Fireplace Wood · Cape Town Delivery
Fireplace Wood Delivered in Cape Town
Low-smoke, moisture-tested hardwood for open fireplaces. Blue Gum and Black Wattle burn cleanly, hold heat for two to three and a half hours, and are suitable for living rooms, patios, and outdoor fire pits.
Order Fireplace WoodWhat firewood works best in an open fireplace?
An open fireplace needs wood that burns cleanly with low smoke and minimal creosote build-up. Dense hardwoods with moisture content under 15 % are the right choice — they produce sustained, even heat rather than a quick flare and die-out. Soft or wet wood produces a lot of smoke and tar that coats the flue over time, creating a fire risk and a cleaning problem.
Both Blue Gum and Black Wattle are sourced from Western Cape plantations and arrive at 10–15 % moisture — well within the range for a clean, efficient burn in an open fireplace.
Which fireplace wood should you choose?
WoodDrop's two open-fireplace hardwoods are similar in price and quality. The main differences are density and the number of pieces you get per Drop (≈ 15 kg).
🏆 Best all-round fireplace wood
Blue Gum
R89 / Drop
Dense hardwood with a long, even burn. Low smoke output makes it ideal for open fireplaces and living rooms. Burns cleanly and produces good sustained heat.
Full details →⭐ Excellent heat and duration
Black Wattle
R89 / Drop
Dense and long-burning with excellent heat output. Slightly more pieces per Drop than Blue Gum, making it easy to build up and maintain a fire. Excellent for living room fireplaces.
Full details →Blue Gum vs Black Wattle — which is right for you?
| Wood | Price / Drop | Burn time | Density | Pieces / Drop | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Gum | R89 | 2–3 hr | 860 kg/m³ | 15–25 | Sustained warmth, low smoke |
| Black Wattle | R89 | 2.5–3.5 hr | 800 kg/m³ | 19–30 | Longer burn, more pieces |
Blue Gum is marginally denser, so you get a slightly heavier, more uniform piece of wood. Black Wattle has more pieces per Drop and a slightly longer burn time — good if you prefer a slower, stacked fire that you add to periodically.
How much firewood do I need for winter?
A single Drop (≈ 15 kg) is roughly enough for four to six evening fires. If you use your fireplace regularly through winter, a half-bakkie (≈ 255 kg / 17 Drops) is a practical seasonal stock-up. A full bakkie (≈ 510 kg / 34 Drops) suits households that run a fire most evenings.
Ordering in bulk reduces per-Drop cost and eliminates the need for repeat orders mid-winter. WoodDrop's delivery is scheduled — you pick the window — so planning ahead is straightforward.
Open fireplace safety: Always use a fireplace grate or fire basket to allow air flow below the wood. Keep a spark guard in place when unattended. Have your chimney swept at least once per season if you use your fireplace regularly.
What makes a good indoor fireplace wood?
Three properties matter most for indoor use: moisture content, smoke output, and density. Moisture content below 20 % is essential — wet wood smoulders rather than burns, pushing unburned particulate into the room and coating the flue with creosote. WoodDrop moisture-tests all indoor firewood batches before listing them.
Smoke output is directly linked to moisture: dry hardwood produces very little visible smoke after the initial ignition phase. Blue Gum (Eucalyptus) and Black Wattle (Acacia) are both naturally low-smoke species at correct moisture levels, which is why they are the standard indoor firewood across the Cape peninsula. High-resin softwoods — pine, for example — are not suitable for enclosed spaces because they smoke heavily and deposit resin in the flue even when dry.
Density determines how long a log burns and how much heat it releases. Higher-density woods produce more energy per kilogram and hold a coal bed longer, meaning you reload the fire less often on a cold evening. Blue Gum at 860 kg/m³ and Black Wattle at 800 kg/m³ both fall in the range that gives a two-to-three-hour burn per load — enough for a full film, dinner, or a long evening.
Can I use fireplace wood in a closed combustion stove?
Blue Gum and Black Wattle are also suitable for closed combustion units — their low moisture content and density meet the requirements for most slow-combustion stoves. However, closed combustion stoves have additional requirements around wood size and loading. See our closed combustion guide for details.