The hot days are flying away, and the cold season will begin in no time. You’ll soon start wondering about the best ways to set up an outstanding fire, to bring back these days’ warmth.
Let me tell you, setting up a great fire requires some good preparation. And good knowledge about the different types of firewood. Today, we’re going to explore why is Sycamore good firewood?
Sycamore Firewood Traits
In order to understand why Sycamore is good firewood, we’ll need to recap the traits of good firewood. So, let’s explore what makes certain firewood types a better option.
Characteristics of Great Firewood Types
There are specific characteristics that determine a great firewood tree species. Most people consider the British Thermal Units (BTUs) as the main element of creating a warm fire.
The amount of BTUs generated from a particular firewood type creates more heatwaves. The average BTUs of good firewood can be anywhere around 20 Units or more.
The splitting ability is another element defining the wellness of the firewood type. While some types can generate strong heat, they might still be hard to split.
If you’re more of a handy person and don’t use automatic or industrial tools. An easy or medium splitting firewood can be the better option for you.
The last but not least element in determining the firewood quality is its seasoning. The less moisture found in the burnt wood, the more heat it creates. As it concentrates the burning energy in generating heat instead of evaporating moisture.
Finally, there are many other elements that distinguish a great firewood type. Some of these elements are smoke, fragrance, and creosote generation.
Characteristics of Sycamore as Firewood
Sycamore firewood is a hardwood type. Yet, it’s softer and lower in density than some softwood types. It lights up easily and gives better results when mixed with other firewood types.
But the downsides of Sycamore firewood can be that it’s hard to manually split. And also, that it’s full of water when freshly cut.
Now that we went through the general features of good firewood types. Let’s go through the diverse characteristics of sycamore firewood.
Heat Output
The Sycamore firewood generates up to 19.6 BTUs. This is similar to the BTUs generated from Walnut, and Elm trees.
Yet, Ash and Oak trees can still generate more fire heat. This is why it’s sometimes recommended to add these two types of firewood to sycamore.
Splitting
Unfortunately, the Sycamore firewood is difficult to split. It’s specifically hard in case you’re using hand tools like a maul or an axe.
However, if you’re using an automatic cutter, you won’t be facing troubles in splitting it at all.
Seasoning
Sycamore, like many other firewood types, needs a long time to dry. That’s why it’s usually recommended to prepare and stack your firewood patch a while before.
In this case, you might need to prepare the patch a year prior. This way you can guarantee your firewood is ready just on time when needing it.
Weight
You might find the Sycamore patch heavy when they are green and freshly cut. But when the water evaporates after seasoning, the bark’s weight becomes really light.
Additionally, the amount of water indicates whether or not your patch is ready to be fired.
Fragrance & Smoke
The Sycamore fragrance might not be the best when compared to other types. But some people still find that it produces a kind of sugary smell.
On the same level, the amount of smoke it produces is medium to low. This means that it doesn’t form disturbing smoke clouds inside your house.
Creosote
The creosote is the dark greasy substance that builds up on your chimney because of the fire fumes. The low amount of Creosote Sycamore generates is another reason why it’s a good firewood option.
Sycamore Trees
Sycamore mostly spread in the east of America, but it still grows in many areas around the country. It’s pretty recognizable by everyone, due to its exceptional shape and characteristics.
Here are a few of the most distinctive traits that we can find in the Sycamore trees. So you can tell when you see one ahead.
Size
It’s a fast-growing, and long-living tree species. Its size is huge and spreads massive leaves through time. The tree’s crown can grow to reach almost 60 feet wide.
It creates a wide dome formed of branches and leaves. Its average height is usually 100 inches, but few trees of this species might reach up to 150 inches height.
On the other side, the tree diameter can be anywhere between 3-8 feet diameter. This is usually way bigger than most of the other tree species.
Leaves
One leaf of Sycamore contains many leaves on its own. The leaves are mostly formed of oval shapes. They are long and have pinpointed tips.
It contains obvious and wavy veins, which all start from the same point. The texture of the leaf is a little bit fuzzy from the downside.
The leaves are often 4 inches wide. When measured from the tip of the leaf’s lobe to the one next to it. Finally, you’ll find the edge of the leaves containing a teeth-shaped pattern and looks a bit serrated.
Bark
The sycamore can also be easily distinguished by its bark. The bark of the tree is a bit brittle, as it can’t compete with the rapid growth of the tree.
This causes the bark of the tree to peel off easily, making the barks usually appear flaky, and patchy. For the same reasons, the tree bark usually possesses camouflage colors.
The older layers with the darker colors peel off, and the new layers inside show off in lighter colors. This creates a colorful sycamore bark. And it makes the bark’s colors vary between white, green, and brown.
Summary
Sycamore firewood is a great option for starting up a fire, or for quick fires on a comfy evening indoors.
Despite that it’s hard to split and needs a long time to dry, it still makes a better firewood type for many great reasons. Such as giving a sweet odor, and generating strong heat.