Summary

Heating a home with wood entails a lot of physical labour. One of the most strenuous parts of burning wood is chunking and cutting the firewood. However it is essential to chunk and cut those sections of the wood that are very thick in diameter. Sometimes they will not fit into the stove until they are chunked or cut. Chunking and splitting wood is important for the reduction of the storage area (because chunked wood is better for storage) and for the reduction of transportation space. A further advantage of chunked wood is that it has larger surface through which water evaporates easier, and wood dries faster. Chunking reduces time needed for drying wood to the optimum humidity that is around 20% (this is the ideal moisture content of wood used for heating). Therefore, it is also recommended to chunk the wood from the point of easier drying.

Chunking or splitting wood can be carried out in various ways. For chunking different kinds and types of chunkers are used, which chunk logs of wood into smaller pieces. These smaller parts are suitable for heating (after sufficient drying). Chunkers are primarily used for chunking large logs, which are inappropriate or too difficult to cut by axe. Chunkers are suitable for the chunking of large volumes of logs or timber for industrial use. Chosing the appropriate type of chunker depends on its use (recreational, insudtrial).Axes, unlike chunkers, are designed for recreational use and are less intense. Axes are used for the partition of logs to the size that is suitable for heating.Axes can also be used for cutting logs into smaller pieces (blocks) that are simpler in terms of handling. For cutting logs into smaller units various types of saws can be also used, either manual or powered. Choosing the appropriate type of saw depends on the purpose and the frequency of use. When using saws with higher output it is very important to obtain all safety rules about the use of saws. Better performance and quality increase the price of the saw as well.

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