How long do you dry your firewood before burning?

[jrider]

For my personal use in the fireplace, generally 6-12 months. For mom's woodstove, 12 month wood was doing just fine but one year she didn't burn that much so she started the following year with 2 yo oak and loved it so now that's what she gets.
As stated earlier though, where wood is stored makes a huge difference. Split wood in a field will dry a helluva lot faster than wood sitting under trees or up against a building in the yard.

 

[Cerran]

Just curious how long you dry (or "season") your firewood before burning? I'm looking for what you do, not how long you think wood should dry for.

I normally give it at least one summer to dry.

And go!

Depends on the firewood and the conditions when I cut it. Last year I cut bone dry standing dead lodgepole that was less than 20% moisture that I burned last fall no problem. Some of the wood in my stacks is ~ 3 years old. Generally 1.5-2 years depending on how much wood I have.

 

[slowp]

Wood is going to season much faster in AZ than it is here in Warshington. Climate is variable. You might not even need a woodshed in some places but you do here. Mine goes a year in a COVERED stack and then the next season into the woodshed. Don't move here.

 

[laynes69]

In our old furnace, I would go around 6 months. I rarely had wood left over from winter, then come spring I was busy with the garden and stuff so usually 6 months if I was lucky. Usually it was less, and I would cut standing dead and try to not take from the stack. Now, I always have wood left over so it's easy to get a couple years ahead. I shoot for at least 16 months but I'm happy at 2 years. It also depends on the species, cotton wood and box elder seasons fast along with silver maple. Oak and hickory I try to give a couple years.

 

[gary courtney]

2 years

 

[MountainHigh]

when I cut and split green hardwood in spring and needed it a hurry, I have burned it in the Fall after baking in the summer sun.

Now that I have a good wood shed, I have some wood in there that's been sitting for 3 years.

On average I season it for about a year undercover.

 

[Knobby57]

I guess it also depends on your stove . My dad has a old smoke dragon that just ears wood . I have a EPA stove with secondary air . His will burn wood that is not quite seasoned mine just won't burn it . Standing dead red or white oak will need to sit at least 6-8 months split to burn well in my stove . They seem to wick the water out of the ground even when dead . The tops can usually be burned rite away . But usually oak needs at least 2 years before it's good hear and maple also needs at least 2 summers . Beech I can get away with 1 year . I found there is a huge difference between seasoned wood and ahh it's good enough wood


Sent from my phone when I should be working

 

[tla100]

Wood is going to season much faster in AZ than it is here in Warshington. Climate is variable. You might not even need a woodshed in some places but you do here. Mine goes a year in a COVERED stack and then the next season into the woodshed. Don't move here.

"DISLIKE"

 

[Oldman47]

Wood is going to season much faster in AZ than it is here in Warshington. Climate is variable. You might not even need a woodshed in some places but you do here. Mine goes a year in a COVERED stack and then the next season into the woodshed. Don't move here.

Why would anyone want to move to the great north wet?

 

[Big_Al]

Wood is going to season much faster in AZ than it is here in Warshington. Climate is variable. You might not even need a woodshed in some places but you do here. Mine goes a year in a COVERED stack and then the next season into the woodshed. Don't move here.

There are dry and hot parts of the state though. Summers are usually 80-90 deg and 15-20% humidity. Wood dries pretty fast around here.

 

[1967 Tempest]

I don't have the space to stack for more than 1 years of burning. I did increase my stacking "area" this year and hope to get just under 10 cord CSS. I'd be happy with 8. Most of the stuff I scrounge is Hurricane Sandy stuff, so it at least has SOME dead time. But some of the fresher stuff is CSS March/April burn in winter. I have full sun and a lot of wind. NJ must be the ASH tree state. 90% of what I get is Ash. Which as stated above dries out quicker. I have pieces that I bought last year after running out that was "SEASONED" but when I split them was still wet. I split a few last weekend of Red Oak from that pile and it is still wet.

I've said it before but when I get out of the state I am getting OWB and CSS like 50 cord. I should be ahead like 3 years!

 

[bert the turtle]

This year will be mostly 2 year old, but I think I'll end up dipping into some of the stuff I put up this year because I didn't put up enough last year. Now I have a better idea how much to stash (as much as possible is the answer) Next year should be all 2 years old and I hope to be at 3 years after that. That is clearly excessive for the lighter wood I burn, but I like to have a reserve. Not sure if 3 years will be enough for the oak I have in this humid climate. One year certainly wasn't!

 

[Marine5068]

I always go by species and I stack CSS in open air, full sun.
One full year for Maple, Ash, Hickory, Cherry and Yellow Birch
Two full years for Oaks ( I mostly burn Red Oak vs White here )
Now don't get excited Spidey, but I will use my moisture meter to check the stacks periodically.
Maple is what I predominantly burn so I am always two years ahead with my cutting.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

It's interesting how often this question comes up. In one old thread along these lines, there is a long USDA article on this which concludes, under good conditions, none months is enough. Basically, it said, that if wood can be cut in winter or early spring, before the sap rises and assuming it doesn't rain all summer, nine months is enough. I have several cords we've just cut and are splitting. It's relatively dry, around 25% because of when it was cut. My wood is kept under a woodshed and I've appended a file. I live on a mountaintop in extreme north Alabama next to the TN line. We have about 70 days a year of fog, fortunately not in the summer. A typical summer high here is high 80s in the gut of the summer. We burn mostly oak and hickory. I have burned wood 2-4 years old, <10%, and it's a problem in our Kent wood stove with a small firebox. It gets too hot too quickly and will not last the night. It might have been OK in a larger stove.

 

[Deleted member 149229]

I usually get dead wood and I stay ahead of the game so most of my stuff is seasoned 1-2 years.

 

[blades]

Drying time varies with species and size of splits - there is no one definitive answer, unless of course you are kiln drying and even then the time length varies just a lot shorter. I shoot for 3 or more years, open air, sometimes that is not enough, with weather patterns.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

You are correct about the varying times. I don't go along with the super long drying times. As I said, my 4-yr old wood was under 10% and was like burning rolled-up newspaper in a small firebox...

 

[user 122190]

I was going two because I was stacking rounds. Since I picked up a 25ton splitter, I'm planning on just one year, split in the spring and leave out in the sun for burning in the fall/winter.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

I was going two because I was stacking rounds. Since I picked up a 25ton splitter, I'm planning on just one year, split in the spring and leave out in the sun for burning in the fall/winter.

That's my usual plan. Mine are split and are around 18" and I have a warmer summer to help...

 

[sb47]

About 6 months if it's split and stacked properly in full sun and allowed to get plenty of air.