Newbie question about seasoned wood

[WhiteMike]

Just moved into a house with a nice stove that gets the whole place warm. I'm going to heat with wood and only wood from here on out, but I don't have much experience with it other than drunken bonfires. The people we bought the house from left us about a half cord of seasoned wood. Over the past couple months I've gotten about 4 more cord of grand fir. I figure the seasoned wood they left us will last me a month or so (really I have no idea) and then I will have to dig into the timber I just cut. All of the trees were dead when I felled them although when I split some of the rounds close to the bases of the tree they were a bit wet.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Sounds like a good start. Didn't really hear a question in there. Burning green wood may or may not work depending on the stove. Not good for catalytic stoves. Inspect and clean chimney often, like monthly starting out. Lots of info at ArboristSite. Try the 'search' option. Welcome...

 

[rarefish383]

Welcome to the site. I'll let folks out your way answer to the Fir. I live in the Mid Atlantic area and we have mostly Oak. I like to let mine season for a year. Most of my wood comes from farms that friends own. I pick standing dead trees. The top branches that are left on the trees, up to about 8-10 inches, are dry as a bone and burn right now. As you start getting into wood that needs to be split, the wetter it gets. I let that sit for a year, Joe.

 

[svk]

Welcome!

The very best advice I can give is to get the newly cut wood stacks into full sun if possible and as much sun as possible if you don't have full sun exposure. Keep the top of the stack covered but the sides open and leave plenty of space between stacks. If possible stack rows facing north/south so the sides can get both morning east sun and afternoon west sun.

Good luck and you've come to the right place, we are a bunch of firewood junkies!

 

[Jere39]

You are getting good advice already. And, I don't know anything about Fir (grand or not). So, I have no direct insight into whether your fresh cut, but dead fir will be good for you. I don't know about the size of your new home, nor the model of your stove, nor even which part of Idaho you live in. I would seriously doubt a half cord of seasoned wood will last long in mid winter. But, you should get along fine in the early heating season, especially if you are not fanatical about keeping your house in the mid 70's. In any event, this will be an interesting learning adventure for you. If I were you, I'd consider one or both of these options:

1. Find a source of seasoned firewood and buy a cord or two now - cheap insurance for January
2. Inspect, and fuel your back-up heating system (oil, propane, even electric)

You might want to invest in an inexpensive Moisture Meter (I got one on Amazon for about $10) and keep a log (pun unintended, but fits perfectly) of how your wood heat performs at 15% vs 25%. Around here, I cut standing dead Red Oak. The MM readings in the middle of the log at the time of cutting is typically in the high 30% range. When split and stacked loosely in the open, I get about 2%/month drying, and hold out till it dips under 20% for burning. As mentioned, you can often ignite and consume "Wet" wood, but you might find a lot of the heat is being used to dry the wood, boil the moisture, and steam the inside of your chimney.

I repeat, enjoy this grand learning experience.

 

[hardpan]

I don't know fir either but I may add to the other good advice to remove any loose bark and split smaller than usual if still possible. As already mentioned, monitor your flue build-up. I have had a couple flue fires. They are spooky, destructive, and dangerous. Some folks advise to burn an extra hot fire 20 or 30 minutes each day to assist with regular cleaning of the flue.

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

Chiming in to the above:

Split small, stack loosely. Do it now, not later, so the newly harvested wood has time to dry.

On your way home from work, cruise through some industrial areas if possible. Look for pallets or crates around warehouse and factory dumpsters. That's a jackpot, in both wood storage, and wood to burn. There is plenty of info in the scrounging firewood thread to get you started.

Keep an eye on your chimney, and learn how to burn in order to minimize creosote buildup. After time, it becomes second nature, but there is definitely a learning curve. If you are getting buildup in your stove or the beginning of your flue, it's probably worse on up near the top.

Stay safe, and have fun. Don't hesitate to ask questions. You'll become a deranged addict like the rest of us in no time!

 

[Brushwacker]

Do not let your fire smolder and don't start with a cold chimney using marginal wood to build the fire. Use only well seasoned dry until you have coals and a hot chimney and then add some of the marginal wood . I expect you'd have little problems with creosote that way but do check the chimney often enough and clean it if needed. The only creosote I notice in my double wall stainless that runs through the old brick is the last couple feet of stainless above the brick that stays cooler. Its very little at that and I clean it once a year with a small wire brush. I burn about 3 cords of hardwoods with a little red cedear and mix in about 1/2 cord of pine in a years time. I burn a majority of standing dead cut the same season that most of the bark has been off for a good while. Bottom pieces that hold quite a bit of moisture I usually split them small and dry a while longer, sometimes use them the following year. I let some finish drying by the stove overnight also.
Don't spray cold water in a brick chimney fire either, cause it will crack. Good to keep handy a couple sticks of chim flex or whatever they are called for putting out a chimney fire. In my early days I let some minor chimney fires burn out but if there is an avenue to burn out side the chimney you could start a house fire. Need safe space between chimney heat and burnable structure. Check well before you start burning and get assistance if you are not sure.

 

[capetrees]

Similar question;
I cut hardwoods earlier this year, oak, cherry, locust and maple. Most of it is in 4'-6' lengths and around 12" diameter. Some a bit larger diameter but not bigger than 24".
Sat in the sun all summer, we've had little or no rain, major drought and high heat. I recently cut and split the wood and it's in the sun again, dry weather and in a pile.

Good to burn this winter as now it's mid august?

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

Similar question;
I cut hardwoods earlier this year, oak, cherry, locust and maple. Most of it is in 4'-6' lengths and around 12" diameter. Some a bit larger diameter but not bigger than 24".
Sat in the sun all summer, we've had little or no rain, major drought and high heat. I recently cut and split the wood and it's in the sun again, dry weather and in a pile.

Good to burn this winter as now it's mid august?

It doesn't really start to dry until it's cut to length and split, so you really are starting the clock now. If you keep it stacked with lots of airflow and sun, some of it might be ready this winter, but would be better next winter.

 

[blades]

++ on everything above. I will add that you might want look into getting compressed wood logs/blocks for this winter verses buying cord or 3 of wood splits ( Those guys are there to sell wood not many leave it sit in there yard for a 1-2 years to become properly dried, before selling it- frankly I do not know of any) The blocks will be at or around 6% and you can mix them with splits that are so-so for a much better overall first year experience. There is a very good mfg. of those in your area of the country ( heck I can't even get them here.) North Idaho Energy logs. A pallet of those is = to a cord of split wood. I burn from late sept. through April 24/7 and then it gets a bit sporadic for May and sometimes even June, all told that's about 4 cords ( 1 cord = 4'x8'x4' or 128 cf of splits) in a 3 cubic ft stove in a 2k sq ft ranch style house. I know you get colder weather than I do

 

[jrider]

Similar question;
I cut hardwoods earlier this year, oak, cherry, locust and maple. Most of it is in 4'-6' lengths and around 12" diameter. Some a bit larger diameter but not bigger than 24".
Sat in the sun all summer, we've had little or no rain, major drought and high heat. I recently cut and split the wood and it's in the sun again, dry weather and in a pile.

Good to burn this winter as now it's mid august?

The cherry, maple and locust should be in good shape. The oak probably not so great.

 

[Zale]

Similar question;
I cut hardwoods earlier this year, oak, cherry, locust and maple. Most of it is in 4'-6' lengths and around 12" diameter. Some a bit larger diameter but not bigger than 24".
Sat in the sun all summer, we've had little or no rain, major drought and high heat. I recently cut and split the wood and it's in the sun again, dry weather and in a pile.

Good to burn this winter as now it's mid august?

I would wait till the following winter.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Im cutting ash, walnut and oak that has been down for over 6 years. Still attached to the root ball so most of it has been off the ground. Bark has fallen off all the ash and most of the oak. Walnut still have bark on...

I'm finding that the ash ranges anywhere between 14 and 30% moisture. The walnut and oak I can tell is still way to wet without measuring it. The ash is coming down fast, though and I will burn it this year if I have to.

 

[Revturbo977]

i let oak sit for 2-3 years, maple, cherry , hickory 1 and a half with at least 2 summers on it.

 

[capetrees]

I asked my question because a few years back, I was having firewood delivered, cut and split, for me to then sell. I was getting complaints that it was wet or damp or green. When I called the distributor, a private company, he told me it's actually semi-seasoned in that it's not green but not totally dry. They cut it in lengths up in NH, 16'-20' and stack it in the winter and spring. Once called for, they start to cut and split the wood. Its semi seasoned in that it's been dead for a number of months and the cellular structure of the wood is dead allowing for the moisture to escape the wood easier as opposed to green wood being cut and split. Told me the dead wood dried faster and therefore could be used for firewood. No??

 

[Revturbo977]

wood really only drys out when split and stacked where air can pass through it taking moister away. ive never come across a log in the wood that is perfectly dried out, unless it was hidden from the elements.

 

[CaseyForrest]

I asked my question because a few years back, I was having firewood delivered, cut and split, for me to then sell. I was getting complaints that it was wet or damp or green. When I called the distributor, a private company, he told me it's actually semi-seasoned in that it's not green but not totally dry. They cut it in lengths up in NH, 16'-20' and stack it in the winter and spring. Once called for, they start to cut and split the wood. Its semi seasoned in that it's been dead for a number of months and the cellular structure of the wood is dead allowing for the moisture to escape the wood easier as opposed to green wood being cut and split. Told me the dead wood dried faster and therefore could be used for firewood. No??

You got sold a bill of goods that stinks.

Wood will not season in log form. It will start rotting from either the outside or inside long before its to a moisture content that is conducive to burning in a stove or even an open fireplace.

 

[Revturbo977]

firewood dealers need to get with the times. new epa stoves require 14-16 month wood, not 9 month wood. they should be splitting in march to sell the following fall

 

[zogger]

Chiming in to the above:

Split small, stack loosely. Do it now, not later, so the newly harvested wood has time to dry.

On your way home from work, cruise through some industrial areas if possible. Look for pallets or crates around warehouse and factory dumpsters. That's a jackpot, in both wood storage, and wood to burn. There is plenty of info in the scrounging firewood thread to get you started.

Keep an eye on your chimney, and learn how to burn in order to minimize creosote buildup. After time, it becomes second nature, but there is definitely a learning curve. If you are getting buildup in your stove or the beginning of your flue, it's probably worse on up near the top.

Stay safe, and have fun. Don't hesitate to ask questions. You'll become a deranged addict like the rest of us in no time!

Any previously kiln dried dimensional lumber scraps like pallets and old crates are wonderful to get only semi seasoned wood going strong. You just have to be religious about throwing in a piece, before the regular firewood piece, each time.

And to the OP...your first year is always the hardest, because you are cutting for now, plus next year, so you can get ahead. Once you get two to three years ahead, then you only need to cut one year's worth. So, if you got the $cratch, the advice to go ahead and buy some this year won't hurt, get ahead that way. You only have to do that once... I personally only burn wood that has sat at least two years or longer.