Charles Pearce property design and development,home offices and buildings, fireplace design and flue design
Fireplace and Flue Design Consultants
Fire Facts and Wood Burning Information
If you are having a fireplace or flue designed and would like information about wood burning times, or to find out which woods burn the best, use our table below. For more information about fireplace design or flue design and installation, contact us on 020 8995 3333
| Common Name | Botanical Name | Comments |
| Alder | Alnus | A low quality firewood. Grade:1 |
| Apple | Malus | Needs to be seasoned well. Burns well with a pleasant smell and without sparking/spitting. Grade:3 |
| Ash | Fraxinus | Considered to be one of the best woods for firewood. It has a low water content (approx. 50%) and can be split very easily with an axe. It can be burned green but like all wood is best when seasoned. Burns at a steady rate and not too fast. Grade:4 |
| Beech | Fagus | Beech has a high water content (approx. 90%) so only burns well when seasoned well. Not as good as Oak. Grade:3 |
| Birch | Betula | Birch is an excellent firewood and will burn unseasoned. However, it does burn very fast so is best mixed with slower burning wood such as Elm or Oak. Grade:3-4 |
| Cedar | Cedrus | A good firewood which burns well with a pleasant smell. Gives off a good, lasting heat. Doesn't spit too much and small pieces can be burned unseasoned. Grade:2-3 |
| Cherry | Prunus | Needs to be seasoned well. Burns well with a pleasant smell and without spitting. Grade:2-3 |
| Elm | Ulmus | A good firewood but due to its high water content of approximately 140% (more water than wood!) it must be seasoned very well. It may need assistance from another faster burning wood such as Birch to keep it burning well. However it gives off a good, lasting heat and burns very slowly. Dutch Elm Disease is producing a constant & plentiful supply of small dead hedgerow Elm trees of a small diameter. Larger pieces of wood will prove difficult to split. Grade:2-3 |
| Eucalyptus | Eucalyptus | Allow to season well since the wood is very wet (sappy) when fresh. Can be difficult to split due to stringy wood fibre. Best method is to slice into rings and allow to season during the summer, the rings will start to split themselves. Burns fast with a pleasant smell and without spitting. Grade:2-3 |
| Hawthorn | Crataegus | Good firewood. Burns well. Grade:3-4 |
| Hazel | Corylus | Excellent firewood. Allow to season. Burns fast but without spitting. Grade:4 |
| Holly | Ilex | Can be burnt green. A good firewood. Grade:3 |
| Hornbeam | Carpinus | Good firewood. Burns well. Grade:3 |
| Horse Chestnut | Aesculus | A low quality firewood. Grade:2 |
| Larch | Larix | Needs to be seasoned well. Spits excessively while it burns and forms an oily soot within chimneys. Grade:1 |
| Lime | Tilia | A low quality firewood. Grade:2 |
| Mulberry | Morus | Hardwood. Haven't tried this myself but am told that it is an excellent fire wood. Grade:3-4 |
| Oak | Quercus | One of the best firewoods. When seasoned well, it gives off a good, lasting heat. Burns reasonably slowly. Grade:4 |
| Pear | Pyrus | Needs to be seasoned well. Burns well with a pleasant smell and without spitting. Grade:3 |
| Pine | Pinus | Needs to be seasoned well. Spits while it burns and forms an oily soot within chimneys. Grade:1 |
| Plane | Platanus | A usable firewood. Grade:3 |
| Poplar | Populus | Considered a poorer firewood (see comments below). Grade:1 |
| Rowan | Sorbus aucuparia | Good firewood. Burns well. Grade:3 |
| Spruce | Picea | A low quality firewood. Grade:2 |
| Sweet Chestnut | Castanea | Burns when seasoned but spits continuously and excessively. Not for use on an open fire and make sure wood-burning stoves have a good door catch! Grade:1-2 |
| Sycamore (Maples) | Acer pseudoplatanus | Good firewood. Burns well. Grade:3 |
| Walnut | Juglans | A low quality firewood. Grade:2 |
| Wellingtonia | Sequoiadendron | Poor for use as a firewood. Grade:1 |
| Willow | Salix | Willow has a high water content so only burns really well when seasoned well. Grade:2-3 |
| Yew | Taxus | A usable firewood. Grade:2-3 |
Common Descriptions & Uses of Natural Stone
Granite
Granite is an igneous stone that is composed of quartz, feldspar, mica, and usually hornblende. It is derived from magma that cooled beneath the earth's surface. The addition of minerals into the cooling stone gives granite its wide array of colours and crystalline textures. Granite is perhaps one of the most consistently textured stones when one typically matches the next. Other features of granite include crystalline structure, vibrant colouring and sometimes waviness due to folding of granite upon itself during cooling. Granite is considered the hardest of all natural stone used for interior and exterior decor and naturally resistant to acid etching, scratching and is highly heat resistant. Two of the most popular granite finishes are polished and flamed. Honed is also becoming increasingly popular.
Being one of the hardest of the dimension stone types, granite was historically avoided by the smaller, local stone fabricating shops, who favoured marbles and limestones due to their easier working properties. A recent boom in the supply of affordable machinery and abrasives technologies eliminated these previous difficulties in fabrication. Available in a striking array of colours, granite's durability, longevity, and economy make it ideal for kitchen countertops and other heavily used surfaces, including table tops and floors.
Some synthetic surfaces scratch easily, while the hardness of the minerals comprising most granites surpasses that of the utensils that are used on them, resulting in excellent scratch resistance. Granite is typically heat resistant up to temperatures of ±480°F (±250°C) although it has been known to withstand temperatures up to 1,200°F. Direct application of localized heat sources is discouraged, since strong thermal gradients within the stone can initiate cracking.
Granite's legendary strength accommodates any building configuration, whether it be upright panels, arches, columns or other difficult conditions. Granite withstands wear and accidental damage better than any other building stone. Since stones like marble are unsuitable for exterior use and are generally full of cracks and holes, and limestones are porous (absorb water) and cannot be polished, you should determine your needs check the stone's suitability for your application before making a choice.
Marble
Marble is derived from limestone that has been crushed and heated under the earth's pressure making it crystallize. This process results in a harder, denser stone capable of taking a polish. When marble is being crystallized, different minerals seep into the stone creating the colours and characteristics that we see today. Noticeable features of marble include a polished surface, crystalline grain and veins of varied, vibrant colours. Marble may be the most colourful and glamorous of the stones. Its hardness and durability lends itself to most interior applications and some exterior decoration. Proper care and maintenance will keep the remarkable sheen and polish.
What's the difference between marble and granite?
Because of Marble's more porous properties, it is not recommended for kitchens or bar tops. Marble applications include bathroom vanities, shower and fireplace surrounds. Granite applications include kitchen countertops, bath room vanities, bar tops and fireplaces. Although both are stones and both are quarried from the earth, granite and marble (and marble’s relatives – limestone, onyx and travertine) are very different from each other. Granite is formed deep in the earth’s mantle at extremely high temperatures, and is a very hard, resistant stone made of crystallized minerals. The marble family – limestone, travertine, marble, onyx – starts out as sediment – animal skeletons and shells, plant matter, silt – at the bottom of bodies of water. After millions of years this solidifies (lithifies) into stone. Because its main component is calcium, it can be affected by acids such as vinegar and citrus beverages.
Limestone
Limestone is formed over millions of years from calcium rich remains from bodies of water. These remains are compacted into the limestone we see today by immense mechanical pressure created by millions of years of continual sedimentary deposits upon one another. Noticeable features of limestone include a typically smooth, honed surface, occasional pits, the appearance of fossils, shells and other bone like material and spots or streaks of calcium based deposits.
Travertine
Travertine is derived from limestone that has been heated and then pushed through the earth's crust by hydraulic pressure (water). Hot springs and geysers are good locations to find travertine stone. Travertine has a layered appearance. Another of travertine's characteristics is that it has many holes, caused by water action, which may be filled at the factory or left unfilled, allowing the consumer to select a grout colour to fill it with. Its surface may be honed or polished. Travertine typically has earth-coloured tones. Travertine has a hardness that is similar to marble. Unlike most colourful marbles, travertines are often have earthy colours and earthy characteristics. These earthy elements allow for a remarkable number of surface scratches and dirt to remain unseen by the casual observer.
Slate
Slate is a fine grained stone derived from shale which itself metamorphosed through heat and pressure around beds of clay. The shale was further compacted and folded upon itself to form slate. The layers of slate are split when quarried producing a natural cleft surface of varying thickness. Slate is considered highly moisture resistant and hence is used on occasion as roofing shingles. It typically has a cleft surface and comes in a variety of colours. As it wears, slate can potentially slightly flake. The beauty of slate is widely varied surface, texture and colour, its water and staining resistance and innate slip resistance.
Silestone
Silestone is an engineered quartz surface that looks, feels and weighs like natural granite and marble. Yet its strength, hardness and competitive price make it the superior choice over natural stone or plastic solid surfaces. Silestone is composed of 93% quartz aggregates. The finest selection of quartz particles are mixed with binders through a high-tech compression and heating process. The result is a dimensionally consistent material with an attractive appearance that is stronger and more durable than natural stone. The hardness and thermal ratings are many times that of marble and plastic laminates; Silestone withstands typical wear and tear beautifully.
Soapstone
The principle quality of soapstone is its softness. Thanks to its particular geological composition, the thickest blocks can easily be reduced in size with simple hand tools. Soapstone is highly heat resistant, and has been used in fireplace surrounds frequently to take advantage of this property. Soapstone is on average 10 to 20 times cheaper than marble or sandstone. A particular charm of soapstone is that every piece is truly unique. Each block is actually traversed by numerous veins and fissures rather like a blue cheese, which look beautiful when polished up at the end. This interior beauty adds another attractive dimension as every finished piece looks different from another. The dominant colours of soapstone are grey, green, pink or white, but this tint isn't always homogenous. Each block actually possesses its own chromatic chemistry and temperament from when it was formed deep inside the earth. Some soapstone when finely polished and viewed from a distance can easily be mistaken for marble. With soapstone, all ambitions are allowed. You can make megaliths up to 2m tall.
What do the different finishes of stone mean?
Polished
The surface is glossy and smooth. This is achieved by grinding the surface of stone with finer abrasive grits until the crystal facets on the surface are perfectly flat. No waxes or chemicals are used to achieve this look. The stone's porous nature remains unchanged, which allows for the absorption of liquids (more or less depending on the type of stone). A polished stone may absorb more slowly because fewer pores are exposed per square inch. Not all stones may be polished.
Honed
The surface has little sheen and is smooth. Fine powder abrasives are not used to create this finish. Instead, coarser abrasives, such as diamonds are used.
Tumbled
The surface is roughly honed and will contain chips and scratches. The edges are worn and rounded and occasionally chipped. The tumbling process was designed to give new stone the appearance of being older and worn over hundreds of years. The maintenance of tumbled stone is much lower as scratches and wear will only enhance its appearance. The tumbled look is achieved by placing stone and various abrasives sands into a large vat and then all the items are vibrated and shaken until the desired effect has been achieved.
Sand Blasted
The surface is rough with dull to no sheen. A high powered sprayer pelts the surface with water and abrasives making the stone rougher in texture and appearance.
Flamed
Extremely rough surface with no sheen. A high temperature flame hearts the surface until the crystals burst leaving a rough surface. It is typically used in high traffic areas to provide slip resistance and lower maintenance costs.
Brush Hammered
The surface is roughly spotted. A blunt pounding to the surface of the stone provides a rough texture.