The small compact size of the bricks allows them to stack and store much easier than hard wood.
The use of wood as a fuel source as opposed to fossil fuels is not only typically more economical, but it is also better for the environment. When wood is burned, the only green house gases it can emit are the ones it took in while it was living, therefore the carbon footprint for burning Fiber Fuel Bricks is net zero.
Fiber Fuel bricks are ready to use immediately after you purchase them. There is no need to season or dry them before use. This also drastically reduces the risk of bringing mould, insects, and dirt into your house.
Because the bricks are made from 100% kiln dried wood waste, there is much less moisture to cause improper combustion. This then lessens the risk of creosote build up in chimneys and ultimately means less risk of chimney fires. It also means that there is less ash than hard wood and reduced emissions as well.
Unlike pellets, bricks can be used in wood stoves and therefore can continue to heat even during power outages.
The consistent compact size makes them much safer than trying to load a hot stove or furnace with larger heavier pieces of firewood.
Although there are many variables to this question, a good approximation would be that a cord of hardwood equals 84 bags (1 pallet) of Fiber Fuel Bricks. Each bag has 12 bricks and therefore a pallet contains 1008 bricks.
Not necessarily, but it would depend on the cost of seasoned firewood in your area. It also depends on whether you factor in the time savings and convenience of Fiber Fuel versus traditional firewood. If your time has value, and you put a price on that value, then we are confident Fiber Fuel is a better overall value for most consumers!
No, the bricks can be used in any well maintained wood burning appliance. However, burning Fiber Fuel is different than hardwood. It takes a couple of days to adjust to how the bricks burn versus hardwood. As Fiber Fuel bricks burn hotter than conventional firewood, one must be careful not to over fill their appliance. Under normal burning conditions, there are no issues with the additional heat provided by Fiber Fuel bricks.
There are many variables to this answer, but after the initial warm up of the appliance a suitable temperature can often be achieved with the addition of 2 or 3 bricks every 80 to 100 minutes.
The only special storage needs are to keep the Fiber Fuel bricks dry, just like any other type of natural wood. If you are storing it in a damp basement, it would be wise to keep it off the floor, using a pallet or scrap wood. As for the shelf life, there is no problem keeping bricks from heating season to heating season. The product is very stable and there is no worry of deterioration.
Fiber Fuel is packaged in bags of 12 with 84 bags to a pallet. Product can be purchased by the bag or by the pallet.
Absolutely, the raw materials made to produce these bricks are recycled by-products from the manufacture of other products. There is no extra wood harvested for the sole purpose of producing bricks. Also, Lewis Mouldings is a registered buyer of forest products in the province of Nova Scotia, meaning that we administer a silviculture program that replenishes the forest at an equal if not faster rate than we are depleting it. Also, as with burning hardwood, the carbon footprint / greenhouse gas emissions are zero, as the only carbons emitted during burning are the ones the tree took in while it was living.
The price of bricks is specific to each of our dealers, who set their own retail price. Please take a moment to visit our dealers page to locate the dealer near you. If you are unable to find a dealer near to you, please contact us directly so that we may assist you further.
One Fiber Fuel brick produces approximately 17,800 BTU’s. There are 12 bricks per bag and 84 bags per pallet. One pallet of Fiber Fuel (84 bags) produces approximately 17,942,400 BTU’s.
BTU is British Thermal Unit. It is the standard for measuring the output of heat. One BTU is defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree.
To start a fire using Fiber Fuel, we suggest creating a pyramid of 3-4 bricks, arranged so that there is space underneath the upper bricks. Using a small amount of paper and/or kindling, ignite a small fire underneath the bricks. Leaving airflow/draft at approximately 50%, allow the bricks to develop into a full burn. At that time, it is best to reduce the draft, then add additional bricks as required. Due to the low moisture content, Fiber Fuel bricks require less airflow to burn efficiently than conventional firewood. Using more draft than required will only result in the requirement to add bricks more frequently than should be required.
For an overnight burn, we suggest experimenting with the number of bricks required. However, ensure airflow is very low for an overnight burn. Rest assured that Fiber Fuel will burn effectively in this manner and will allow for hot embers remaining in the morning. Additional bricks can be loaded at that time.
We invite you to view this YouTube video for a live demonstration:
If you have always burned wood for heat, you have only used hardwood, right? The reason for that is the density of hardwood. It lasts longer than a softwood log, so it has become the standard that we have become accustomed to. Softwood has always burned hotter than hardwood as a result of the natural resins, but because of the low density, it burns much quicker.
However, transforming softwood into brick form as we have done with Fiber Fuel changes the equation! As mentioned earlier, Fiber Fuel is manufactured using kiln dried softwood, compressed using extremely high pressure. The end product is a very hard brick. The density and moisture content are altered, but the natural resins remain intact, acting as a binding agent. This results in a wood brick that burns hotter than hardwood and lasts just as long!