How much firewood do I need?
When your first starting out with a new fireplace, it can be hard to judge how much firewood you should be ordering in.
Winter in New Zealand officially starts in June, ending in late August; when ordering, it’s always a smart idea to factor in some cold weeks for spring. Different households have differing needs depending on the type of insulation, their size, and how often people are home.
We’d expect an average household to use between 7.2 and 10 m3 of wood each season.
The total volume you need varies again depending on whether you burn softwoods or hardwoods. See The different types of firewood explained to learn more about the different properties of each.
If you have a smaller home and are only lighting the fire in the evenings using only softwoods like Pine and Macrocarpa will quickly warm smaller rooms.
If you have a larger home or are wanting a long slow burn throughout the day including a hardwood like Gum or Manuka will be more cost effective.
Hardwoods need to be added to a softwood base to best utilise their burning properties.
How much of each?
If you are only burning your fire in the evenings, we recommend ordering at least a 1:1 ratio of Pine or Mac to hardwood e.g. 1.2m3 Pine or Mac to 1.2m3 Gum or Manuka.
If you are burning your fire throughout the day you will need less starter wood. We recommend ordering a 1:4 ratio of Pine or Mac to a hardwood e.g. 1.2m3 Pine or Mac to 4.8m3 Gum or Manuka.
Hot tip: If you’re using up your firewood pile faster than you’d like too, it pays to get your fireplace checked over, some times the heating plates inside need replacing or the chimney itself needs a clean and service.
