Just starting out with firewood. Have some questions....

[butterfly7171]

I just bought a new wood stove and will have it installed in a few weeks. I live upstate NY and it gets cold and very snowy here. I bought a doublewide last years and it is very well insulated. I am heating with kersone which is very costly so am switching to wood. I burned about 380 gals of kerosene last year.
I have been told that I need 2 cords of wood each year. I can easily get fresh cut wood but I am having trouble finding seasoned wood and not sure exactly what that means. I think everyone has a different definition of what seasoned means. I really don't want to struggle with wet wood, especially my first year. I know some people have semi-seasoned that they say is 3 months but it is red oak and I don't think it will be ready by September or October. What are your thoughts? Also, I am considering getting a couple of cords of kiln dried for this year. It is alot more money but may be alot less hassle. I really only wanted to buy 2 cords now to burn this year but I am hearing that it is too late to do that. Is there any way to dry wood quickly and have it ready in 3 months? Thank you all !! Great site !
Suzanne

 

[ponyexpress976]

wood seasoning

The term seasoned typically means a moisture content of no more than 15%. Preferably closer to 10%. To have it ready in 3 months is even a little tough for a dry wood like ash. You may have to bite the bullet on the kiln dried stuff for this year. If you get green wood get it split asap and get it stacked off the ground on some pallets. out in the sun and rows parrallel to the general wind direction for your property. You dont need to cover the rows completely. I put some old corrugated roofing sheets on mine and they stay remarkably dry with the sides exposed.

 

[olyman]

as pony said,,and diff woods,,have diff drying times,,esp depending on outside weather.....................ive had pin oak dry down to 20%, in two months time..it was a HOT dry summer that year..now if it would have been like this year already,,who knows????????

 

[J.W Younger]

I just bought a new wood stove and will have it installed in a few weeks. I live upstate NY and it gets cold and very snowy here. I bought a doublewide last years and it is very well insulated. I am heating with kersone which is very costly so am switching to wood. I burned about 380 gals of kerosene last year.
I have been told that I need 2 cords of wood each year. I can easily get fresh cut wood but I am having trouble finding seasoned wood and not sure exactly what that means. I think everyone has a different definition of what seasoned means. I really don't want to struggle with wet wood, especially my first year. I know some people have semi-seasoned that they say is 3 months but it is red oak and I don't think it will be ready by September or October. What are your thoughts? Also, I am considering getting a couple of cords of kiln dried for this year. It is alot more money but may be alot less hassle. I really only wanted to buy 2 cords now to burn this year but I am hearing that it is too late to do that. Is there any way to dry wood quickly and have it ready in 3 months? Thank you all !! Great site !
Suzanne

Bummer when you have to buy wood the only way is season it yourself.If the seller is cutting from downed logs it could possibley be ready by the fall . Maybe mixed with the wood thats been tru the kiln will get you by this winter and you can better prepare for next.

 

[woodman6666]

get it split and cover only top also look for ash you can burn that in the shortest time I wouldnt waste your money on kilndried wood.

 

[Groundhog]

If you have the resources, go out and get a bunch of maple, (for now), split it, stack it "loose" and it should be fine, might not be super dry but it will burn well might even burn longer than if it was bone dry. You could split some of it smaller to start off the season, and to dry faster. Remember, wood seasons good through the fall and winter also.

 

[Groundhog]

get it split and cover only top also look for ash you can burn that in the shortest time I wouldnt waste your money on kilndried wood.

Also good advice from woodman,

Kilndried?? what the heck is that? Sounds like a waste to me as well. The only way I would see a need for kilndried would be if you where keeping a lot of wood indoors where you live (no insects). I never keep wood indoors, at least not long enough to get warm.

I dont cover the top but I do try to line the top with the bark facing up. I don't want to provide too nice of a home for the creatures. I cover the tops with plastic just before the snow comes, it sucks bringing in snowy wood.

 

[dingeryote]

Hello and welcome to the addiction!!:biggrinbounce2:

Two cords sounds to be a bit conservative really.
Might wanna consider three. Especially if you're not going to have well seasoned stuff at hand.

Like the guys said, look for Ash. Seasoned 3 months it will do you better than some fully seasoned species.

Oak, especially Red Oak, give up moisture slowly once cut and stacked, and even slower when simply downed and unbucked.
If Red Oak hasn't been cut and stacked for at least a year, it's iffy.

If you buy it now and get it stacked, and it's only 6 Months since cut, it MIGHT be so-so by January.

Skip the Kiln dried stuff. It's needless expense, as there are plenty of guys out there selling perfectly suitable wood for less.
Check the local woodstove shops and see who they like and consider reputable, and ask around at the local saw shop. The Saw shop owner will have a darn good idea of who is reputable.

Finding standing dead trees is another option right now.
Find and cut 'em up best ya can, as they will be good to go for sure by burning season, and will get ya through untill the other stuff cures a bit more.

Don't turn your nose up on the lesser species if ya find 'em either.
Poplar, Maple, Beech, Sassafrass all burn quick in comparison to Oak, and have fewer BTU's overall, but are darn handy to have in abundance in the fall and early spring when you just need to take the edge off and drive the moisture out of the house.
They also work great for quick warm ups after a full burn overnight.
Nothing like waking up to a cold house and waiting for Oak to get going...when a couple chunks of Sassafrass and an open air controll will raise the temps as fast as a Oil furnace.
They all have thier place, and there is a "Rythm" to all this, you'll get it shortly.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[x595]

You could split some of it smaller to start off the season, and to dry faster.

Good advice above , but Suzanne , you did'nt say if you're going to do your own Cutting and Splitting ???

You are going to keep your Kerosene Unit for a back-up are'nt you ???

Good luck in your 1st. Year Heating with Wood ...

Later,x595

 

[woodbooga]

Hello and welcome to the addiction!!:biggrinbounce2:

Two cords sounds to be a bit conservative really.
Might wanna consider three. Especially if you're not going to have well seasoned stuff at hand.

Like the guys said, look for Ash. Seasoned 3 months it will do you better than some fully seasoned species.

Oak, especially Red Oak, give up moisture slowly once cut and stacked, and even slower when simply downed and unbucked.
If Red Oak hasn't been cut and stacked for at least a year, it's iffy.

If you buy it now and get it stacked, and it's only 6 Months since cut, it MIGHT be so-so by January.

Skip the Kiln dried stuff. It's needless expense, as there are plenty of guys out there selling perfectly suitable wood for less.
Check the local woodstove shops and see who they like and consider reputable, and ask around at the local saw shop. The Saw shop owner will have a darn good idea of who is reputable.

Finding standing dead trees is another option right now.
Find and cut 'em up best ya can, as they will be good to go for sure by burning season, and will get ya through untill the other stuff cures a bit more.

Don't turn your nose up on the lesser species if ya find 'em either.
Poplar, Maple, Beech, Sassafrass all burn quick in comparison to Oak, and have fewer BTU's overall, but are darn handy to have in abundance in the fall and early spring when you just need to take the edge off and drive the moisture out of the house.
They also work great for quick warm ups after a full burn overnight.
Nothing like waking up to a cold house and waiting for Oak to get going...when a couple chunks of Sassafrass and an open air controll will raise the temps as fast as a Oil furnace.
They all have thier place, and there is a "Rythm" to all this, you'll get it shortly.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

2 cords is definitely conservative. Most NH folks I know do 3-6, depending on appliance and living space. Gotta figure upstate NY is similar.

Good advice about the 'lesser' species, too. Don't get me wrong, I like oak, but man it takes a long time to season - to get down to that aforementioned 15-20% weight by moisture. It's dense and downright miserly in parsimoniously letting go the moisture. Conversely, ash, red maple, etc. dry quick by comparison (6-12 mos, versus the 18-24 oak commands).

My advice?

Ask other wood-buying burners in your area. Who sells seasoned...but make sure its someone who's got some years of experience so you know they know what they're talking about.

Or - and this might sound weird to long-time wood hear folks that prize oak - buy right now, but request no oak. Maple, ash, yellow and paper birch. Investigate folks selling poplar - ask if they sell this lesser wood at a lower per cord rate to get a discount on a lower btu, but quick seasoning wood.

RE: pine. I burn lots. It's fine. Chimney fire/creosote myths aside. But in your first year, I'd advise against you burning it. Not that you're not capable, but in the unlikely event you burnt the house down due to a bad install &c., the insurance weenies might use this against you when it comes to filing a claim.

Can't speak to the pros and cons of sassafrass. ne'er burnt any. None growing around here. I think all what's left anywhere is all standing on dingeryotes blewbury farm

 

[JRepairsK70e]

2 cords seems on the light side for a whole winter ,i have a small stove ,burn pretty much constant from nov to march wouldnt even consider any less than 5 cords avail , nothin worse than scrounging in jan for burnables ,dining room chairs and coffee tables dont burn long lol good luck with your wood assessment jk

 

[J.W Younger]

If it were me (and I found myself in that situation)cutting my own supply I'd just go for the faster dryin species.The OP led me to belive she is relieing on someone else for her supply. Nobody ever sells what they call green wood but thats what most of it is.

 

[indiansprings]

I sell wood. I don't have any customers that use as little as 2 cord and we are a lot warmer here than where you live. Dinger gave you some excellent advice as well as the others. I'd look for ash, I would also look for a cord of oak or hickory to just back for the really cold days. I usually sell oak that has been down at least a year as seasoned wood. It will vary by region. I know you prolly don't want to look like a redneck, but I'd find some old barn tin and stack it on top of it and place tin over the top and leave the sides open to help with the seasoning process.

 

[Vibes]

If you are cutting your own wood I would look for some dead standing trees. Don't know whats dead and abundant up there, but there are a lot of dead choke cherry and locust around these parts. Also, if you find downed trees, don't pass up stuff that is punky on the outside. Sometimes a large tree will have 12 to 15 inches of good burnable wood in the center. Its harder to cut though because it does make a mess of your saw.

 

[Swamp Yankee]

Couple thoughts

Whomever you buy wood from. ask for references. At least 2 customers preferably long term. I sell wood and offer my first time customers references, some take me up and some just take the fact I offer as a sign I'm on the up and up. The wood I sell as seasoned has all been cut and split for a minimum of 9 months. Look for someone in your area that sells the same way.

There is also a difference between seasoned and seasoned and dry. Seasoned and dry typically means the wood has been seasoned and kept out of the rain and snow so it's stove ready. Seasoned wood that's been left to the weather may burn like crap because it's wet. Red oak is among the worst as it's grain structure makes it act like a sponge. It will absorb moisture when exposed to rain and put you back to square one in a hurry.

If you can find some seasoned and dry, it's possible to mix in some semi seasoned wood with it and get along ok. Not the best practice, but it beats burning green.

There is seasoned wood available other than from a dealer. Watch Craigslist and other classifieds. Often when people move they have wood left over from the previous year(s) they wish to sell because they won't need it. Some people decide not to burn anymore, they dislike tending stove or the associated dirt and mess.

Take Care

 

[CTYank]

Suzanne,

You're definitely heading in the right direction.

How much wood you'll burn depends on lots of things, including how much of the house you heat to what degree and quality of wood. I've found that I can get by easily on 1.5 cords if I have to. You'll find lots of useful newbie info at woodheat dot org too.

Because "seasoned" means whatever one wants, it means nothing. In lumber industry, the measure of import is moisture content (MC) for many reasons. To avoid getting ripped off (standard occurrence) get a moisture meter (~$10 @ Harbor Freight), split some randomly chosen sticks, and measure the MC on the freshly exposed faces. (MC is generally stated in "dry basis"; for example, 10%MC means that moisture content by weight is 10% of the fully dry wood density.) I've found that with an "EPA" stove, below 10%MC is the sweet-spot.

It's like when a woman is buying a car or getting it serviced- a knowledgeable customer gets more respect. So, don't even discuss "seasoned" with supplier; talk species, volume and MC. If possible, arrange to verify that before offloading the truck.

I'd suggest, as others have, that you go for a mix: ready-to-burn- pricey, high-moisture for future. And pay less for the wet stuff. Stack it up facing south, openly stacked, off the ground, covered on top only. You may find, like me, that stacking some almost-ready wood near the stove once you start burning will accelerate drying. Because of the physics of wood fuel, you have to plan years ahead.

You might also do well with a bow saw or small chainsaw, scrounging your own wood. A pleasant addiction. And, ... welcome.

 

[spike60]

Hard to add much to the excellent advice already posted. I agree that 2 cords won't be enough, but perhaps you're thinking in terms of a K1 and wood heat mix.

Being new to the game, I disagree that you should try and act real knowledgeable about this process when talking to suppliers. It will be difficult to pull it off without looking a bit silly.

I'd suggest that you find a supplier, with references, that you feel you can trust. Explain your situation and that you are looking for some guidance in addition to some firewood. A good supplier, like many of the guys here on the site will be happy to help you.

 

[Misfit138]

Hard to add much to the excellent advice already posted.

Agreed!

I agree that 2 cords won't be enough...

2 cords sounds quite low, especially since some sources claim that 1 gallon of K1 Kerosene equals approximately 1 wheelbarrow of hardwood. Being that 380 gallons was used last year, I would be hording some wood a.s.a.p.

The more wood the better at this point, I think.

As was stated above, after gathering different types and working with your stove, you'll find a rhythm and a system. All the best!

 

[4seasons]

Welcome to the site

You have a lot of good information here and a lot of response for a day old post. Read up and ask questions, most of the advice here is good and based on experience from years of wood heating and the occasional bad advice will be quickly pointed out by another more experienced or more knowledgeable member.

Just to ditto some of the good advice:
2 cords (a cord is a stack of wood that measures 8ft x 4ft x 4ft) is less than what I heat my 1200 sq ft house with. My house is brick, well insulated (16 in overhead) and 1/2 underground. I also have a heat pump that I use on not so cold days as well as my wood stove. Last year I used 3 cords of mostly oak and my weather is a good bit warmer than you get north of Albany. If you can use some back up heat on days that it doesn't get below freezing then you might stretch 2 cord all winter but also remember that not all wood burns the same or will put out as much heat for as long.

Seasoned wood means that the moisture content is less than 20%. You can get a moisture meter and check the wood by splitting a piece to get an internal surface to read. I have never used a moisture meter to check my wood, I use time as an indicator. For oak it takes 2-3 years in my area to season enough to burn well. For hickory (the best wood in my area) it needs 1-1.5 year, beyond that the bugs start making a mess of hickory. Maple will dry faster around a year, but it won't make as much heat per cord of wood. Ash has a much lower moisture content when cut so it will season in a year or less. Seasoning time can also be reduced by storing under a roof with open sides so the wind can blow thru and the rain stays off. Do NOT store wood piled on the ground or covered with a tarp held down to the ground. It will rot and can not breath to carry away moisture.

There are several links to BTU charts that are for the most part accurate. Take the time to study them and make yourself an educated buyer. Then when someone delivers a "truckload" of "mixed hardwood" and tells you that it is a cord of seasoned wood you can tell them you not paying that for a face cord of poplar.

If you can buy wood for a year to 2 out. That way you can take advantage of market floods like we have in my area with all the storm damage trees and you can give the wood time to season. Like anything we live in an age of buyer beware. Lots of uninformed sellers will take advantage of uninformed buyers and some firewood sellers are just flat out crooks. There is nothing wrong with buying wood from the neighborhood kid that is selling storm damaged trees that he cut with his dad's chainsaw as long as you pay a fair price and give the wood time to season, but don't expect to get good wood that you can burn this year unless you buy from someone that has been in the firewood business for a while and has good REPEAT customers.

One last thing, Read a lot. This is a very good site with lots of good information. Although we have had some trouble with the search feature lately making it hard to find what you are looking for, there is some great information here. Don't hesitate to ask questions as most members are glad to help out.

 

[zogger]

two years

This is your first year getting wood, so it will be your most expensive. First as indicated your wood heater expense. Next, you need to get two years worth of wood up. Not one, two....

Ready to rock dry wood for this upcoming winter, then some cheaper wood for the winter after. that way your second stash will REALLY be "seasoned" and ready to go.

Firewood really ready to burn-dry in other words- will be sort of grayish on the outside ends, and two pieces clunked together will sound almost metallic. Greener wood will just go a dull thunk knocked together.

What the other guys said on species and drying time for your area, and look for deals on the lesser species. Wood snobs drive up the prices on the more desirable species, so the lesser species can be bought *loads* cheaper. and they still burn. I use everything myself, my rule of thumb here if I have to cut it and move it for any reason, it goes on the woodpile. I have no wood prejudice. I just want a BIG wood pile, like money accruing interest in an account.

And it is always better to have lots more than you think you may need. You never know when a winter like last one will hit again, an extra two months of cold weather.

If you think you'll need two, get four, for the first year, that means eight total tow be two years ahead, or as close as you can get to it, in two different stacks. Once ahead like that, you'll only need to get one winter's worth at a time, and you'll always have a decent "cushion". Let me tell you, it just sucks to run out with two more months of heating season left...never again....

The longer it is split and stacked at your house with the top covered, the better. Time's a wasting, you ain't got much summer heat and winds between now and your first fire!

Good luck and enjoy the cosiness! I've been burning, off and on, mostly on, since JFK was prez (well, pretty dang close, right after he got whacked and lbj took over, my folks moved and we started burning at the new house, I did the work..)..wood heat is the bestus! It's stored hybrid bio-solar power! It's domestic energy! Independence! Plus we two stroke junkies get to cut it and split it, yaaa! (you'll see how much we love saws here,....heh)

Pretty soon you'll be spotting free wood to scrounge as you drive around, like guys trimming in their yards and dead branches laying by the road and so on.... you'll be wanting a pickup then to throw it in the back....gets addictive. Have fun!