The Correct way to Season Wood for Firewood?

[JackRabbitSlims]

Hi

First post, so be gentle.
Not sure if this is the correct sub-forum...perhaps 101 would have been better??
Anyways....

What is the correct way to season wood please?
I know that certain woods take longer and can be anywhere between 6 months and 2 years.
I am in New Zealand and will have access to good quantities of Macrocarpa, Blue Gum, Pine, Manuka, Douglas Fir & Tea Tree.

Is the wood best left as logs to season or should I cut / process and then be left to season?

In either form (log or cut) do you keep it up off the bare ground (hard packed dirt yard) or is it OK directly on the ground.

This may seem like a stupid question (me=Newbie) but will the wood season adequately outside in all weather conditions? We definitely have 4 seasons where I live and winter has just started (5-15 Deg C) and rainy for the next 4-5 months.
Should I look to cover it during the wet or store / stack it in the implement / storage sheds we have?

Thanks in advance if you can help me out.

Cheers.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

The best way to dry (season) wood is when it's cut and split into pieces. The smaller the pieces the faster it will dry. Keeping wood (and 90% of everything else) off the ground is better for it. It will stay dry and not rot. The more surface area you expose to dry air, the faster your wood will dry. Splitting it into pieces is part of this, the other part is stacking it . If you stack the wood in dense piles several rows deep in a shady location, it will still dry, but take much longer than if you stack it in single rows in a sunny breezy area.

Covering it is good, but not necessary. Probably the gold standard would be single rows stacked off the ground on skids covered with metal roofing. Keeping the rain off the top but allowing air flow is the best. If you do leave your piles uncovered to dry, it's best to cover them at least 2 months before burning the wood.

 

[moondoggie]

Cut and split it for best (fastest) drying. Keep off the ground . Stacked in rows at ileast 4" apart would be best of possible. Not up against a wall leave a little space between wall and stack of wood. Leave your wood in the weather its fine

 

[unclemoustache]

Yup. Two previous comments nailed it.

Welcome to the site. We have a few other kiwis around here as well, and it's my dream vacation to go to NZ for a few weeks. Probably never happen but one can dream!

 

[JackRabbitSlims]

Thank you both for the prompt, informative replies - much appreciated.

The two big operators close to here have large open air lots with massive piles of cut (not stacked) wood drying.....I've always thought this is a bit counter intuitive in the wet season and directly on to muddy, wet ground...some of it in pasture type paddocks.
Edit - Please factor in that i know nothing about this...right or wrong.

Covered storage would be a luxury for some I suppose. Labor intensive to stack correctly as well.

Thanks again.

 

[JackRabbitSlims]

Yup. Two previous comments nailed it.

Welcome to the site. We have a few other kiwis around here as well, and it's my dream vacation to go to NZ for a few weeks. Probably never happen but one can dream!

Thanks for the welcome.

I need to find those Kiwi's then as i have some specific / local questions for them.

Come on down....you can see the whole country in 3 weeks

 

[flotek]

The absolute best is cut to length then split and stacked in single row along a fence row in direct wind and sunlight .

 

[unclemoustache]

The absolute best is cut to length then split and stacked in single row along a fence row in direct wind and sunlight .

Not quite - the only thing better is to have YOUR KIDS stack it after you cut and split it.

 

[Jeffkrib]

Think of it like drying washing, sun (heat) and wind (air flow) are good. Sitting out in the rain is said to actually speed up the process as it draws moistue out of the fibres. That said staying wet for months at the bottom of a pile is not a good thing unless your trying to grow mushrooms.

 

[sledge&wedge]

I'll second @Ryan'smilling post with just a few modifications: "Covering it is good, but not necessary. Probably the gold standard would be single rows stacked off the ground on [something] covered with [something]. Keeping the rain off the top but allowing air flow is the best. If you do leave your piles uncovered to dry, it's best to cover them at least 2 months before burning the wood."

I leave my two-row stacks in the open air from the moment they are split until roughly a month prior to moving a winter's worth into the barn for dry storage throughout the burning season. So far no issues, but that's just me. Of course you could always just build a big ol' kiln and avoid the time consuming open-air drying process altogether

 

[Fred Wright]

Something you may wish to consider: segregating your firewood stacks by species rather than mixing it all together.

Some species burn hotter and longer than others. Those you want available when the weather is very cold. If they're buried beneath tons of mild-weather firewood they won't do you much good.

 

[blades]

Split stack of ground ( as above) wait about 2 years( some dries faster some slower + factoring in your ambient conditions) then enjoy the warmth.

 

[JackRabbitSlims]

Thanks again for the great replies.

@Fred - good suggestion re separating species.

So, how are you guys keeping your stacks and / or piles off the ground? Smaller stacks in rows would be simple, but what about large piles that are churning off a conveyor belt?
Could you lay out a large surface area of old pellets or crates maybe 6-8 inches off the ground and then pile on top? I suspect the weight of the wood will crush these at some stage, but at least you would have a layer between the bottom cut wood and the earth.....what do you think?

Thanks once again, you've all been a big help.

Cheers.

 

[blades]

How about cement blocks spaced apart a bit for air flow, little price but no worry , I do not think, about crushing

 

[user 122190]

I cut for next next next winter. 3 summers out in the sun, bucked but not split. I hand split, so it needs to be seasoned/dry to split without killing myself. I also try and sort my wood on how green it was. Stuff that was healthy and got blown down, is very green, needs the 3 years of drying. Stuff that is dead standing, only 2 years or less. IMO, better to let it dry to much then to burn wood that is not fully seasoned. Chimney or stove pipe problems happen in the winter, and are to be avoided by careful and long drying of firewood.

 

[JackRabbitSlims]

I cut for next next next winter. 3 summers out in the sun, bucked but not split. I hand split, so it needs to be seasoned/dry to split without killing myself. I also try and sort my wood on how green it was. Stuff that was healthy and got blown down, is very green, needs the 3 years of drying. Stuff that is dead standing, only 2 years or less. IMO, better to let it dry to much then to burn wood that is not fully seasoned. Chimney or stove pipe problems happen in the winter, and are to be avoided by careful and long drying of firewood.

Thanks for the reply.
So do small / medium / large commercial operators deal with this time lag when selling well seasoned wood?
Factoring in that certain species take shorter or longer to reach optimal seasoning.

Hypothetical: - I want to start a small 1-3 man Commercial Operation - I have a good source / supply of the wood I need......do I cut it, split it, stack it now with the intention of it being ready to sell in 1-3 years time??

Are there operators selling and delivering unseasoned wood to customers for a much cheaper price and leaving it up tot he purchaser to stack correctly and wait until optimal for burning?

Sorry for the barage of questions - I'm very new to this...it interest me a lot, but I'm struggling to get my head around the logistical process from tree to the customers premises and the $$ in yah back pocket - I'm looking at this from a commercial point of view, not my own personal stash

Maybe I'll post a new thread rather than this one going off the "Seasoning" theme?

I am very grateful for the knowledgable responses - Thanks.

 

[user 122190]

It took me a couple of years of over cutting firewood to get where I am. For a time I was cutting old dead fallen stuff, for immediate burning. Once that was in place, then began the cutting for the future.

Around here, most people cut their own. For those that buy they need to be vigilant and not buy any crap. I had some neighbors that were meth heads, and they were illegally cutting and selling green wood to unsuspecting buyers. Buyer beware!

IMO, cutting and selling firewood is not a business. It's a weird hobby to earn extra money, and it is hard hard work.

 

[Oregon_Rob]

I like mine in a shed which I have but it's a little bit further from the house than I'd like. If I build one closer to the house is will put a dark, metal roof on it and lots of ventilation. If you have ever studied how some of the home saw mill guys do it you would be surprised how easy it is to dry wood really fast with a little of mother nature's focused efforts.

 

[JackRabbitSlims]

It took me a couple of years of over cutting firewood to get where I am. For a time I was cutting old dead fallen stuff, for immediate burning. Once that was in place, then began the cutting for the future.

Around here, most people cut their own. For those that buy they need to be vigilant and not buy any crap. I had some neighbors that were meth heads, and they were illegally cutting and selling green wood to unsuspecting buyers. Buyer beware!

IMO, cutting and selling firewood is not a business. It's a weird hobby to earn extra money, and it is hard hard work.

Thanks Bill.

There are a few operators here (small town, rural NZ Popn 150K) who appear to be doing quite well from Firewood....yes, I know appearances can be very deceptive
Prices per Cord here are approx - $250 - $500 NZD depending on the species and time of year.

There are boxed up packaged wood products for sale in our local Miter 10's (our version of Home Depot) and this stuff flies out the door for $15 - $25 per box.....folks buying small bags of kindling for $10 - $15 as well

I'm not afraid of hard work and i enjoy being outside and doing something routine styled.

 

[KiwiBro]

G'Day JackRabbitSlims,

Different woods, different routines, tailored to best suit your gear, location, way you want to run the business.

Pine, if old, I prefer to cut and let the rings dry before splitting, if there is room for it. Gum, cut and split as green as you can. Big piles won't dry in the middle in a wet area of NZ, which is just about everywhere these last few weeks .

If you let us know what sort of gear you've got, whether you can work from one location or have to drop the trees in multiple places around the town, how you intend to deliver, etc, then I'm sure we can all help plan a good system that works for you. It's a bugger starting out and having to wait a year or two before the $ starts coming back in. Also, the way OSH rules are now, employing staff running chainsaws and splitters etc is not for the faint-hearted.