A closed-combustion unit wants a blend of bloekom and Namibian hardwood. An open fireplace wants bloekom or blackwattle, with a piece of kameeldoring for the coals — and about half again as much of it.
Same wood, two very different fireplaces. Here is what to put in each, and why.
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The one difference that decides everything
An open fireplace heats the room by radiation and sends most of the heat up the chimney with the smoke. A closed-combustion unit burns the wood behind glass with controlled air, so far more of the heat ends up in the room. The practical result: an open hearth burns about half again as much wood for the same evening, and it rewards cheaper wood, while a closed unit rewards dense wood that holds.
Closed-combustion: burn the blend
Half bloekom, half Namibian hardwood — kameeldoring, sekeldoring or the Namibian Hardwood Mix. It is what we burn in our own unit at the yard. Bloekom gets it away and gives the flame you sit in front of; the hardwood goes on once the bed is glowing and holds a steady, quiet heat with fewer trips to the basket. A bag a fire on a medium unit, most evenings.
Two things to avoid. Pure Namibian hardwood every night, air closed down: it runs the unit hot and hard, which is tough on the baffle and the glass over a winter. And anything treated — painted pallets, chipboard, recycled pine — which tars the flue. Our Kindling / Starters (Pine) is recycled pine and is for open fireplaces and braais only; use the untreated Kindling / Starters (Premium) in a closed unit.
Small unit in a flat, or one that does not take a full-length log? Short Pieces is the same bloekom cut shorter, and Heat Logs — twelve compressed hardwood logs, 10kg, no bark, very little ash — are the tidy fuel for an apartment unit.
Open fireplace: bloekom, blackwattle, and hardwood for the bed
The nightly fire in an open hearth is bloekom: lights readily, strong even burn, and the honest price matters when you are burning half again as much. Blackwattle is the step up — denser, hotter, better coals — at the same price per bag. And a piece or two of kameeldoring laid on a good bed gives the glowing coals an open fire is really for, long after the flames have settled.
Get it going with a firelighter under a handful of pine kindling, three or four smaller pieces of bloekom in a loose stack, and leave it alone for ten minutes. The commonest open-fire mistake is packing the grate before there is a bed to hold it.
Side by side
| Closed-combustion unit | Open fireplace | |
|---|---|---|
| Wood per evening | About 1 bag (medium unit, 4–6 hrs) | About 1½ bags |
| Best everyday wood | Blend: bloekom + Namibian hardwood | Bloekom, or blackwattle |
| For the coal bed | Kameeldoring, sekeldoring, Namibian mix | A piece or two of kameeldoring |
| Kindling | Premium (untreated) | Pine or Premium |
| Compressed logs | Heat Logs suit it well | Fine, but bloekom is cheaper here |
| Anthracite | Only in an anthracite stove | Never |
How many bags
A medium closed-combustion unit on a 4–6 hour fire is about one bag; the same evening in a medium open fireplace is about a bag and a half. Fifteen fires a month is the realistic Cape figure. The full table by fireplace size is here, and the calculator turns it into an order.
Offloading and stacking the bags: included. We carry them to your wood store, garage or braai and stack them neatly where you want them — put it in the order notes and it’s handled. Unbagging — emptying the bags onto your pile — is R10 a bag, added at checkout.
Questions people ask us
What is the best firewood for a closed-combustion fireplace?
A blend: half bloekom, half Namibian hardwood such as kameeldoring or the Namibian Hardwood Mix. Bloekom lights and gives flame; the hardwood holds a steady heat behind the glass with fewer top-ups. Pure hardwood every night runs the unit hot and hard; pure bloekom keeps you feeding it.
What is the best firewood for an open fireplace?
Bloekom for the nightly fire, blackwattle when you want it hotter with better coals, and a piece or two of kameeldoring on top for the glowing bed everyone stares into. An open hearth burns about half again as much wood as a closed unit, so the price per bag matters more here.
Can I burn pine or recycled kindling in a closed-combustion unit?
Use the untreated kindling. Our Kindling / Starters (Pine) is recycled pine and is for open fireplaces and braais only; Kindling / Starters (Premium) is untreated wood and is the one for a closed-combustion unit. Never burn painted, treated or glued timber in either.
Why does my closed-combustion glass go black?
Wet wood, or the air choked down too early. Burn dry wood, run the unit with the air open until the fire is established and the glass is hot, then close down. A blackened glass usually cleans with a damp cloth dipped in the cold ash.
Is your wood actually dry?
Yes, and we stake 25 years on it. Our bagged wood is seasoned and stored under cover, so it lights properly and burns hot instead of hissing at you. If a bag ever disappoints, tell us and we’ll make it right — that is the Dry Guarantee. Read the Dry Guarantee.
Order the right wood for your fireplace
Order online and the bags are carried in and stacked where you want them, or WhatsApp us and we will say what we would put on the truck.
See prices · Delivery from R200 WhatsApp an order — 060 978 8945
