Buying local firewood from a tree care company gets you high-quality firewood for use with your firepit, fireplace, or wood-burning stove. Tree care companies often have more wood than they know what to do with, and turning it into firewood allows them to put the wood to good use. When you’re searching for firewood, buying local ensures you get wood that’s properly seasoned and ready to burn, while supporting sustainable practices in your community.
Key Takeaways
- Tree care companies offer a sustainable way to repurpose wood from trees that need to be removed, turning it into firewood instead of letting it go to waste.
- Buying firewood from a tree care company ensures that you are getting high-quality hardwood, which burns better and lasts longer than softwood.
- Local tree care companies carefully inspect firewood for insects and diseases, giving you peace of mind that you’re not introducing new pests or problems to your home.
- Purchasing firewood from a tree care company supports your local economy by keeping money within the community.
- Firewood from tree care companies is typically seasoned, meaning it has been dried to reduce moisture content, making it easier to burn and more efficient.
What Tree Care Companies Do with Wood After Removal
If you’ve never had a professional remove a tree for you before, you may not realize just how much wood there is. Large trees produce plenty of debris, from massive logs to miniscule branches. While a company can turn small portions of the tree into woodchips, the same isn’t true for the large logs, so they haul them away.
But what happens to these logs afterward? After all, a tree care company can’t keep all those logs outside their office forever. Well, there are several fates for the logs of removed trees:
- Sell It: Tree care companies might have deals to sell any useable wood to local lumber companies. The wood from the tree will need to be structurally sound and large enough to create lumber.
- Deposit It: Green landfills are where companies dump organic waste to decompose, including tree debris. It can take years for logs to decompose this way.
- Create Firewood: Of course, logs make us think of firewood. Not all tree care companies create firewood or can do so. Creating firewood takes time, training, and the right equipment. It is, however, an excellent way to get rid of excess wood.
- Craft It: We may use a few logs for art projects or decor. Whether it’s sawing them into sculptures or using them as stylish benches, logs can help add some flare.
The 5 Benefits of Getting Firewood from a Tree Removal Company
Tree care companies are usually thrilled to get rid of extra logs that are taking up space. And not only does buying firewood from a tree care company benefit them, but it also benefits you and your community.
1. Prevent Wood from Going to Waste
When a tree care company can’t get rid of all their logs, they may dump them in a green landfill. Eventually, these trees will decompose, but it takes time and plenty of real estate. The EPA reports just over 6 percent of all municipal solid waste (MSW) is from wood. This accounts for just over 18 million tons every year.
You can help the environment and your local community by taking firewood from a tree care company rather than letting it sit in a landfill. As the old proverb says, “waste not, want not.”
2. Reuse Wood from Tree Removal
When you buy firewood from a big box store, you can never be sure where it came from. The company may have cut down healthy trees in a forest that could have remained standing.
Firewood that comes from a tree care company isn’t like that. Most reputable companies will not remove a tree without regard for its importance or size. They may only remove a tree if it represents a hazard or interferes with structures. When you buy firewood from a tree care company, you’re reusing wood from a tree that had to come down.
PRO TIP: Want to learn more about how and why we remove trees? See some of our previous articles about tree removal:
3. Get Quality Hardwood
Tree care companies are very selective about the wood they turn into firewood. Most hardwood trees (trees that lose their leaves in the winter) make better firewood than softwood trees (evergreen trees).
Softwoods can kindle an outdoor fire, as they typically burn quickly. In most cases, however, hardwood will provide a better fire.
4. Avoid Wood with Diseases
Another concern with buying firewood is the risk that it will contain insects and diseases. Buying from a disreputable source can even cause you to introduce a new insect or disease to your neighborhood that wasn’t there before.
Tree care companies, especially those that employ an ISA Certified Arborist, carefully check all firewood before selling it. If the wood displays any sign of an insect infestation or a disease, tree care companies won’t sell it as firewood.
5. Benefit the Local Economy
You’ve probably heard a million times about how small business is the backbone of the economy. While it’s a cliché, residents in Montgomery and Bucks counties know the importance of supporting and uplifting local businesses.
When you buy firewood from the big box stores, you’re sending money out of our area. When you buy firewood from a local tree care company, you ensure that money stays in the community to help foster development in Doylestown and beyond.
Frequently Asked Questions About Firewood from Tree Care Companies
How large is firewood typically?
The length of a piece of firewood can vary between 14 and 18 inches. 16 inches is the perfect length for firewood.
What is seasoned firewood?
Seasoned firewood refers to wood that has been dried to reduce its moisture content, making it easier to burn. Freshly cut wood contains a lot of water, which makes it difficult to ignite and causes it to burn inefficiently.
To avoid this, tree care companies season their firewood by splitting and stacking it in a dry area for at least six months. During this time, the moisture in the wood evaporates, leaving you with dry, ready-to-burn wood that produces more heat and less smoke.
How much firewood does a company get from cutting one tree?
The amount will vary depending on how much wood is usable from a tree. The general rule of thumb is that a tree with a 22-inch diameter at 4 ½ feet will produce one cord of wood. A cord is a stack of firewood that is 4x4x8 feet.
What are some trees that are bad for firewood?
Some tree species to avoid when picking firewood include:
- Most evergreen trees
- Aspen
- Basswood
- Willow
Additionally, avoid using firewood from trees with poison ivy, poison oak, or other similar plants. We also advise against using treated wood, as burning it releases chemicals into the air.
Stay Warm This Winter with Local Firewood from Clauser Tree Care
When you buy firewood from a local tree care company like Clauser Tree Care, you’re not only getting high-quality firewood, but also supporting the local economy. Our firewood comes from trees that had to be removed, making it a sustainable choice for residents of Montgomery and Bucks counties. We provide ready-to-burn, hardwood firewood sourced from our local Pennsylvania ecosystem. Call us today at 215-542-8291 to discuss our firewood services and determine how much you need to keep your home warm this winter.
About Clauser Tree Care
From who you talk to on the phone in our office, to our courteous and experienced work crews who provide your service, all of the hard-working team members at Clauser Tree Care strive for complete client satisfaction. Our job is simply not done until you are pleased with the experience that you have had working with our company. Founded more than 25 years ago on the principles of honest work and arboricultural best practices, we strive for a higher standard of care for a greener future.
