. But at least it splits easily.
Several years ago I was given a pickup load of Chinese Elm and I'd burn it again. It lit well and burned fast and hot. Nothing like the AE that I had so much of. It would never make a good staple wood but mixed in with other hardwoods it was no problem. I'd try Red Elm if I could find it but so far, no luck.
Several years ago I was given a pickup load of Chinese Elm and I'd burn it again. It lit well and burned fast and hot. Nothing like the AE that I had so much of. It would never make a good staple wood but mixed in with other hardwoods it was no problem. I'd try Red Elm if I could find it but so far, no luck.
AIM
Addicted to ArboristSite
Every wood burning unit will burn differently. I know that is a very vague statement but it does seem to apply to elm. Some units do GREAT with it. Some it is just marginal.
Either american or red is in my top 5 woods to burn.
Either american or red is in my top 5 woods to burn.
