Are sweetgum trees good for firewood?

Question:

I live in Atlanta, Ga and have a dead sweetgum tree in my front yard (about 40 feet tall).  I have heard that sweetgum wood is not good to use for firewood.  Is that true? It makes a big difference in how I am going to have it taken down.  If it is good wood I would like to rent a splitter and split it myself. Thanks, Vance Before you buy.

Response:

In my youth, in North Carolina, we burned everything we could cut down. Gum was  quite a chore to split because of all the twists ,but it gave a lot of heat.I’m sure some environmentalist would take objection , though. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I live in Atlanta, Ga and have a dead sweetgum tree in my front yard > (about 40 feet tall).  I have heard that sweetgum wood is not good to > use for firewood.  Is that true? > It makes a big difference in how I am going to have it taken down.  If > it is good wood I would like to rent a splitter and split it myself. > Thanks, > Vance > Before you buy.

Response:

>In my youth, in North Carolina, we burned everything we could cut down. Gum >was  quite a chore to split because of all the twists ,but it gave a lot of >heat.I’m sure some environmentalist would take objection , though.

burn the environmental wackos then. Learn all about how the NSA spys on you.  Search on "Project Echelon" at your favorite search engine.  Another service brought to you by the Clintons.

Response:

It is generally agreed by both energy and forestry scientists that, provided harvesting is conducted in a sustainable manner, the combustion of wood for energy production is essentially carbon dioxide neutral when the normal forest regeneration period is considered. When wood combustion replaces the consumption of fossil fuels, however, the net reduction in carbon dioxide release is almost immediate. http://www.webconx.com/wood_heat.htm — — Steve Spence Renewable Energy Pages – http://www.webconx.com Palm Pilot Pages – http://www.webconx.com/palm X10 Home Automation – http://www.webconx.com/x10 (212) 894-3704 x3154 – voicemail/fax If we don’t believe in freedom of speech for people who we disagree with, we don’t believe in it at all. —

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->In my youth, in North Carolina, we burned everything we could cut down. Gum >was  quite a chore to split because of all the twists ,but it gave a lot of >heat.I’m sure some environmentalist would take objection , though. > burn the environmental wackos then. > Learn all about how the NSA spys on you.  Search on "Project Echelon" at your > favorite search engine.  Another service brought to you by the Clintons.

Response:

> x-no-archive:yes >I live in Atlanta, Ga and have a dead sweetgum tree in my front yard >(about 40 feet tall). > Are these the trees with the pointy little (~1"diam.) seed balls  that > drop by the thousands. FWIIW, the seed balls don’t burn.

maybe this will help… ben                          Firewood Ratings and Info                         (and numerous other sources>                                                                         Heat                              Easy                 General  Weight Produced  Species   Relative  Easy to  to   Heavy  Throw     Aroma   of           per              Heat    Burn    Split Smoke? Sparks?  Rating  Seasoned Cord-lbs                                                              Cord        M Btu   Hardwoods  .  Black Ash   Med      Yes/Fair Yes  No     No/Few   Excel   Minim2,992 19.1  White Ash   High     Yes/Fair Yes  No     No/Few   Excel   Minim3,689 23.6  Red Oak     High     Yes/Poor No   No     No/Few   Excel   Fair 3,757 24.0  White Oak   High     Yes      No   No     No       Excel   .    4,012 25.7  Beech       High     Yes/Poor Yes  No     No/Few   Excel   Minim3,757 24.0  Blue Beech  High     Yes/Poor Yes  No     No/Few   Excel   Minim3,890 26.8  .  White Birch Med      Yes/Good Yes  No     No/Mod   Excel   Minim3,179 20.3  Grey Birch  Med      Yes/Good Yes  No     No/Mod   Poor    Minim3,179 20.3  Yellow  Birch       High     Yes/Good Yes  No     No/Mod   Excel   Minim3,689 23.6  Paper Birch Med      Yes/Good Yes  No     No/Mod   Excel   Minim3,179 20.3  Black Birch High     Yes/Good Yes  No     No/Mod   Excel   Minim3,890 26.8  Hickory     High     Yes/Fair Bad  No     No/Mod   Excel   Good 4,327 27.7  Hard Maple  High     Yes      Bad  No     No       Excel   .    .        .  .  Pecan       High     Yes      Yes  No     No       Excel   .    .        .  Dogwood     High     Yes      Yes  No     No       Excel   .    .        .  Red or  Soft Maple  Med      Yes      No   No     No       Good    .    2,924 18.7  Cherry      Med      Yes/Poor Yes  No     No/Few   Good    Excel3,120 20.0  Black  Cherry      Med      Yes/Poor Yes  No     No/Few   Good    Excel2,880 19.9  Walnut      Med      Yes      Yes  No     No       Good    .    .        .  .  White Elm   Med      Med/Fair No   Med    No/None  Fair    Fair 3,052 19.5  American  Elm         Med      Med/Fair No   Med    No/None  Fair    Fair 3,052 19.5  Sycamore    Med      Med      No   Med    No       Fair    .    .        .  Gum         Med      Med      No   Med    No       Fair    .    .        .  Aspen       Low      Yes      Yes  Med    No       Fair    .    2,295 14.7  .  Basswood    Low      Yes      Yes  Med    No       Fair    .    2,108 13.5  Cottonwood  Low      Yes      Yes  Med    No       Fair    .    2,108 13.5  Chestnut    Low      Yes      Yes  Med    Yes      Poor    .    .        .  Apple       High     Poor     .    .      Few      Med     Excel4,140 26.5  Hemlock     Low      .        .    .      Many     Fair    Good 2,482 15.9  .  BlackLocust High     Poor     .    .      None     Good    Minim3,890 26.8  Sugar Maple High     Poor     No   .      Few      Good    Good 3,757 24.0  Eastern  Hornbeam    High     .        .    .      .        Excel   .    4,267 27.3  Hackberry   Med      .        .    .      .        .       .    3,247 20.8  Boxelder    Low      .        .    .      .        .       .    2,797 17.9  Butternut   Low      .        .    .      .        Poor    .    2,100 14.5  .   Softwoods  .  .  Yellow  Poplar      Low      Yes      Yes  Med    Yes      Poor    .    .        .  Southern  Yellow Pine High/Low Yes      Yes  Yes    No/Mod   Good    Good .        .  Douglas Fir High     Yes      Yes  Yes    No       Good    .    .        .  Cypress     Med      Med      Yes  Med    No       Fair    .    .        .  Redwood     Med      Med      Yes  Med    No       Fair    .    .        .  .  White Cedar Med/Low  Yes/Exc  Yes  Med    Some     Good    Excel1,913 12.2  Western  Red Cedar   Med/Low  Yes/Exc  Yes  Med    Yes/Many Good    Excel.        .  Eastern  Red Cedar   Med/Low  Yes/Exc  Yes  Med    Yes/Many Good    Excel.        .  Eastern  White Pine  Low      Med/Exc  Yes  Med    No/Mod   Fair    Good 2,236 14.3  Western  White Pine  Low      Med/Exc  Yes  Med    No/Mod   Fair    Good 2,236 14.3  .  Sugar Pine  Low      Med/Exc  Yes  Med    No/Mod   Fair    Good .        .  Ponderosa  Pine        Low      Med/Exc  Yes  Med    No/Mod   Fair    Good 2,380 15.2  Tamarack    Med      Yes      Yes  Med    Yes      Fair    .    3,247 20.8  Larch       Med      Yes      Yes  Med    Yes      Fair    .    .        .  Spruce      Low      Yes      Yes  Med    Yes      Poor    .    2,100 14.5  .  Black  Spruce      Low      .        .    .      .        .       .    2,482 15.9  Jack Pine   Low      .        .    .      .        .       .    2,669 17.1  Norway Pine Low      .        .    .      .        Fair    .    2,669 17.1  Pitch Pine  Low      .        .    .      .        Fair    .    2,669 17.1  Balsam Fir  Low      .        .    .      .        Poor    .    2,236 14.3  Willow      Low      .        .    .      .        Poor    .    2,100 14.5  .

Response:

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