The Ultimate Guide to Firewood: Everything You Need to Know for a Perfect Fire

(By a passionate firewood enthusiast and proud Canadian)

There’s nothing quite like the crackle of a real wood fire on a cold winter night. But not all firewood is created equal. Get it wrong and you’ll end up with smoke, weak heat, and a chimney full of creosote. Get it right and you’ll have roaring, clean-burning fires that smell amazing and keep you toasty all season.

Here’s the complete rundown on choosing, cutting, seasoning, storing, and burning the best firewood — plus the axes we trust at Axeman.ca.

1. The Best Types of Firewood (Hardwood vs Softwood)

Hardwoods (from deciduous trees) burn hotter, longer, and cleaner than softwoods. They’re the gold standard for home heating and long-lasting fires.

Top Hardwoods in Canada:

Sugar Maple – The king of firewood. Extremely dense, burns hot and long, great aroma.
Oak (Red or White) – Classic choice. High BTU, slow-burning, minimal smoke once dry.
Beech – Underrated gem. Burns almost as hot as maple with a nice flame.
Birch (Yellow or White) – Beautiful flame, great scent, easier to split than maple.
Hickory – Amazing smell (think bacon), intense heat.
Ironwood (Hop-Hornbeam) – Insanely dense; burns like coal once going.
Ash – Splits and seasons easily, burns well even when slightly damp.

Softwoods (evergreens) for kindling and quick fires:

Pine, Spruce, Fir – High sap content = more creosote and popping. Great for starting fires, terrible for overnight burns or chimneys.

Rule of thumb: Burn 90% hardwood, 10% softwood kindling.

2. Wet Wood vs Dry (Seasoned) Wood – Why It Matters

Wet (green) wood = your enemy

Can be 100%+ water by weight
Produces tons of smoke and creosote
Steals heat just to boil off water
Hard to light, weak flames

Dry (seasoned) wood = your best friend

Under 20% moisture (ideal is 15-18%)
Lights easily, burns hot and clean
Way more heat output per cord

How long to season?

Cut and split in late winter/early spring → ready by fall (6–12 months)
Hardwoods like oak and maple can take 12–24 months to reach <20%
Birch and ash season faster (6–9 months)

Pro tip: Use a moisture meter (under $30). Anything over 25% belongs back in the pile.

3. How to Cut and Split Firewood Like a Pro

Step 1 – When to cut Cut trees in late winter while sap is down = less moisture, easier splitting, fewer bugs.

Step 2 – Buck to length 16–18 inches is perfect for most wood stoves and fireplaces.

Step 3 – Split it! Smaller pieces dry 3–5× faster than rounds. Aim for 3–6 inches across.

4. How to Cut & Split Firewood – The Right Tool Makes All the Difference

Here are the exact axes and mauls we use and sell every day at Axeman.ca:

Gränsfors Bruk Splitting Maul 450 – The 5.5 lb monster with a poll for driving wedges. Nothing beats it on knotty elm, oak, or big rounds.
Gränsfors Bruk Small Splitting Axe 442 – Perfect 3.5 lb head for 90 % of firewood. Concave blade pops rounds apart instead of wedging. Lifetime favourite.
Hult Splitting Axe – 2.5 kg Swedish beast at a friendlier price than Gränsfors. Incredible value for high-volume splitters.
Hultafors Hultan Hatchet – 500 g packable hatchet that still splits kindling and small rounds like crazy. Everyone needs one.
Gränsfors Bruk Hunter’s Axe 418 – If you’re felling, limbing, and splitting with one tool in the bush, this is it. Light enough to carry all day, tough enough for real work.
Dvärdala Hunting & Forest Axe – Newest gem from Gränsfors’ custom line. Longer handle, slightly heavier head than the 418 – an absolute joy for bucking and light splitting on the go.

5. Proper Firewood Storage (The Stack Matters)

Bad storage = moldy, wet wood. Good storage = bone-dry firewood all winter.

Golden rules:

Off the ground (on pallets or rails)
Top covered, sides open (rain runs off, wind blows through)
South-facing if possible (more sun = faster drying)
Single row is best; double rows slow drying in the middle

The classic “Holzhausen” circular stack looks cool and sheds water like a roof — Google it!

6. When Is It Ready to Burn?

Crack test: Two pieces banged together sound like a baseball bat, not a dull thud. End checks: Deep cracks radiating from the center. Color: Grayish, not fresh and bright. Weight: Surprisingly light for its size. Moisture meter: <20%.

6. Building the Perfect Fire (Top-Down Method Rules)

Forget the teepee of wet logs. Do this instead:

Place your biggest splits on the bottom (like rails)
Stack medium splits on top, perpendicular
Add kindling on top of that
Top with newspaper or firestarter
Light the top — burns downward, preheats the wood, almost zero smoke.

You’ll be shocked how clean and easy it lights.

Final Ranking – The Best Firewood in Canada

Sugar Maple
Oak
Beech / Yellow Birch
Hickory
Ash (easiest to work with)

Burn what grows locally — it’s cheaper and usually the densest stuff in your region anyway.

Ready to upgrade your firewood game and your axe collection? Head over to → Axeman.ca We ship fast across Canada and only carry axes we’d swing ourselves.

Stay warm, burn clean, and split safe!

— The Axeman (Now go stack some wood — winter is coming.)

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