
California Black Oak is a hardwood that makes excellent firewood that burns hot and produces a long lasting bed of coals. As with most oaks
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 600 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus, as well as in those of unrelated species such as Gre…
White Oak
Quercus alba, the white oak, is one of the preeminent hardwoods of eastern and central North America. It is a long-lived oak, native to eastern and central North America and found from Minnesota, Ontario, Quebec, and southern Maine south as far as northern Florida and eastern Tex…
Does oak make good firewood?
Oak and almond woods are both hardwoods, so they give off the most heat. Almond gives off a long-lasting heat, and the fragrance is pleasing to use in a fireplace. Oak is also a good firewood, as it puts out a lot of heat with a small flame, which can be safer around children.
Is oak an expensive wood?
Why is oak wood so expensive? Oak wood is expensive because it is a hardwood. Hardwoods are more dense and durable but grow much slower than softwood which makes them more expensive. Although on a grand scale of all existing woods, oak is on the more expensive side because it is classified as a hardwood, oak is one of the cheapest hardwoods.
Which is the best wood to use for firewood?
The Best Wood To Use As Firewood
- Hickory. Hickory is good for so many things, and it is especially good as firewood. ...
- Oak (White) Oak is also one of the most preferred firewoods and is widely available across Northern America And Europe.
- Apple. ...
- Ash (White) Ash is excellent to use as firewood in any situation. ...
- Sugar Maple. ...
Is oak wood good for a fireplace?
Oak is quite possibly the best wood for fireplace. A lot of this has to do with its density and its energy content. Wood is generally measured in British Thermal Units, and oak ranks pretty high on this list, with red oak probably being the highest.

Which oak is best for firewood?
The best-known firewoods are white and red oak trees. The wood from these oak trees is prized for its strength and density, and that density makes it one of the best at producing heat.
What is Black Oak wood used for?
Common Uses: Cabinetry, furniture, interior trim, flooring, and veneer. Comments: Not to be confused with Bog Oak (which is actually black in color), Black Oak falls into the red oak group, and shares many of the same traits as Red Oak (Quercus rubra).
Is Black Oak valuable?
Today Black Oak is the nation's rarest and most valuable native hardwood.
What wood should you not burn?
Pine, fir, and spruce: cone-bearing trees make for a beautiful sight in the forest, but their wood shouldn't make up the bulk of your firewood pile, especially for indoor fires. Beneath their bark, conifers have a sticky, protective substance called pitch or resin that you won't find in trees like oak or maple.
What is black oak logs worth?
Prices will range from $2.25 bf for extreme rustic to $7.00 bf for clear up to 12″ . Best pricing on full units of mill run material.
How can you tell a black oak?
0:212:07ID That Tree: Black Oak - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAs in all the oaks black oak has alternate leaf arrangement. And with a red and black group it hasMoreAs in all the oaks black oak has alternate leaf arrangement. And with a red and black group it has lobes with bristle tips on the ends of the lobes.
Is black oak poisonous?
Warning: POISONOUS PARTS: Acorns (seeds of nuts) and young leaves. Low toxicity if eaten. Symptoms include stomach pain, constipation and later bloody diarrhea, excessive thirst and urination.
Where is black oak found?
Native Range Black oak is widely distributed from southwestern Maine west in New York to extreme southern Ontario, southeastern Minnesota, and Iowa; south in eastern Nebraska, eastern Kansas, central Oklahoma, and eastern Texas; and east to northwestern Florida and Georgia (18,19). -The native range of black oaks.
Why is it called black oak?
The black oak's common name refers to its nearly black bark. This oak's inner bark, however, is yellow or deep orange and is used to make a yellow dye called quercitron. Although the native black oak is most frequently found in dry, poor areas, it prefers rich soil.
What is the hottest burning wood?
Most oak trees put off a ton of heat when they burn, but the white oak is at the top of the list with an astounding 30.7 million BTUs of heat per cord of wood.
What wood burns longest?
Hickory1. Hickory Burns The Longest. Hickory is the densest of our hardwood list, burns hotter than oak and maple, and burns the longest on this list. You can start a fire with hickory, get a nice bed of coals going, and let it burn through the night.
Which woods are toxic?
SummaryWoodBotanical nameToxic partsRed sirisAlbizia toonaDustAlderAlnus spp.DustCashewAnacardium occidentaleDust, wood, sapPeroba rosaAspidosperma perobaDust, wood95 more rows•Jul 22, 2022
Is black oak used for furniture?
Common Uses: Cabinetry, furniture, interior trim, flooring, and veneer. Comments: California Black Oak falls into the red oak group, and shares many of the same traits as Red Oak (Quercus rubra).
Is black oak rot resistant?
The shoestring root rot, Armillaria ostoyae (A. mellea) commonly attacks older trees. Black oak is resistant to the annosus root rot (Heterobasidion annosum), which kills many other species.
How strong is black oak?
Due to its moderately high density, California black oak's strength and stiffness is high, although slightly weaker than eastern red oaks. For dry wood, the ultimate strength (MOR) is 13,000 psi and hardness is 1100 pounds.
Where is black oak found?
Native Range Black oak is widely distributed from southwestern Maine west in New York to extreme southern Ontario, southeastern Minnesota, and Iowa; south in eastern Nebraska, eastern Kansas, central Oklahoma, and eastern Texas; and east to northwestern Florida and Georgia (18,19). -The native range of black oaks.
How hard is oak for firewood?
Another determining factor in why oak trees make amazing firewood is how dense they are. With Janka hardness levels of 1290 for Red Oak, and 1360 for White Oak, on the Janka scale – oak is very dense and strong.
Why Are Oak Trees Good for Firewood?
Oak is simply the best when it comes to firewood because of two things: the density of the wood and the water content. The more dense and drier the wood is – the better the burn. But that’s just the start of all the wonderful things that oak has to offer for firewood.
How many BTUs does white oak produce?
Like we mentioned earlier – White Oak, when dry, produces 30,600,000 BTUs per cord, and Red Oak produces 27,300,000 BTUs, making white oak the hotter choice.
What is the last red oak tree?
The last Red Oak Tree on the list – Cherrybark Oak, is one of the highest quality Red Oak firewoods available and amongst the strongest.
Why is Bur Oak number 3?
Bur Oak is placed at number 3 because it is dense, can be found in most parts of the United States. It has a BTU of up to 29 Million and has a fantastic burn time while producing low smoke.
What is pink oak?
Pink Oak is a Red Oak Tree and is a great option for firewood – and not really a great option for anything else.
Why is Oregon white oak considered number 6 firewood?
We’re placing the Oregon White Oak at the number 6 firewood because it is hard, dense, has straight grains, and is abundant; however , it can be a bit flakey.
What is black oak used for?
Common Uses: Cabinetry, furniture, interior trim, flooring, and veneer. Comments: Not to be confused with Bog Oak (which is actually black in color), Black Oak falls into the red oak group, and shares many of the same traits as Red Oak (Quercus rubra). Red Oak, along with its brother White Oak, are commonly used domestic lumber species.
What is the color of white oak?
Conversely, White Oak tends to be slightly more olive-colored, but is by no means a reliable method of determining the type of oak.
Does oak have a smell?
Odor: Has a tell-tale smell that is common to most oaks. Most find it appealing. Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, oak has been reported as a sensitizer. Usually most common reactions simply include eye and skin irritation, as well as asthma-like symptoms.
Is black oak rot resistant?
Rot Resistance: Falls somewhere between slightly durable to non-durable. Red oaks such as Black Oak do not have the level of decay and rot resistance that White Oaks possess.
What is the best firewood for a BBQ?
Hickory is one of the very best types of firewood, especially for heating. It has an exceptional heat output. In addition, Hickory produces minimal smoke and high-quality coals that can burn through the night. Hickory firewood is also a popular choice for BBQ and smoking meats.
What type of firewood is best for heating?
Black Locust is arguably THE best type of firewood you can burn for heating. It has an exceptional heat output. In addition, Black Locust produces minimal smoke and high-quality coals capable of burning through the night.
What is the best wood to burn for campfires?
Most people will agree that Cherry firewood has one of (if not the #1) best smells. It’s great for campfires and is also used for BBQ and smoking meat. Cherry is also a very easy wood to work with, whether you’re just splitting it, or doing some serious woodworking.
How many BTUs per cord of seasoned wood?
For firewood, the official measure for heat output is million BTUs per cord of seasoned wood. That’s the unit used for all heat numbers in this article.
How to tell if a maple is soft or hard?
Two ways you can distinguish Soft Maple from Hard Maple, is using the weight and the smoke output. Hard Maple is considerably heavier than Soft Maple, given two pieces of wood of the same size. Hard Maple also produces far more smoke than Soft Maple does.
Why is wood used as a fuel for a wood stove?
For example, wood that has great coaling properties will work well as an overnight fuel in wood stoves, because the quality coals will help the fire stay hot through the night.
Which firewood has the highest heat output?
Black Locust is more difficult to split compared with some of the other top-level firewoods like Oak and Ash. And although Black Locust has the highest heat output on our list, Osage-Orange and certain species’ of Oak technically have a higher heat output. Osage-Orange is not included, because it is not as common in this region.
