I dont believe the BTU Charts on this one

[MAD MAX]

About 25 or so years ago I was single and renting this little house with no wood heat, I came to an agreement with the landlord to put in a wood stove And he asked if I could cut down two Very dead Elm trees in the Back of the property.

So I did both, Now that dead Elm was hard as rock and nearly immpossible to split. But good god it burned real hot and long.

But most of the BTU charts list Elm as about 19 Million BTUs to the cord The same as Lodgpole pine. But it burns longer and hotter than that I can say for sure. I even thought it was better than Scrub Oak but not Quite as good as What we call Prarie Locust. I dont Know where the Info is gathered but Lots of these charts are way off on their heat values.:notrolls2:

 

[Gypo Logger]

There's something wrong there Max. Maybe the same BTU's if the Elm was green and the Lodge Pole was dry.
Any Elm when dry pumps out the BTU's, with the exception of maybe Chinese Elm.
John

 

[Dr. Hackemoff]

About 25 or so years ago I was single and renting this little house with no wood heat, I came to an agreement with the landlord to put in a wood stove And he asked if I could cut down two Very dead Elm trees in the Back of the property.

So I did both, Now that dead Elm was hard as rock and nearly immpossible to split. But good god it burned real hot and long.

But most of the BTU charts list Elm as about 19 Million BTUs to the cord The same as Lodgpole pine. But it burns longer and hotter than that I can say for sure. I even thought it was better than Scrub Oak but not Quite as good as What we call Prarie Locust. I dont Know where the Info is gathered but Lots of these charts are way off on their heat values.:notrolls2:

For some strange reason, elm left standing dead to the point where the bark falls off (but not rotten) burns great. I've burned many cords of the stuff. Yep, doesn't split by hand worth a darn at all. BUt I'd take a truckload of it anytime.

Yet the live elm I've cut and left to season two years cuz it starts so wet on the inside never burns worth a hoot. At least the elm varieties I've cut.

 

[TreePointer]

Shhh. Stop telling everyone!



Most people I know won't touch elm because it has a reputation for being not good firewood. Sure, it's' difficult to split by hand, but I really like the heat and it's an excellent coaling wood. A lot of charts have it at 19.5 BTU/cord, but I've also seen at almost 24 BTU/cord.

 

[branchbuzzer]

It depends on what BTU chart you're looking at. Plus, there are different species of elm ( Rock, Red, American,etc. )

This chart lists rock at the top of the list : http://www.woodheat.org/firewood/firewood.htm

While this one lists it in the middle: http://www.demesne.info/Garden-Help/Trees-Shrubs/Firewood-hard.htm

No two BTU charts seem to ever come up with the same result. Just enjoy your heat!

 

[rmount]

All wood burns and BTU charts make great kindling!

 

[TreePointer]

All wood burns and BTU charts make great kindling!

Now that seems like the proper perspective.

 

[branchbuzzer]

Now that seems like the proper perspective.

I'm having trouble burning those online charts, must not be seasoned enough.

 

[rmount]

I'm having trouble burning those online charts, must not be seasoned enough.

Ya gotta split the electrons first

 

[Biker Dude]

For some strange reason, elm left standing dead to the point where the bark falls off (but not rotten) burns great. I've burned many cords of the stuff. Yep, doesn't split by hand worth a darn at all. BUt I'd take a truckload of it anytime.

That's exactly how I feel about Elm around here. When the bark falls off, it's ready except for the base of the trunk which is still kind of wet. Most of what I burn is American Elm and I would put it up against any other hardwood in my area for BTUs, long burn times, and a good bed of coals.

 

[RAG66]

Yeah, The BTU, moisture meter, and anti softwood guy has really put me down for burning trees with needles instead of leaves.

 

[Whitespider]

I've already mentioned that I'm burnin' near 100% standing dead elm this year, and cuttin' as I burn. All those dead elm look the same with the bark missing, but I am finding a difference... must be at least two, maybe three different species standing dead in my grove. One tree will burn long, with a pile of coals and the next will just burn to ash with very little coals... all of it burns HOT! Right now I'm burnin' one with extremely stringy wood, and heavier than the previous, it lasts longer and coals up good. I'm also finding that stacking the "wet base" wood down by the stove for about a week to 10 days will dry it enough to mix in with "top wood".

Seems kind'a silly that I walked right past those elm for so long... all the tiny stuff has fallin' off and no bark... just a pile of wood when you're done. When I can, I just drop 'em, hook on with my 4x4 and drag the whole tree right up to the house... buck, split and toss down the old coal shoot... ends up piled in the old coal room about 10-feet from the stove. I'm only handling the wood one time from standing to inside the house that way.

 

[sunfish]

Around here we have a couple types of elms, one rots when it dies, wood it white in color.

The other doesn't rot, wood is red and hard and great firewood. Some easy to split, some not by hand.

 

[CrappieKeith]

Ya gotta split the electrons first

 

[branchbuzzer]

Ya gotta split the electrons first

That might be more heat than I need. I wonder what the IAEA would say.

 

[AIM]

Around here we have a couple types of elms, one rots when it dies, wood it white in color.

The other doesn't rot, wood is red and hard and great firewood. Some easy to split, some not by hand.

Are you sure the white wood isn't box elder? Up here in NW Ohio box elder will die and debark just like elm. Many times at first glance I have mistaken box elder for elm. One cut though and the white color with the red stain in it and I know it's box elder and just walk away..
It rots QUICK. Usually by the time the bark is gone the wood is trash. Even when the wood isn't trash it is still not worth taking home.

Our elm is a tan color that will have a yellowish hue to the inside. (seems like after a period of time though the yellow goes away)

I believe I have the same "red" wood around here. I've never known for sure what it was though. It almost black on the barkless trunks or limbs (black like you hit it with a torch) and an almost solid reddish orange on the inside. I don't know if what I have is a variety of elm though. Never usually anything big. Mostly 12" and under stuff and a boatload of 4" - 6".
I've often wondered if it is very old locust.

Love both of these!

 

[mhyme71]

I burn elm as much or if not more than anything else. And yes it is a beast to split even with a splitter but man it is great burning stuff. I was told by a park ranger friend of mine that the wood i am cuttin is slippery elm. the bark is usually gone and it stands a good while on its own. By the way if you look around those slippery elms during the right time of year you might find some tasty treats poppin up

 

[4seasons]

It depends on what BTU chart you're looking at. Plus, there are different species of elm ( Rock, Red, American,etc. )
]

While this one lists it in the middle: http://www.demesne.info/Garden-Help/Trees-Shrubs/Firewood-hard.htm

No two BTU charts seem to ever come up with the same result. Just enjoy your heat!

I find the other information in this chart to be wrong therefore question the BTU info as well. For example it lists white oak as being easy to split but red oak as difficult. I don't know were they got that information but it sure wasn't from swinging a maul.

 

[Whitespider]

...I was told by a park ranger friend of mine that the wood i am cuttin is slippery elm....

"Slippery" Elm is "Red" Elm.
The proper, non-scientific name for "Red" Elm is "Slippery" Elm. It is also know by several other name in different circles.

Most of us wood burnin' types call it "Red" Elm. If you've ever split the stuff, after it's sit with the bark on for the right amount of time, you'll figure out where it got the name "Slippery".

 

[Butch(OH)]

Are you sure the white wood isn't box elder?

Nope, I have all three. Box elder, the white elm and a darker elm that is not red elm (wish I had a grove of that) Also cut into one this year and found what Dad used to call pi$$ elm. You will know when you cut into one of those believe me, smelled like somebody kicker over a porta-john. I think all the elms dying was the opriginal reason for hydraulic splitters, LOL.