Key Takeaways

• Oak firewood is dense, slow-burning, and has low moisture content, making it long-burning and clean-burning.
• Different species of oak can be used as firewood, with white oak being slightly more dense and producing more heat than red oak.
• Oak firewood has a pleasant vanilla-like fragrance and is a reliable option for winter warmth, although it can be expensive and requires careful seasoning.

Oak is among the most popular types of firewood used for heat in the US. Oak trees grow in northern temperate zones around the world, and the wood of the oak tree is used in everything from furnishings to home building to burning.

It is easy to find oak at lumberyards and through firewood suppliers. When compared to other types of wood you can burn for winter warmth, does oak rise to the challenge?

Everything You Want to Know About Oak Firewood

Famous in mythology and available everywhere, oak wood is used in a lot of ways

Because oak grows in so many places around the world, the tree is tied to many legends and stories. Oak trees play a significant role in Norse mythology and the wood has been used in a variety of construction applications for many years.

As a firewood, oak is dense, slow-burning, and has low moisture content. It does not produce much smoke or creosote, a coal-like residue left behind by burned logs.

Due to its naturally low moisture content, oak firewood burns much longer and cleaner than many other types of firewood (including both hardwoods and softwoods).

Varieties of Oak Firewood

Choose from many different types of oak to find your firewood

More than 450 species of oak exist worldwide. Many different species of oak trees grow in North America, including both deciduous and evergreen species. Both red oak and white oak are commonly used for firewood. Bur oak and pin oak are also used as burning wood.

Both white and red oak firewood display similar qualities, but there is some debate between these two common types among wood enthusiasts. White oak firewood tends to be slightly more dense and, therefore, a little heavier. Because it is more dense, white oak puts out more heat compared to red oak when burned.

Not only does well-seasoned oak burn hotter than other hardwoods, it is long-burning. A single log of oak, medium to large, will burn for hours. Once lit, the wood does not create a lot of sparks and puts out nice, toasty heat. Because of all these qualities, oak is a great choice for firewood when you want a strong, steady heat.

Examining the Imperfections

What's not so great about oak you should know about?

Oak wood has a lot of desirable qualities and it's clearly a strong option, but oak also has its drawbacks.

Oak wood, despite its abundance, is not an inexpensive type of firewood. Because of its many good qualities, oak can be costly, particularly when compared to other options. It can also take quite a bit of time and care to get oak logs burning. You will spend a lot of time with kindling to get the logs started.

Poison oak tends to grow around oak trees. Even touching wood that has come into contact with this toxic plant can cause a rash.

Seasoning Time to Get the Logs Just Right

The ideal moisture content for well-seasoned oak firewood is 20 percent or less. To reach this moisture content level, most oak wood requires between six months and two full years of seasoning time.

Splitting oak wood before beginning the actual seasoning process will speed up the necessary overall seasoning time by as much as weeks or months.

Oak logs harvested during the wintertime often require the least amount of seasoning, due to a lower moisture content than oaks felled during the spring or summer seasons. Oak wood has a light to medium brown tone. The wood is also heavy, particularly before the seasoning process, which allows it to dry out.

Oak firewood is extremely easy to work with and handle due to its low resin/sap content, which helps make the splitting process easier and causes little mess when it is stacked and moved. Store your firewood well, and it will be dry and ready to burn all winter long.

The Sweet Scent of Oak

Red vs white oak: Which passes the smell test?

While many species of oak wood have a rather pleasant but subtle vanilla-like fragrance, others smell altogether sour (like vinegar). Red oak trees often have this sour scent when they are freshly cut. However, the scent will be gone entirely once red oak firewood is seasoned and dries out.

The smell of red oak when freshly cut is often cited as a negative against it, leading many people to prefer white oak firewood for the scent alone. However, both woods smell about the same once they have been fully seasoned.

Stay Warm With Oak Wood

Oak is one of the best and most widely available hardwoods for firewood. Not only is it long-burning, clean-burning, and hotter than most firewood types, but it splits easily and generally smells nice as well. Oak wood may cost a bit more than other firewood types, namely softwoods like pine and cedar, and burn up quickly, but it's well worth the price.

Burn oak in fireplaces, fire pits, wood stoves, and anywhere else you want to stay warm. All the qualities of oak make it very successful as firewood and a great option for winter warmth. If budget is a concern, however, you may consider exploring other options to see what is available out there and what types of firewood are going to fit best with your needs and finances.