Standing Elm or Logs

[oldmatelot]

We have about 15 12 ft logs that have been piled outside uncovered for about two and a half years and we have about 10 to 12 dead elm - standing that have been dead for a year and a half --- Generally which would be drier .
Thanks and have a good day..

 

[Dirtboy]

My first thought would be your logs are probably getting punky by now. (Hope not though). If the bark is already peeling off the elms the drying has begun. I would c/s/s the elm asap.

 

[Whitespider]

Oh boy... hard to tell from the limited info.
The piled logs?? What species?? Cut green?? Cut winter or summer?? In contact with the ground??

Standing-dead elm is about perfect when the bark falls off the trunk... everything above the first crotch should be ready-to-burn, below that drys in a couple-few weeks. Round here it takes a good two years for them to get to that point. Personally, I'd leave 'em stand and take 'em down this early fall (like late September/early October) and move 'em directly into the house after splitting.

Like Dirtboy posted, I'd be concerned with the piled logs.
I'd be startin' on them first, see what's happenin' inside... the standing-dead will keep a few more weeks (and likely get better).

But... I ain't where you are... am I??
*

 

[oldmatelot]

The piled logs are on the ground and are a mixture of hardwood -- maple - oak - etc. Don't know when it was cut.

THANKS FOR THE REPLIES

 

[Chainsaw_Maniac]

My experience is that standing dead elm is fully dry (i.e. cannot get any dryer).

Logs on the ground may not be fully dry depending on if the make contact with the ground and whether weeds/tall grass were around them.

 

[Cheesecutter]

I'd cut the piled ones up first. That maple will get punky way faster than standing elm. That said, I'd bet the elm is drier.

 

[TreeTangler]

Get those piled logs c/s/s now! Unless that elm is where someone else could possibly harvest it, they are not going anywhere. Get that pile taken care of before you lose all those btu's.

 

[svk]

I've found that unless exposed to full sunlight and with adequate spacing that logs will never dry. They will be drier than green wood but hover around the 25-30% area until they start to go punky. As others said, do the logs first then the standing dead. Any tree I have cut where the bark has fallen off is ready to burn unless its been there way too long and is starting to punk out. That goes for any species except birch, where the bark holds in moisture and actually makes it rot quicker.

 

[Whitespider]

I'd cut the piled ones up first. That maple will get punky way faster than standing elm.

Way faster‼
At 2½ years there's a good chance that maple has already started to turn for the worse.
*

 

[06switchback]

I was cutting today in my log pile from having my land logged the winter before last and the wood is not dry as said above but it's not green either hasn't gotten rotten yet even the ones in the dirt but it's going to be burned this winter I wouldn't leave it like that another year it should last a lot longer stacked tho

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[blades]

Only if stacked off the ground
Standing dead- my experience- top 1/3 good to go, middle 1/3 so-so, bottom 1/3 going to need split and stacked for awhile.

 

[oldmatelot]

sorry that I have not responded sooner -- computer problems

Thanks for all the advice

 

[oldmatelot]

Have finished blocking the logs and they seem fine - will take a moisture reading when I split them -- it takes me so long to do anything now - about 4 or 5 times longer than it used to -- old age is not great -- but much better than the alternative.
Thanks again