Cedar as firewood?

[RBEmerson]

We have a bunch of cedar on the property, and we're slowly thinning it out to make room for stuff we've planted. Can it be used as firewood without making a mess of the chimney? Pine, of course, is a good way to set up a chimney fire. Cedar doesn't seem to have a lot of sap that could be a problem. Of it's a hard wood (death on the chain saw and chipper), so I won't using it to start fires.

Any thoughts on spicebush? This stuff is a serious PITA; we're cutting it down as we plant new stuff to screen the house from the road. The bigger "bushes" have trunks that are upwards towards 3-4" in diameter. It's a soft wood, but we've got so much it that I'm willing to use it in the fireplace, even if I have to keep stoking the stuff a lot.

[Sport-Touring]

[misanthropist]

I use it as kindling at my cabin.  It splits finely and easily.

We burned tons of it growing up, in an uninsulated house on the coast here in Canada heated exclusively with wood.

20 years there...chimney cleaned once every 21 years or more.

[Bounce]

Cedar or not, burning green wood may be the bigger issue. Creosote can build up and lead to chimney fires. I had ours cleaned routinely. My neighbor didn't. When he realized that the helicopter he heard landing in his yard was actually a chimney fire, he used a garden hose to try and manage it while waiting for the fire department to arrive.

I started letting the wood I cleared sit longer after that.

The house we live in now I had changed from the blue prints. NO FIREPLACE/CHIMNEY.

[Dan K]

SO I have a fireplace in the house, had a set of gas logs, but it was mostly a full renovation when I bought and the fireplace didn't work (needed a new coupler).

Never tried to light a fire, but any risk to taking out the fake logs and having a fire? I open the flu and I clearly get a draft. Thought I'd run one of those bullshit chimney cleaning logs and start a fire, see how it goes.

SHould I pay someone to clean it out first?

- Dan

[RBEmerson]

TNX! I let green wood sit for at least a year before I burn it. The cedar in question comes from either deadfalls or shoots or auxiliary trunks that died off (i.e., naturally aged [/grin]).

I guess I'll find out next year how spicebush does in the fireplace.  

[naustin]

I like to use left over cedar shake shingles for kindling because the split so easily. It crackles and pops and spits embers.  Burns like gasoline!  

[RBEmerson]

Good point. I had a bunch of them left over from my parents' house's new roof. Great kindling!

[Bounce]

I like to use left over cedar shake shingles for kindling because the split so easily. It crackles and pops and spits embers.  Burns like gasoline!  

That's why I wouldn't recommend it. It burns hot and spits like an SOB.

[RBEmerson]

Not so good for fuel wood, but sounds good to get the fuel wood going.

[misanthropist]

Yeah, it's primo kindling.

[Mr.Black]

Smells spectacular when it burns.

[Dan K]

SO I have a fireplace in the house, had a set of gas logs, but it was mostly a full renovation when I bought and the fireplace didn't work (needed a new coupler).

Never tried to light a fire, but any risk to taking out the fake logs and having a fire? I open the flu and I clearly get a draft. Thought I'd run one of those bullshit chimney cleaning logs and start a fire, see how it goes.

SHould I pay someone to clean it out first?

- Dan

Meant to do that as a new topic...sorry bout that...

[Hank in WV]

Great for building kayaks

[RBEmerson]

And cedar chests and closets...