Experts on Keeping the House from Going up in Smoke

Many Key Peninsula residents heat with wood. The smell drifts from chimneys, clings to sweaters, and fills the frequently damp air. But behind every good fire is good wood, and without it, that cozy crackle could turn simple heat into a costly cleanup.

Key Peninsula News spoke with local and national experts who live and breathe this stuff: John Beavers, former owner of Beavers Firewood Service in Belfair; Rob Husted of Dave’s Chimney Service in Olalla; YouTube firewood pros Brad McGuirk (@FirewoodAtTheFurnace) and Dan Schaffner (@Back40Firewood); and Volunteer Battalion Chief Anne Nesbit of KP Fire District 16. 

Their advice boils down to one simple idea: a good fire takes wind, warmth, and waiting.

Don’t Get Scrooged Over 

Scroll through Facebook Marketplace for firewood, and you’ll see almost every ad promising “seasoned,” “dry,” or “ready to burn.” The problem is that those terms don’t always mean much to the buyer or seller.

“People will say their wood’s seasoned when it was cut last week,” Schaffner said. “They might not even know what that means.”

The difference between seasoned and green wood is huge. Green wood, which is freshly cut and full of moisture, might look and feel solid, but when it’s burned, it’s basically boiling water. 

“All wood will eventually burn,” Schaffner said. “But when you burn green wood, the heat from your fire has to evaporate the moisture inside the wood before it can warm your home. You’re using the wood’s energy to dry the wood, not heat your house.”

Another knock on green wood: the trapped moisture also creates a thicker smoke, cooler fires, and faster creosote buildup — the tar-like residue that can ignite inside your chimney. Green wood hisses when burned, and it’s likely the culprit of the glass on your fireplace turning black. 

Don’t Slack When You Stack

When people say “seasoned,” they’re really just talking about moisture level. Generally, the longer the wood has been split and stacked properly, the drier it should be. 

“Seasoned wood burns hotter, cleaner, and safer,” said Husted, who’s cleaned thousands of chimneys across the Key Peninsula and Gig Harbor. “It’s the cheapest insurance you can buy.”

To season wood, it takes the 3Ws: Wind, warmth, and waiting. McGuirk said wood needs to be stacked off the ground on something like crates or rows of 2x4s to avoid rot. Cover the top, not the sides. Wood needs to breathe and should be exposed to the wind and warmth. Covering the whole stack traps moisture, McGuirk said. Stack it too tightly, and the middle can mold. 

“Wood isn’t a sponge,” said Schaffner. “It can get rained on and still get dry, as long as there’s airflow.” 

As for the waiting part of the 3Ws? Rule of thumb: give it a year. Schaffner and McGuirk are already splitting next year’s firewood. If your home depends on firewood for heat, start stockpiling early. “You can never have too much firewood,” said McGuirk.

Know Before You Glow

The experts shared a few tell-tale signs that the wood you’re buying is ready to burn.

Weight test: Pick up a piece. If it feels heavy for its size, it’s probably still green. Sound test: Knock two pieces together: dry wood rings like bowling pins, not dull thuds. Look test: There should be cracks on the ends and bark peeling away. Moisture test: Use a moisture meter; 20% or less is ready to burn. 

Unless you’re buying straight from a wood yard, it’s tough to tell how much wood you’re really getting for your money. A cord of wood, a tightly stacked pile measuring 4 feet high, 4 feet deep, and 8 feet long, is the standard. Anything advertised as a “truckload” or “pickup load” isn’t measurable. “That’s a red flag,” McGuirk said. 

That said, a truckload of wood is worth whatever you’re willing to pay. “If you’re happy with the price and the quality,” Schaffner said, “then it’s the right price.”

Beavers said most Key Peninsula buyers go for fir, but madrona burns longer and hotter, and is worth the extra cost. A cord of seasoned fir can go for $275, while madrona could be as high as $495. “Burning a cord of madrona is about equal to burning two cords of fir,” he said.

Firewood prices can fluctuate throughout the year. Buy in spring and summer to save a few bucks. Wait until winter, and you’ll likely pay a “cold and scrambling” tax.

And beware of so-called “free” firewood. “There’s no such thing,” Schaffner said. “By the time you cut it, haul it, split it, and stack it, you’ve paid for it with sweat.”

Build it Right, Burn it Bright

When it’s time to light up, resist the urge to cram the stove full.

“Start small,” McGuirk said. “Dry kindling, thin pieces, maybe some newspaper. Stack it like a log cabin so air can move through. Add bigger pieces slowly.”

There’s a little physics in every good fire. Even running your clothes dryer can affect air pressure and weaken the draft. “That’s called the stack effect. It pulls air out of the house faster than your stove can pull it in. Just cracking your window open on the other side of the house will help your fire roar back to life,” Husted said.

Avoid burning trash, cardboard, or manufactured logs like Duraflame or Pres-to-Logs. Battalion Chief Nesbit said not only do they cause sparks, but they also burn too hot and can overheat chimneys. Missing screens on chimney caps and dirty chimneys are the leading cause of fireplace-related fires on the KP, she said. 

Both Nesbit and Husted recommend getting a chimney inspected and cleaned at least once a year if it’s used often.