Useful links

Fire prevention - Quebec government
The guide to residential wood heating - Canadian government

QUESTIONS

• Why should you buy your wood during spring?
  

• Rules to follow when buying wood
• Storing wood
• Why choose wood heating instead of any other system?
• What quantity should you buy?
• Urban legend
• What type of wood should be use to start a fire?
• Wood heating value

• The following table insorms us on wood characteristics
  

Check the regulations of cities and municipalities      Version française     

Montreal City

City Repentigny the chimney sweeping

City Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville

Sherbrooke City

City of Mirabel questions and answers Fire Safety

City of St -Eustache permits and various regulations

City of Laval information various heating - bbq

City of Saint- Anne -des -Plaines
external fire   sweeping   combustion solid

City of Rawdon Fire Department - pdf fire permit rules

City of Prevost public safety regulations       

City of Saint-Jérôme - wood heating

City of Bois-des-Filion regulations

Town of Lorraine - wood heating

WHY SHOULD YOU BUY WOOD DURING SPRING?

Dry wood does not contain more than 25% humidity. Wood containing sap (50% and more) will boil instead of burning thus will lose its heating value. In order for the hardwood to be efficient it must be drive and must not contain any sap. By buying your wood in spring you are sure to receive wood that has been cut during the winter, a time when trees do not contain any sap. Therefore a tree that has been cut during the winter will not have any sap as the sap only starts making its way up in the tree in spring from April to June every year. (Adequately stored, this wood would be ready for usage by October.)

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RULES TO FOLLOW WHEN BUYING WOOD


The quantity: what the clients call a cord is 4’ high by 8’ long and from 14" to 16" large (sometimes 12" large)

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WOOD STORAGE

The best way to dry your wood is to put it on planks or pallets along the wall without going over 5’ of height. Indeed the probability of the stored wood falling is increased as height is increased. Do not forget a cord of hardwood weights more than a ton.

The wood would be left to dry outside or inside with a dehumidifier, ideally in an aired and sunny place. Outside it will be covered by a canvas sheet only on top to let is breathe, if not it will keep its humidity and it might even rot.

All wood may contain different types of insects. If you have any concerns, you can lightly sprinkle insecticide when you bring the wood inside. Alternately you can buy wood that has been dried in our oven, as at high temperature no type of insect would survive.

You should store the wood inside to or three days prior to combustion, taking care that it is clean and dry. During winter the wood that comes from outside that is put directly in the fire can drop the temperature of your fire and even put it out.

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WHY CHOOSE TO HEAT USING WOOD RATHER THAN OTHER SYSTEM?


It is currently the cheapest way on the marked. You should know that energy of 100 gallons of oil is the equivalent of a cord of dry wood.


WHAT QUANTITY SHOULD YOU BUY?

People that use their wood stove as the main heating source consume from 10 to 15 cords during the winter depending on the type of stove they use. People who work during the day but heat with wood during the evening and during weekends consume from 6 to 9 cords. People that use it occasionally consume from 3 to 5 cords of wood.

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URBAN LEGEND

Wood does not pollute as we might think. The smoke emanated from a chimney of an EPA (environmental protection act) certified stove does not increase the quantity of CO2 (carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere, as the same amount of CO2 would be emanated by the decomposition of the forest. In addition, wood combustion does not release any by-products such as SO2 (sulphur dioxide) as other fuels do.

WHAT TYPE OF WOOD SHOULD ONE USE TO START A FIRE?

As mentioned above, some types of wood do not emanate a lot of heat (aspen, spinet) but are excellent fire starters. You can also use the wood you have left from last year since it has become very dry. Hardwood, found in bags, can also be used.

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WOOD HEATING VALUE

The heating value of an anhydrous (completely dry) wood is almost identical by weight, regardless of the type of fuel.

17,1 btu/Kg for oak
17,3 btu/Kg for fir tree and birch

Since wood is sold by volume (1 cord = 4’ x 8’ x 14 à 16") and not by weight and due to the fact that softwood is lighter (+/-340kg /cord) than hardwood (+/-420kg /cord), a greater quantity of softwood is required to achieve the same weight as a lesser quantity of hardwood.

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Look at the following tables :

• Use diverse wood essences. Burn soft wood such as pine, poplar and aspen from spring to autumn as less heating is required.
  

• Drying your wood is greatly more important than the essence. The presence of water in the firewood absorbs an enormous quantity of energy during combustion.
  

This table informs us on wood characteristics

Make sure to sweep your chimney at least once every year, ideally after every 5 to 6 cords consumed.

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