Thread: seasoned?

I have been splitting my wood on and off for the last month. Don't have a whole lot left to go at this location. It's really just wood from 3 trees... 1 red oak, 1 black, and 1 beech. The red oak and beech were cut down in June of 05, and the black oak was cut down in Jan of this year. The logs have just been sitting around not doing much except for the last month or so. Would you guys say that this wood will be considered seasoned by the time burning season arrives? BTW, none of these pieces have been huge... biggest is maybe 20" diameter or less.

Firewood really won't start drying out until you split it.

No, seasoning starts after splitting. Some states specifically state 6 months from time of splitting to be seasoned.

Also depends on how much contact it had with wet or moist soil and for how long,otherwise it should do you fine this winter. There are trees i havent yet cut that i will split and sell this winter and will have no complaints. My biggest complaints believe it or not are because wood burns to fast. But those complaints come from people who burn wood to heat. I have customers who only burn for the atmosphere, they want it to lite fast and burn time doesnt matter.

Here is a good website to check out for wood burners:


www.woodheat.org

Originally Posted by B-Edwards

Also depends on how much contact it had with wet or moist soil and for how long,otherwise it should do you fine this winter. There are trees i havent yet cut that i will split and sell this winter and will have no complaints. My biggest complaints believe it or not are because wood burns to fast. But those complaints come from people who burn wood to heat. I have customers who only burn for the atmosphere, they want it to lite fast and burn time doesnt matter.

all due respect B-edwards, and this is not meant as any sort of flaming, but Where are you located? What kind of wood? do those customers return?

In Western PA where I live if you cut something today and try to burn it this winter that stuff will bubble and hiss and spend all its BTU's boiling off water rather than heating your house. Not to mention an increased amount of creosote lining the chimney.

I actually have bought a few cords that were called seasoned and they boiled and hissed like mad and they definately didn't like the same species that I seasoned for 8 months. I didn't call the guys back because i had stacked it already and left it for this winter- but they sure aren't getting my business again.

All of this to say- burn that stuff next year- then you will get proper bang for your buck. put energy into heating your home not boiling water and sap. Some say you should let oak dry for over a year (i think this overkill but it shows that 1-3 months will not do a proper job).

my $.02.

Hello sir, most of the wood i will sell is 1 year old (split and stacked) I'm in NC mtns . Dont think I've lost a customer yet , they all seem very happy with the wood . I know what your saying ,grew up heating with wood. Dont think NC governs firewood like other states. Ah i did have 1 customer that didnt like wood i took him ( white oak layed on ground a year before i split it) that crap wouldnt burn for anything. I dont like to short change my customers and i wont if i realize it. I can look at a stick of wood and usualy tell if it will burn,(thats a split stick).But so far Repeat year after year. Maple, Birch, different Oaks, Sourwood, no Poplar or Pines.

if the beech and maple were dead when felled in the winter, split, piled they should be seasoned by fall, the oak however can take two seasons to fully dry.

Two things come to mind when reading the above thread.

Some of you are making comments about seasoning times in your area that works for you and is necessary for your customers. The seasoning time varies with the local weather. When you are as dry as we have been this summer (drought conditions) and as hot as we have been (many days over 100) wood will dry much quicker even when it isn't split. As also stated it depends on the amount of moisture that contacts the wood.

I sold 30 cords last year and most of it seasoned about 3 months, some of it dead and standing from the summer, cut and split prior to delivery. First thing is always tell the customer the truth. I never tell the customer it is seasoned if it isn't. If it's a dead tree I tell them that. No surprises that way. No complaints from anyone either.

It depends on what the customer is doing with the wood. Most of my customers are not heating with the wood and it is only for atmosphere. These customers like wood that is easy to light and burns out before bedtime. They aren't concerned with heat value.

The ones who heat with wood usually do so in a wood stove. They aren't worried about starting the fire as they have coals left in the stove. They like somewhat greener wood than the other customers. They also like larger pieces because they last longer, and if its green it will still be there the next morning.

I have learned that a tree that has fallen and still has a root system will almost always be too wet too burn.

You hit the nail on the head, all that is what i meant to say

[B][/This may sound stupid,but if you walk up to a pile of split oak and can smell it,it's not seasoned.Harbor Freight has a moisture meter on sale for $20.00.It's not the greatest but it will give you a good idea where you are at.
Ed

Originally Posted by B-Edwards

Hello sir, most of the wood i will sell is 1 year old (split and stacked) I'm in NC mtns . Dont think I've lost a customer yet , they all seem very happy with the wood . I know what your saying ,grew up heating with wood. Dont think NC governs firewood like other states. Ah i did have 1 customer that didnt like wood i took him ( white oak layed on ground a year before i split it) that crap wouldnt burn for anything. I dont like to short change my customers and i wont if i realize it. I can look at a stick of wood and usualy tell if it will burn,(thats a split stick).But so far Repeat year after year. Maple, Birch, different Oaks, Sourwood, no Poplar or Pines.

B-edwards: thanks for the kind response. I am glad to hear you have your customers in mind with your business. All the best to you!

that is probably one of the stupidest things i hear "burn green wood because it will be there in the morning" creating major cresote and chimney fires. also anyone that burns wood for heat knows that most of the energy is used up to "dry" that green wood as its being burnt, therfore losing most of its efficiency.

OK, OK. You're all right on this one. "Smell oak, it's green"...give me a break here.
Here's what we do Downeast. Ours is a 100% wood fired place w two --count 'em: 2-- standing stoves for the two parts of the house.
Winter: fell trees, buck them to stove size ( 18"-20"), throw them in the trailer (old Subaru axle) pulled by the big red Foreman, cart to whatwillbeabigpile .
Late summer/early fall: split the bucks and stack in the woodshed for burning THIS winter. Total hardwood ~ 5-6 cords, to burn ~4 with reserve for non Gorebal Warming.
Since our woodlands are p___s poor, we have little red oak, live or standing dead. Mostly Red Maple and Paper Birch, with an odd Locust or Ash.
The too many Spruce and Fir blowdowns are used in the hot tub or workshop stove. Maybe a couple of cords.
So, this has been the routine for us and many others here for a long, long time. The couple of months that the split wood dries under cover works well for seasoning. The best seasoning for the butts is out in the open....For us.
Mileage may differ...........

Around here we believe (right or wrong) that ANY firewood needs to be SPLIT, stacked and covered for a minimum of one summer. Stacked off the ground in a sunny windy spot. Some woods, two summers. This is even for logs that have been laying around whole. IMHO.