cover of episode HOW SOME AMERICANS HEAT THEIR HOMES IN THE WINTER

HOW SOME AMERICANS HEAT THEIR HOMES IN THE WINTER

2023/10/17
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American English With Brent

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In this English lesson, we will visit my brother's backyard, and he will teach you some terms native English speakers use when talking about heating their house in winter. He will talk about what a cord of wood is, how he heats his home in the winter, and how he sells his extra wood.

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In today's English lesson, we are going to visit my brother's backyard. And in his backyard, he has tons of wood. Because during the winter, he heats his house with wood. So today, we are going to find out all the ways he has to prepare for winter. Alright, this is my brother Ben. And like I said, he heats his house with wood. But, starting in the summer, he has got to get ready for that somehow. So Ben, do you mind taking us through the process of what you have to do to get your house ready for the winter? Sure, we absolutely can do that. It starts with log form wood. Then we cut it to size. Then we use a splitter to split it. We put it in the trailer. Then we stack it and let it dry out. How long does it take for your wood to dry out? Different species are different times. But usually, you cut it and split it in the spring. It is ready for winter. Oh really? And okay, so what happens if the wood is wet in the winter? It just takes too much energy to burn. So you lose BTUs. So it won't heat as well. It will smoke. It will smell. Just not fun. And BTUs, what does that stand for? British Thermal Units. And the higher the number, the better it burns? The hotter it burns. And so, the higher the better for you? Yes. So, let's see, what is it? Is that a maple tree right there? Yes, it is. So, when it comes to maple trees, do they burn well or not so well? They burn very well. There are quite a few different species of maple. There is some softer maple. And there is some harder maple. But that is a good wood. It dries fast. Burns nice. And the harder, the better for maple? Correct. And behind us, I think I already know the answer to this. This is a pine tree. Now, I think, and I don't know much about wood, but I think those things pretty much suck to burn, right? Well, in Maine, we are lucky because we do have hardwoods. The more north you go, obviously, you only have softwoods. Spruce, firs, pines. You won't see maples. You won't see oaks in the north. So, many people burn softwood. Is pine soft? It is, correct. Now, does the sap in a pine tree affect the burning at all? If you don't let a pine dry, you tend to get chimney fires. The creosote builds up in the chimney, and it could create a fire. Which could burn your house down? Possibly. So, you definitely have to dry your pine out if you're going to use it. Any wood, really. Any wood will produce creosote, but pine or any softwood creates a bit more if it's not dried.


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