very hard to split<\/strong> which is the main reason people do not dare to put much effort into it. <\/p>\n\n\n\nIt burns fast and produces low-quality\u00a0coals\u00a0which also downs its quality. It carries no particular smell but wet wood may release odor. High moisture content in the greenwood also takes time to dry up. While smoke production is low to average, it produces a lot of\u00a0sparks\u00a0which may cause a house fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is recommended to burn mixed with better-quality wood. Doing this eliminates many of its drawbacks and adds to the quantity of firewood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you can work with splitting, sweetgum can be worth burning in your stove.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here we have compared sweetgum with other firewood<\/p>\n\n\n\nSpecies<\/strong><\/th>Weight (lbs.\/Cord) Dry<\/strong><\/th>Heat per Cord (Million BTUs)<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>Osage-orange<\/td> 4728<\/td> 32.9<\/td><\/tr> Oak, White<\/td> 4200<\/td> 29.1<\/td><\/tr> Elm, American<\/a><\/td> 2872<\/td> 20.0<\/td><\/tr> Sweetgum<\/strong><\/td>2592<\/strong><\/td>21.3<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>Pine, Lodgepole<\/td> 2610<\/td> 21.1<\/td><\/tr> Pine, Ponderosa<\/td> 2336<\/td> 16.2<\/td><\/tr> Pine, White<\/td> 2250<\/td> 15.9<\/td><\/tr> Fir, White<\/td> 2104<\/td> 14.6<\/td><\/tr> Redcedar, Eastern<\/a><\/td> 2060<\/td> 13.0<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>How Long to Season Sweetgum Firewood?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe most important factor to achieve the burning qualities of any particular type of firewood is seasoning. Seasoning means reducing the moisture level of firewood below 20 percent. Seasoned wood gives off more heat, less smoke, better quality coal, and prevents bad odor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It may take up to one year to properly season sweetgum<\/strong>. When a green sweetgum tree is cut it contains high moisture. It can be around 79 percent which is pretty high. Wood should be split into pieces before seasoning. It does not lose moisture quickly. It should be stored under good conditions as moist wood starts rotting or develops mold easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe split wood can be stacked into rows raised from the ground at least 6 inches or more. There must be proper spacing between the rows for proper air movement and moisture loss. Split wood should be stacked in an open area. Rows should have a direction parallel with the wind. It will allow higher air movement through the stacks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is advised to cover the top with an insulated sheet. This can save the wood from rainwater. Be careful not to cover the sides of stacks more than one-third. This may trap the moisture inside and increase the seasoning time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sweetgum tends to shrink up to 15 percent upon seasoning which is probably more than any other firewood species. Drying sweetgum for furniture use causes real pain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As it takes time to lose moisture, it also loses its shape. Its stringing green tends to contract and bend the wood which deteriorates the quality of wood for furniture use. To solve this problem people may store wood pieces in many racks above each other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Good spacing is maintained between the rows for moisture loss. It is also recommended to cut the wood after it gets dry. For furniture purposes, this will save most of the bending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Identifying Sweetgum Trees<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAmerican sweetgum is the most popular species also called gumball tree. It has a beautiful shade and is grown in landscapes for ornamental purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Liquidambar<\/em> means \u201cliquid amber<\/strong>\u201d which refers to its yellow sap. It is a sweet sticky substance that flows out from the trunk when it is cut. Another common name is red gum for its red heartwood and red-colored leaves in the fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Appearance<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nSweetgum is medium to a large-sized deciduous tree. It can reach a height of up to 150 ft when grown in the wild while the cultivated trees can reach 50 to 70 ft. Its trunk can reach 2-3 ft in diameter. It has a symmetrical shape and lives around 400 years. It has 15 species in the genus liquidambar<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Leaves<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\nSweetgum has star-shaped leaves<\/strong> which are arranged in a single alternate manner on the branches. It has 3 to 7 lobes. Leaves have a green color and shiny appearance. Leaves change color in fall turning into a wide range from yellow to purple.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThese are usually 8 to 13 cm wide. Often these are compared with maple. However, these are distinguished by their position on branches and their shiny leathery appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Bark<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\nBark has light grey color. It has deeply furrowed scaly ridges. In the mature trees, bark may turn greyish brown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Fruit\/Gumball<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\nFruit from sweetgum trees is known as \u201cgumball\u201d. They are produced in clusters and carry spikes over their surface. They are initially green and later turn into a hard brown woody structure. These have a size between 1 to 3 inches. It houses numerous seeds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Seeds can create a problem and are very messy to deal with. These fall between December and April. Some species do not produce gumballs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By the way, these are painful to step on while barefoot!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Types of Sweetgum<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAmerican sweetgum<\/strong> Liquidambar styraciflua<\/em> is most commonly found in the United States. It produces a big shady tree that grows 60 to 80 ft tall and around 60 ft wide.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis is a deciduous tree that grows under full sun in USDA growing zone 5 to 9. It is a decorative tree and grows well in most soil types. It has star-shaped leaves. Leaf has 5 lobes with serrated edges. Its leaves are between 3 to 6 inches long and wide. Leaves change color during fall into purple, orange, red and yellow. It produces gumballs that are brown and surrounded by spikes-like structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It produces shallow roots which may create a problem for your building. So, it is better to plant it at least 10 feet away from the building. Gumballs also need to be cleaned in residential areas or they may cause a slip if anybody steps over it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Conclusion<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSweetgum produces a decent amount of heat compared to other firewood. Having said that, it’s incredibly difficult to split. Your time would be better spent splitting other types of wood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As you all know, the best firewood is free. Should you be given an opportunity to harvest some Sweetgum, I encourage you to give it a shot! Don’t bite off more than you can chew, of course. I think you’ll find that splitting it isn’t worth the struggle in most cases.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sweetgum is relatively a poor firewood mainly due to its splitting difficulty. It is commonly found in the Southeastern United States and grows in a temperate and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1403,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Sweetgum Firewood: Good or Bad? - Timber Gadgets<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n