Re-think firewood. A hotter, cleaner solution to heating your home, now delivered to your door
Walnut Creek Planing offers the added convenience of delivery within a 30-mile radius of the plant.
It isn’t always easy to improve on nature. But sometimes you can make a natural product a lot easier – and less expensive – to use.
That’s the case with EnviroBricks, a convenient way to heat your home – or cook a steak – using a safe, clean wood source. Locally made in Walnut Creek, EnviroBricks are now available with a preseason special of free delivery within 30 miles through the end of October, said Tim Miller, sales manager for Walnut Creek Planing.
Walnut Creek makes the compressed hardwood fuel briquettes from its own sawdust and shavings, by-products from their sanders, molders and saws. “This way we can control exactly what’s in the briquettes,” Miller said. “Our family occasionally grills meat and roasts marshmallows over EnviroBrick fires. They’re perfect for fire pits, camping and cooking, but by far most are used for home heating.”
No unsafe binders, additives, waxes or resins are used. To make the briquettes, kiln-dried wood fiber is compressed using intense pressure. Lignin, a natural substance in trees, holds the wood fibers together without the need for adhesives. This makes them safe for cooking as well as heating.
The advantages of EnviroBricks are numerous when compared to traditional cordwood. “The low moisture content is one of the biggest benefits,” Miller said. “Because the sawdust comes from kiln-dried hardwood, the moisture content of the briquettes is approximately seven percent, compared to a much higher moisture content in typical seasoned firewood.”
“Pound for pound, EnviroBricks have about the same BTUs as firewood, but a lot of energy is wasted in burning off the higher moisture content,” Miller said. Almost one hundred percent of the energy expended when burning EnviroBrick can be used to heat your home. Being very dry also virtually eliminates the danger of creosote buildup in chimneys, a potential problem with higher moisture content in other wood fuels.
EnviroBricks also are convenient to store and carry, said Conrad Yoder, a sales rep for Walnut Creek.
“They stack neatly on a skid,” Yoder said. “You don’t have to cut them down and drag or carry them to your house. EnviroBricks are 3 by 3.5 by 9.5 inches and come in packages of 6, weighing about 20 pounds. This makes it easy for anyone to grab a pack and put them on the fire. Plus, they’re not covered with dirt, sticky bark, or harmful insects. I’ve burned all kinds of good and bad firewood all my life, and nothing is as simple, clean and convenient as EnviroBricks.”
Another advantage of EnviroBricks is less ash to dispose of. “When I burned firewood in my stove, I had to remove one to two coal buckets every two to three weeks,” Miller said. “Last winter I only took ash out three times.”
“The amount you use for heating depends on the outside temperature and the size of your home,” Miller said. “An 1,800-square-foot ranch home might go through a pallet every three to six weeks depending on various factors such as average outdoor temperature, type of wood burning appliance, and home insulation. For an overnight burn, I usually put in one to two packages.”
Walnut Creek Planing has a network of retailers who sell EnviroBricks throughout the eastern US, and has shipped product as far away as Scotland and Romania. But locals can stock up for the winter by buying direct from the company’s plant near Walnut Creek at a price of $139 per skid. As a preseason special, they are offering free home delivery now thru the end of October, within a 30-mile radius of the plant.
You can place your order by calling Walnut Creek Planing at 330-893-3244. The plant is located at 5778 state Route 515 near Walnut Creek. You can also learn more by visiting envirobrick.net.