What to burn, and how to store wood here
Most firewood advice is written for climates with a dry season and a cold one. Neither applies here, and the practical consequence is that wood behaves differently in South Florida than the guidance assumes. Since what you burn determines what accumulates in the flue, this is one of the few things a homeowner controls directly.
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Why wood does not season the same way here
Seasoning is water leaving the wood, and it happens because the surrounding air is drier than the wood is. In a humid climate that gradient is smaller for most of the year, so the same stack that would be ready in six months elsewhere takes longer, and it never gets as dry at the end of the process.
There is a ceiling effect as well. Wood equalises with the air around it, so wood stored in humid air stops losing moisture at a higher point than wood stored in dry air. That is why properly seasoned here is a slightly different thing, and why wood that has been sitting outside for a year may still not be ready.
Telling dry wood from wood that looks dry
Weight is the most reliable field test. Dry wood is noticeably lighter than it looks, and picking up two similar pieces tells you more than examining either. Cracks radiating from the center of the end grain are a good sign, and so is a hollow knock when two pieces are struck together, where damp wood gives a dull thud.
The behavior in the fire settles it. Wood that hisses, bubbles at the ends, or blackens the glass quickly is carrying water, and it is worth trusting that over how long it has been stacked. A fire that needs constant attention to stay going is usually a fuel problem rather than a chimney problem.
Why damp wood ends up in the flue
Burning wet wood costs energy, because the fire spends heat boiling water off before it can burn the wood itself. That keeps the fire cooler, and a cooler fire produces more unburned material in the smoke. Those products condense on the way up and build the deposits that make flue fires possible.
The flue temperature matters as much as the fire temperature. A cool fire means a cool flue, and a cool flue is where smoke condenses rather than passing through. This is the mechanism behind almost every deposit problem, and it is why fuel choice has more effect on flue condition than almost anything else a homeowner does.
Storing it so it stays usable
Off the ground, covered on top, open at the sides. Ground contact wicks moisture straight back into the bottom layer, and a cover wrapped down the sides traps humid air against the stack and defeats the purpose. Air movement through the pile is what does the work, so the sides need to breathe.
Keep it away from the house rather than against it. A woodpile stacked against an exterior wall holds moisture against that wall, and in this climate it also becomes habitat. Termites, ants and rodents all find a woodpile attractive, and a pile touching the house gives them a direct route in.
What not to put in the fireplace
Treated or painted timber, plywood and anything with adhesive in it release compounds that should not be in a fire in a living space, and they leave residues in the flue that ordinary wood does not. Driftwood belongs on the same list here for a specific local reason, which is that salt-soaked wood is corrosive to metal as it burns.
Cardboard and wrapping paper are a different hazard, since they burn fast and light, and the pieces travel up the flue still alight. On a chimney with any deposits already present, that is a straightforward way to start a flue fire, and it is worth mentioning to anyone else in the house who lights fires.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does firewood really take longer to season here?
Yes. Seasoning depends on the air being drier than the wood, and that gradient is smaller here for most of the year. Wood also stops drying at a higher moisture content than it would in a dry climate.
How can I tell if wood is dry enough?
Weight is the best field test, since dry wood is lighter than it looks. Cracks in the end grain and a hollow knock help. Wood that hisses or blackens the glass is carrying water regardless of how long it sat.
Why does damp wood matter to the chimney?
It keeps the fire and the flue cooler, and a cool flue is where smoke condenses instead of passing through. That condensation is what builds the deposits behind flue fires.
Can I burn driftwood?
No. Salt-soaked wood is corrosive to metal in the flue as it burns, which matters more here than almost anywhere, given how much of the local chimney hardware is already fighting salt air.