How Much Heat is in that Wood?

by Randall Heiligmann, Extension Forester

The heat content and burning rate of wood are very closely associated with its weight (i.e. the heavier the wood the slower it burns and the higher its heat content). A cord of oak or hickory, for example, will provide much more heat and burn more slowly than a cord of willow or aspen. Obviously, if heat content and burning rate are important, a cord of willow or aspen is not equal in value to a cord of oak or hickory.

The table below compares heat content of common species. These values should be used for comparisons, not as absolutes you expect to achieve, because they were determined under a specific set of conditions (see footnotes on table).

*While data for conifers is presented, the use of conifers for fuelwood in fireplaces and stoves is not recommended because of the risk of accelerated flue deposition and flue fires.

These values were determined for a standard cord of wood at 20 percent moisture content assuming that one pound of wood contains 5,780 Btu’s, stack temperature of 450°F, no excess air, and a burning efficiency of 50 to 60 percent.

Table modified from “Wood As A Home Fuel”, written by Raymond T. Foulds, Jr., 1976, published by the Cooperative Extension Service of the Northeast States through the University of Vermont.