White ash is a hardwood that grows in eastern North America. It's one of the most popular types of wood for use as firewood because it doesn't give off much smoke, sparks, or odor when burned. It also provides lots of heat energy per cord.
It’s also great for burning indoors or outdoors. It can be used in an enclosed space without the worry of damaging your home. This type of firewood can rot easily if left outside too long and is in contact with moisture.
White ash grows best in full sun and moist soils along riverbanks and floodplains. White ash is considered very shade tolerant, but some studies have shown that it will not reproduce under heavy shade.
It is used to make baseball bats, furniture, and flooring. Its straight grain can be easily stained and worked into finished wood products.
Overview of white ash firewood
Hardwood or softwood: hardwood
Green weight: 3960 lbs. per cord
Dry weight: 3480 lbs. per cord
BTUs per cord: 24 million
Density when dry: 42 lbs/cubic ft
Hardness: 1320 lbs. force
Splitting: medium difficultly
Seasoning time: 6 to 18 months
Smoke: low
Sparks: few
Coals: good
Smell: slight bad smell when green
Quality: excellent
Rots easy: rots easy when left sitting in moisture
Cost: average
Where does it grow: Eastern North America
Burn indoors/outdoors: indoors and outdoors
Toxicity/Allergens: slight irritation to lungs and skin
Buying white ash firewood
The easiest way to purchase cut white ash logs for burning in your fireplace, stove, or outdoors is to buy them in small bundles, 1/4 cord, 1/2 cord, or a full cord. You can get smaller quantities from an online retailer or a local home improvement store.
Local firewood yards, by contrast, will have larger quantities of white ash firewood for sale if that is what you are looking for. Often, the more firewood they sell to you at once, the lower their prices will be per unit.
If you want to buy some white ash firewood, there are a few different ways to choose from depending on how much you need and what your needs are. You should remember that this type of tree grows in Eastern North America where they have plenty of room to grow tall and strong. So it will be cheaper to purchase the closer you are to the east.
Splitting white ash firewood
Splitting white ash can sometimes be difficult because of its density and hardness. That's why you should use a splitting ax or splitting wedge. Splitting axes are designed to split logs that are longer than they are wide, while wedges can be used on wood pieces of any length or width.
Drying white ash firewood
It's important to completely dry your white ash before burning it in order to avoid getting the "white ash blues." The wood should be completely dry within 6 to 18 months.
Split white ash logs so they dry quicker. Place your split white ash firewood on a rack with ample spacing between each piece so air can flow around it.
White ash firewood safety precautions
Whenever you're burning white ash wood, whether it's seasoned or not, there are a few precautions that you should take. For starters, never burn green wood in your fireplace because it produces more smoke than dry wood.
When burning white ash near your home, if possible, use fans to blow the smoke away from your home. This will prevent your white ash firewood from creating too much smoke and getting into your house.
It's also important to remember that seasoned and unseasoned white ash firewood is flammable, so you should never store it near anything that could catch it on fire.
White ash firewood sparks
When white ash firewood is seasoned it doesn't produce many sparks. You will get more sparks if you burn white ash firewood when it is green.
Burning wet white ash firewood in your fireplace can cause sparks because the flammable moisture in the trees is burned away. Always exercise caution when burning green wood and keep an eye on your surroundings to prevent accidental fires.
White ash firewood smoke
White ash doesn't produce a lot of smoke. Wood smoke from white ash emits some creosote which is a potentially dangerous substance that can affect the respiratory system and damage indoor air quality. Be sure to turn on your fans when you're burning it indoors. If the wood is too damp, it may produce even more smoke than usual.
If you want to avoid buying green logs entirely, consider splitting and seasoning your wood before you put it into your wood stove or fireplace.
Tips on how to store white ash firewood properly
The best way to store dry white ash firewood is to stack it on a pallet or firewood rack. If you're going to store wood for a long period of time, it's also a good idea to store it in a sheltered environment where moisture won't build up on the wood and rot portions of it over time.
Burning white ash firewood
Burning any type of wood produces some amount of ash and other particulate matter, so the EPA recommends burning only dry firewood, which reduces both your risk of breathing in potentially dangerous particles and also makes cleanup easier on you after your fire is finished.
White ash is an excellent choice for outdoor fires because it produces more heat than softer hardwoods like pine or maple. Outdoor fires should always be supervised by an adult in order to prevent accidents. Never burn green logs in an outdoor fireplace because it can cause sparks and large quantities of smoke.
Is white ash good firewood summary
White ash is a good firewood for cooking and heating. It has similar qualities to oak because it burns hot, long and slow. White ash can be split relatively easy, but can take a little effort. It is also good for burning outdoors and indoors because it doesn't produce much smoke or sparks.
