i cut locust logs that my dad cut 20 years ago. bring it home and it's ready to go in the stove as soon as the surface moisture is gone. a day or two.
What Is Comparative Value Of Green vs. Seasoned Wood?
- Thread starter StihlRockin'
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Depends. At least by me, if left in log form wood such as aspen or birch will dry to a certain amount (say 25-30%) and then begin to decay if left in the elements. This of course will vary by species and the climate where you are at. Bark off pine or maple will dry to an acceptable level and stay there for a couple of years before starting to decay. Cedar will sit for a decade at least.
I personally burn and sell wood. I cut it green split and stack and four months later burn it. I stuck my moisture meter in my firewood (so I could explain to a customer), and it was at 10% moisture content, but I also live in the south where it's hot and humid.
Out of curiosity, what is the price difference?
CRThomas
ArboristSite Guru
I only dry Ash in my kiln. All my money making customers want Ash in bundles. The rest of the wood if it goes bad I use it for fill.
El Quachito
ArboristSite Operative
It's doesn't cost me anything to let wood sit until its dry. The costs and labor don't change so I sell dry for the higher price--I would not take less wet or dry. I have heard of wood cutters selling green or unsplit wood for less, but I am a part time woodcutter and I don't do enough volume to consider selling green.
StihlRockin'
ArboristSite Guru
How quick wood seasons is dependent more on how it's cut and handled rather than the species. Left in larger form will take longer to season than wood cut into smaller pieces. For me wood seasons the quickest when I cut it to length, split it and stack it into single rows where the next row is at least a foot away. Then I have my rows aligning north and south. This allows for air flow between the rows and the n/s alignment allows our westerly winds to blow through parallel to the wood grain or lengths. I top off each row with some sort of covering that only goes on the top and doesn't droop down over the wood to help prevent moisture build up.
There's more abstract perceived value in seasoned wood because it's value is at it's highest now, usable now, whereas green wood typically is something people don't use until down the road a year or more ahead until it's "seasoned".
More so or another reason seasoned wood is worth more is because it has been stored over a period of time. Where normally do we get to have a storage area for "free"? Get your vehicle impounded and it incurs fees every day it is in their storage facility. Storage companies sell space for you to store things in. Some parking lots charge to use their storage/parking area. Boat owners around here pay good money to have their boat stored for the winter.
What does all that above mean? Having green wood stored in the wood yard takes up valuable space for a long time. It too incurs "fees" for storage until it's dry enough to sell. I'm simply thinking that wood that has taken up space for a long period of time in itself must increase in value... as compared to green wood I'm planning to sell cut and split right from the job site and won't see a minutes worth of time in the wood yard.
Thanks for all the replies. Some wise answers and opinions given for various reasons.
StihlRockin'
There's more abstract perceived value in seasoned wood because it's value is at it's highest now, usable now, whereas green wood typically is something people don't use until down the road a year or more ahead until it's "seasoned".
More so or another reason seasoned wood is worth more is because it has been stored over a period of time. Where normally do we get to have a storage area for "free"? Get your vehicle impounded and it incurs fees every day it is in their storage facility. Storage companies sell space for you to store things in. Some parking lots charge to use their storage/parking area. Boat owners around here pay good money to have their boat stored for the winter.
What does all that above mean? Having green wood stored in the wood yard takes up valuable space for a long time. It too incurs "fees" for storage until it's dry enough to sell. I'm simply thinking that wood that has taken up space for a long period of time in itself must increase in value... as compared to green wood I'm planning to sell cut and split right from the job site and won't see a minutes worth of time in the wood yard.
Thanks for all the replies. Some wise answers and opinions given for various reasons.
StihlRockin'
sawjunky23
Just here for the free beer!
I am confused. How does green wood take less time to process? I have the same amount of labor in cutting, splitting, and stacking green wood as seasoned wood. In fact the seasoned wood was green wood to begin with. Are you considering the seasoning time as part of the "process"? I have no labor in the seasoning process. If you are kiln drying or using some other mechanism to season your wood then I see your point.
Any way you look at it, it takes a lot of space to store a large quantity of wood, space costs money, just ask anybody runing a storage buisness, I would think that one reason a lot of people buy seasoned wood from someone else is partly becasue they have no place to store the quantity of wood needed to burn for the season plus future reserves to leave sit while it seasons. I guess the way I look at it if you are storing your wood on somebody elses's property, you should probbaly expect to pay for it. Just my 2 cents.
mainewoods
Addicted to ArboristSite
Depends on what part of the state you are in. Southern Maine averages about $240-$260 green - $280-$320 seasoned. Up where I live $185 green - $235 + seasoned. Prices are all over the place.
woodchuck357
Addicted to ArboristSite
Most of the people I know that sell green wood cut and split in the woods and dump it at the customer's place for 20 to 30 percent less than the price they sell dry wood for. They don't need space to store the wood while it dries and they don't have to handle it as much. They also don't worry about some one walking off with it before it sells. And they get money in the pocket right now.
ponyexpress976
nipple fritters
Here's what I'll do....$200 for a cord of seasoned wood. If I cut/split and stack it, it stays there until it is seasoned and ready to go for full price. "IF" I have some logs come in and somebody wants to buy it freshly processed, I'll let it go for a little less because I don't have to handle it as many times. Since my "processing area" and "seasoning areas" aren't one and the same, it's worth it to me to move it along right away. This is the bulk of my summer sales and all from repeat, multiple cord customers. It really boils down to what is a successful business transaction. When both parties walk away happy, it's a success.
Poindexter
ArboristSite Operative
Local to me a cord of green birch rounds is $250 delivered in or near town. Cut it in the woods, load the truck, deliver, done.
If I take it to a landing and split it and stack it and then sit on it while it seasons, with #2 heating oil @$3.44/ gal and BTU for BTU that cord of seasoned birch is worth about $533 if someone is willing to carry it into their home and load it into the stove for free.
Realistically that seasoned cord has a street value of about $400 _after_ I load it into my truck a second time, deliver it and unload it from my truck a second time after having had it taking up space in my seasoning yard for a year.
Too much trouble for me. Ocne I have green rounds off my truck at the landing I am keeping them and taking the $533 per cord of my own fuel bill.
If I take it to a landing and split it and stack it and then sit on it while it seasons, with #2 heating oil @$3.44/ gal and BTU for BTU that cord of seasoned birch is worth about $533 if someone is willing to carry it into their home and load it into the stove for free.
Realistically that seasoned cord has a street value of about $400 _after_ I load it into my truck a second time, deliver it and unload it from my truck a second time after having had it taking up space in my seasoning yard for a year.
Too much trouble for me. Ocne I have green rounds off my truck at the landing I am keeping them and taking the $533 per cord of my own fuel bill.
StihlRockin'
ArboristSite Guru
The additional replies make good points and am thankful for the details. I appreciate that and try and read all people's opinions and experiences. Most stuff I may already know, but every now and then, I hear something new and learn. That's exciting! And I wouldn't have learned unless I asked!!
Thanks. This ol' boy iz a learnin'!
StihlRockin'
Thanks. This ol' boy iz a learnin'!
StihlRockin'
Full Chisel
Slingin' Stihls and runnin' Huskies
Unless it is being bought for storage, seasoned wood is more valuable than green wood because it is more efficient. Green wood wastes energy because the excess water has to be driven off(boiled/evaporated) before it will combust whereas seasoned wood takes off immediately. It seems like common sense, but many people don't understand this concept and burn whatever they can get. In that case, there will be no difference in value.
It sounds like a fella with some land could by a ton of green wood, let it sit for a year, and make a nice profit without ever starting a chainsaw. Maybe I am going about it all wrong. Buy for $200ish and sell for $300ish in Maine; and, buy for $250ish and sell for $500ish in Alaska. Now I know why I see ads on CL for dealers wanting to buy 40-50+ cord of wood at a time.
Full Chisel
Slingin' Stihls and runnin' Huskies
Fuel cost after multiple transports would make that a lot of effort for little gain I would think. Firewood is pretty well a local business for this reason, among others. You ever see the Seinfeld episode where Kramer and Newman try to profit from turning in bottles? Yeah, kinda like that.
StihlRockin'
ArboristSite Guru
Major players around here usually are in a situation to get firewood themselves through a forestry sale or buy from loggers by the truckload, ie, 8 to 12 cords at a time... 100" sticks mulitiplied by many truckloads. Even, and probably more likely as I said "major players", full length trailer loads would be even more economical.
Full Chisel,
I know what you speak of. I saw that episode. LOL! And it goes with some common sense. Why chase a penny while losing nickels.... etc.
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I've been a purchaser and seller of firewood and I always figure mileage, gas and time to go and pick up wood. That's a given. As a purchaser, ... and since I know the inside details of selling firewood, I use this to my advantage and try hard to work out a deal to get wood if need be.
SR'
Full Chisel,
I know what you speak of. I saw that episode. LOL! And it goes with some common sense. Why chase a penny while losing nickels.... etc.
==================
I've been a purchaser and seller of firewood and I always figure mileage, gas and time to go and pick up wood. That's a given. As a purchaser, ... and since I know the inside details of selling firewood, I use this to my advantage and try hard to work out a deal to get wood if need be.
SR'
amateur hour
ArboristSite Lurker
It takes less time to process green wood because you don't ave to have the space to let it sit until it is seasoned. Yeah the tomato analogy wasn't great but I couldn't think of anything similar where you can't use a product with first maturing that a product.
If people sell green and seasoned wood for the same price why would anybody buy green wood? People here are getting $190-220 for green wood and $275-300 for seasoned; there has always been a price difference due to the extra time involved in seasoned. The seasoning time isn't labor or fuel but it is more like a storage fee or having to sit on inventory before you can sell it.
mainewoods
Addicted to ArboristSite
Tree length loads of 12-14 cord were going for $85-$90 a cord. I live near 2 paper mills and they are paying $120 a cord for tree length. A huge paper mill yard to unload in and a check when they are done, is pretty appealing to most truckers around here, but you can still buy tree length if you look around. It just cost $120 a cord instead of $85.
Don't get me wrong, I completely understand what you are saying, and I agree with you. But my point is....why would I sell my greenwood for less when I can let it sit one year and get a seasoned price? I won't and I don't; storage space is not an issue for me, at least not yet. Like I previously said, I turned down customers wanting to buy my green wood last year---even at normal seasoned price. I only have one customer, whom I know, that I sell green wood to.
