Firewood Perishability Chart?

[howellhandmade]

I've read references in several threads to firewood being no good after a certain point. Some woods seem to have a fairly narrow window between being fully seasoned and starting to decline, others less so. This is new to me; I've previously always had fairly small quantities of firewood and the struggle has been to have wood that was well seasoned enough. And, I had always thought of wood as a material that, given a chance to dry, eventually reached equilibrium and then lasted practically forever. What happens with firewood? Do some species rot even if they're, split, covered and off the ground? Is the problem decay from the bark that remains attached, or does the continued drying process remove resins that contribute to BTUs? Is there a resource that rates different species in terms of how long you have to get it off the ground once cut, and how long it will stay "good" once seasoned?

I'm about to be up to my neck in firewood, mostly black oak. I plan on splitting and stacking it until winter after next, already have quite a bit of black locust for next winter. How is black oak for shelf life?

Jack

 

[Hlakegollum]

I've read references in several threads to firewood being no good after a certain point. Some woods seem to have a fairly narrow window between being fully seasoned and starting to decline, others less so. This is new to me; I've previously always had fairly small quantities of firewood and the struggle has been to have wood that was well seasoned enough. And, I had always thought of wood as a material that, given a chance to dry, eventually reached equilibrium and then lasted practically forever. What happens with firewood? Do some species rot even if they're, split, covered and off the ground? Is the problem decay from the bark that remains attached, or does the continued drying process remove resins that contribute to BTUs? Is there a resource that rates different species in terms of how long you have to get it off the ground once cut, and how long it will stay "good" once seasoned?

I'm about to be up to my neck in firewood, mostly black oak. I plan on splitting and stacking it until winter after next, already have quite a bit of black locust for next winter. How is black oak for shelf life?

Jack

If kept dry, wood will last almost forever. Water is the enemy. Popular is useless after about a year out in the rain, I have had mushrooms growing out of it.

 

[windthrown]

Well, not forever. Once dry, wood has many enemies. Around here they are mainly carpenter ants and termites. Keep it off the ground and dry. I have found that willow does not seem to keep that long. Gets pithy. Also oak fallen on the ground here rots pretty fast. Fungus gets to it.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

The directions for my catalytic stove warn not to use firewood over three years old. Apparently some chemical change takes place that ruins the combustor.

 

[Guarddog1]

My wood boiler does not seem to care how old it is. It burns any type any age.
I love my wood boiler I want to set up a recliner out by it so we can keep each other company. The best thing is it does not talk back it just keeps working.



opcorn:

 

[Orange Hill]

I have been burning some almost 10 year old cypress that has been in the weather all of these years, but stuck off of the ground in another tree and it still burns well but not quite as long and it is not pitchy. I use it to start my fires and it smells like cedar. I am also burning a large blue gum eucalyptus that has been down for close to 5 years, also off the ground, and I burns just as good as if not better then wood from last year and is actually harder and denser. I may have to find more downed blue gums from the same storm on neighboring ranches.

 

[windthrown]

Euc burns hot and long. We used to get it for free by the truckload down in Big Sur. Harder than hell to split or cut when it is dry though.

 

[Jon E]

Firewood will generally last indefinitely if kept continuously dry. A stack of firewood left indoors in a barn or garage will be good for decades, probably. If a pile is subject to seasonal temperatures, rain and snow, it will deteriorate over time regardless of species. I have found the worst offenders for rot to be soft maple and poplar. The best woods for long-term 'storage' are ones that are naturally rot-resistant, such as oak (even red oak will keep well if dry), black locust, cherry and walnut heartwood. Hickory and beech are great if kept perfectly dry, but if they repeatedly get wet and dry, they rot fast. White birch dries well and stays sound if split, but will rot and turn to powder rapidly if left round - something about the bark, I guess. Pine is also surprisingly rot-resistant if kept dry, and it burns really nice when bone dry.

 

[blackdogon57]

Well stored firewood that is kept away from bugs and water will last indefinatley. Never had a customer call to complain that their wood is "over seasoned".

 

[howellhandmade]

Firewood will generally last indefinitely if kept continuously dry. A stack of firewood left indoors in a barn or garage will be good for decades, probably. If a pile is subject to seasonal temperatures, rain and snow, it will deteriorate over time regardless of species. I have found the worst offenders for rot to be soft maple and poplar. The best woods for long-term 'storage' are ones that are naturally rot-resistant, such as oak (even red oak will keep well if dry), black locust, cherry and walnut heartwood. Hickory and beech are great if kept perfectly dry, but if they repeatedly get wet and dry, they rot fast. White birch dries well and stays sound if split, but will rot and turn to powder rapidly if left round - something about the bark, I guess. Pine is also surprisingly rot-resistant if kept dry, and it burns really nice when bone dry.

Thank you, everyone. Jon, that's a very informative capsule. I'm in the same boat as many here, I suppose, in not having a barn but being willing to do as much as is practical to keep the rain off. Not much to be done about the seasonal temperature/humidity variations, though. Interesting about birch -- makes me appreciate my oak and locust even more. I usually have a few small black cherries and maples to take down, but those dry quickly and I burn them first in the fall.

Jack

Jack

 

[rob206]

I burned some oak that a neighbor said he cut down about 15yrs ago. It was seasoned to perfection. Some of the small pieces were rotted or partially rotted, but the large blocks were solid. This wood was stashed outside on the ground. Our soil is very sandy, so water doesn't pool in most spots. I know poplar and pine degrade quickly if left on the ground.

 

[BarkBuster20]

hm.. if its dry and off the ground and no bugs get to it like mentioned befor itll last forever. if you have termite problem just spray and kill em. if you have a problem with storing your wood real dry a cheap solution is a lean-two, put some tarps up for walls (it will still have plenty of air circulation this way and very little moisture. i also like to gravel my leantwo

 

[mtfallsmikey]

hm.. if its dry and off the ground and no bugs get to it like mentioned befor itll last forever. if you have termite problem just spray and kill em. if you have a problem with storing your wood real dry a cheap solution is a lean-two, put some tarps up for walls (it will still have plenty of air circulation this way and very little moisture. i also like to gravel my leantwo

Speaking of spraying a woodpile for termites, etc...what is the best stuff a HO can use off-the-rack?

 

[STEELHEAD]

burning chemicals

Speaking of spraying a woodpile for termites, etc...what is the best stuff a HO can use off-the-rack?

Iam a little leary about burning chemicals in the house,. with the kids and all, maybe in the work shop,..Eric

 

[mtfallsmikey]

Iam a little leary about burning chemicals in the house,. with the kids and all, maybe in the work shop,..Eric

I use an OWB....see below.

 

[Marc]

I've read references in several threads to firewood being no good after a certain point. Some woods seem to have a fairly narrow window between being fully seasoned and starting to decline, others less so. This is new to me; I've previously always had fairly small quantities of firewood and the struggle has been to have wood that was well seasoned enough. And, I had always thought of wood as a material that, given a chance to dry, eventually reached equilibrium and then lasted practically forever. What happens with firewood? Do some species rot even if they're, split, covered and off the ground? Is the problem decay from the bark that remains attached, or does the continued drying process remove resins that contribute to BTUs? Is there a resource that rates different species in terms of how long you have to get it off the ground once cut, and how long it will stay "good" once seasoned?

I'm about to be up to my neck in firewood, mostly black oak. I plan on splitting and stacking it until winter after next, already have quite a bit of black locust for next winter. How is black oak for shelf life?

Jack

Like others say, it depends on if it's kept undercover or not. If you're stacking outside, denser hardwoods like oak, hickory, locust, cherry, etc. will last up to 4 years around here with normal weathering before it starts to rot or get 'punky.' Softer, less dense species like red maple, elm, birch you'd want to use with 1 to 1 1/2 years. Generally, the denser the wood, the longer it will last, save for the few naturally rot resistant species like cedar, teak, redwood...

 

[Laird]

Been burning some mixed hardwoods put up in a shed w/a concrete floor 30+ years ago left by the previous owner. Still hard as a rock and burns great. Considerate fellow also left me about 25 gal of Chlordane which hasn't been available since 88'- but nothing works better for termites.

 

[thejdman04]

Outside around here about 3 years is all I would leave it.

 

[wdchuck]

Firewood will generally last indefinitely if kept continuously dry. A stack of firewood left indoors in a barn or garage will be good for decades, probably. If a pile is subject to seasonal temperatures, rain and snow, it will deteriorate over time regardless of species. I have found the worst offenders for rot to be soft maple and poplar. The best woods for long-term 'storage' are ones that are naturally rot-resistant, such as oak (even red oak will keep well if dry), black locust, cherry and walnut heartwood. Hickory and beech are great if kept perfectly dry, but if they repeatedly get wet and dry, they rot fast. White birch dries well and stays sound if split, but will rot and turn to powder rapidly if left round - something about the bark, I guess. Pine is also surprisingly rot-resistant if kept dry, and it burns really nice when bone dry.

Plenty of good, reliable info right there.

Off the ground, with basic cover/roof, it'll keep for years. Some climates will play havoc regardless, and many areas have different pestilence issues, so, take your area into consideration when planning your long term storage solution to get the best outcome.

 

[JBinKC]

I am cutting from a woodlot with lots of downed trees from the year 2001 and the black oak is still in very good shape and along with blackjack oak easily identifiable from the bark. I would rank black oak in the top ten of all species for its lasting properties. Of the oaks I would rank it 3rd behind post oak and blackjack oak. Hedge, black walnut, black locust, ironwood and hickory also has decent lasting properties. I don't have any experience with cherry or beech so I can't really comment on them.