The firewood that we recommend for use in fireplaces:

Red Saligna – A varietal of Eucalyptus wood which varies from a light pink to a deep warm red.

Red Saligna is also known as Blue Gum.

Red Saligna is a hardwood which means it will burn for longer and consistently to provide a good amount of heat for a longer period of time, making it the right type of firewood to warm up a cold winters evening.

And the best firewood for a braai?

A good braai on the other hand requires firewood that will be easy to light and burn well, creating a good coal base over which to roast ones meat.

Sekelbos wood is our choice of soft wood. As any South African worth their salt will tell you; it is important to cook your meat at the right temperature, which is easily attainable with Sekelbos.

Sekelbos also imparts a lovely smokey flavour to the meat which is quite popular.

Hard woods vs Soft woods

Main types of wood that are used as firewood in Johannesburg:

 

• Hardwood – slow growing and characterised by higher density

• Softwood – usually fast-growing tree with a lighter less dense structure

Differences between Hardwood Firewood and Softwood Firewood

 

Hardwood	Softwood
Slower burning	Burns brightly and rapidly
Coals and embers are long lasting	Coals die out faster
Less smoke	Presence of sap means more smoke
Less sap in wood which means slower to build up sticky deposits	Sap when burned, will leave sticky soot deposits on chimneys quicker which require more frequent cleaning

We prefer to supply hardwood firewood to our clients because hardwood firewood provides more heat, is longer burning with less smoke and sooty build-up which will ultimately result in savings for our client. By ordering your load of hardwood firewood online you will save yourself the trouble of sourcing firewood, locating our depot, and the hard work of collecting it yourself. We will deliver to your premises.

 

Types of Firewood we offer:

 

• Hardwood Firewood – we prefer to deliver a hardwood such as red saligna if you are going to be using it in your fireplace. It is slow burning and provides a good even heat.

• Black Wattle – This is a great firewood to use in either your fireplace or on the open braai as the thicker pieces burn hot and long. Furthermore it is an invasive species and the use of it for firewood goes a long way towards eradicating the black wattle.

• Sekelbos – Sekelbos is a great firewood to use in your braai hout because it lights easily, burns with a good flame and it imparts a lovey smokey aroma to meat.

We also offer a few extras to make your fire-making a little easier:

 

• Kindling – a soft easy to light wood which will burn just long enough to get the hardwood going

• Firelighters – kindling for the modern man

• Anthracite – Some of the older homes in areas like Parkview and Parktown will likely have an anthracite burning fireplace.

Our Hardwood Firewood is delivered throughout Johannesburg including Firewood delivery in Melville, Parkhurst and further afield.

 

What makes good firewood?

It is the density and moisture content of the wood that determines its favourability for use in the fireplace. Some wood has too much moisture or is too dense and does not burn in a satisfactory manner to make it a worthy fireplace filler.

Wood needs to be reasonably well seasoned but not too dry. This means that it should have been given at least a year in which to dry out, leaving it with less than 20% moisture content. Any more moisture and the wood will battle to light and you will probably notice a lot more smoke in the room and your chimney will display creosote build up much quicker than if the wood had been properly seasoned.

The symptoms of poor performance related to wet firewood include:

• Difficulty getting a fire going and keeping it burning well
• Smoky fires with small or no flame
• Rapid creosote buildup in the chimney
• Low heat output
• Short burn times
• The smell of smoke in the house
• Excessive fuel consumption and
• Blue-gray smoke from the chimney.

 

 

This page was last updated on 13 December 2022