Birch firewood

[yodayoda]

I recently bought 12 cord of birch in 8' lengths, to burn next winter in my Outside wood boiler. Most of it was 8" or less diameter, I cut it all in 2' lengths but did not split most of it. I have been getting conflicting advice on splitting or not splitting birch. It's stacked up off the ground but sits outside, will the unsplit birch rot before next winter if not split? I have been told birch will rot before drying by a few people and told I would be fine as long as it sits less than a couple years by a few others. I know what I hope the answer is as I would obviously rather not unstack, split and restack 12 cord of wood

 

[Tree Pig]

birch

I'm not sure why probably something with the bark retaining moisture but birch tends to rot from the inside out. You may get to the middle of your stack and pick up a log to have it break in to pieces. As to whether splitting it will help I'm not really sure but if my assumption on the bark being the cause then creating a way for the moisture to escape may be the answer. It may just be that birch is a pretty soft wood in comparison to other burning woods and doesn't have the same life expectancy (as firewood) as good hardwoods.

 

[woodbooga]

Left in log length (unless scored) it definitely will rot for the reason given in the previous post.

I split everything 5" and under regardless of species, but the 18" lengths I don't split keep just fine from one season to the next when kept off the ground. The cut ends give the moisture an escape route.

 

[Austin1]

I recently bought 12 cord of birch in 8' lengths, to burn next winter in my Outside wood boiler. Most of it was 8" or less diameter, I cut it all in 2' lengths but did not split most of it. I have been getting conflicting advice on splitting or not splitting birch. It's stacked up off the ground but sits outside, will the unsplit birch rot before next winter if not split? I have been told birch will rot before drying by a few people and told I would be fine as long as it sits less than a couple years by a few others. I know what I hope the answer is as I would obviously rather not unstack, split and restack 12 cord of wood

I think it depends on the humidity were you live. Leave it dry and out of the rain and it should be fine. Birch is considered number one firewood here but I find it no better than pine.
And if you where to pay for it hear you would be looking a $600.00 a cord!!! Pine goes for $500.00 if you had to buy it.
If it is 8'' I would not split it until I had to use it for me 6 months of drying time and it would be ready to go I am assuming you mean paper bark birch or white birch? I know the prices here are scary because people are lazy it cost's me about $45 CDN to bring back a cord of wood from the woods, the fire wood guy's must be spending $25.00 a hour for everybody involved in getting the wood ya right!
Leave it in the round, birch does rot fast, I think it last's longer in the round and as you say 8" is small so leave it sit in the sun off the ground for 6/9 months and it will be fine.

 

[yodayoda]

Left in log length (unless scored) it definitely will rot for the reason given in the previous post.

I split everything 5" and under regardless of species, but the 18" lengths I don't split keep just fine from one season to the next when kept off the ground. The cut ends give the moisture an escape route.

Thanks for the fast response, do you have any experience with birch in particular season to season unsplit?

 

[woodbooga]

Thanks for the fast response, do you have any experience with birch in particular season to season unsplit?

I'd defer to Austin1 since birch is much more integral to his heating strategy than to mine. Birch (white) is just one of several species in the mix for me.

I find that it seasons very quickly as compared to other hardwoods we use.

Even some of the 10" rounds I had were starting to show some checking at the ends after only 2 weeks since felling. Upon splitting them, they were predictably still very moist inside. I've heard that 6 months is a reasonable amont of time for birch to season.

But again, it's only a small part of my supply and I split 90% of what I burn.

 

[yodayoda]

I think it depends on the humidity were you live. Leave it dry and out of the rain and it should be fine. Birch is considered number one firewood here but I find it no better than pine.
And if you where to pay for it hear you would be looking a $600.00 a cord!!! Pine goes for $500.00 if you had to buy it.
If it is 8'' I would not split it until I had to use it for me 6 months of drying time and it would be ready to go I am assuming you mean paper bark birch or white birch? I know the prices here are scary because people are lazy it cost's me about $45 CDN to bring back a cord of wood from the woods, the fire wood guy's must be spending $25.00 a hour for everybody involved in getting the wood ya right!
Leave it in the round, birch does rot fast, I think it last's longer in the round and as you say 8" is small so leave it sit in the sun off the ground for 6/9 months and it will be fine.

Wow $600 a cord! I think I would burn my furniture before I paid $600 a cord for firewood. Thanks for the fast reply

 

[Austin1]

Wow $600 a cord! I think I would burn my furniture before I paid $600 a cord for firewood. Thanks for the fast reply

Well I just checked the biggest firewood dealer I know of in Southern Alberta 586.00 for a cord of dry pine! plus delivery plus stacking! I will cut my own for a $5.00 permit it will cost me $ 30.00 in gas to bring it back. Say $3.00 bucks in premium for the saw's and lunch a good lunch too $ 45.00 at the most if you do it your self.
But if I am going to be out that way anyway say hunting or fishing I count that as a hour or hour and a half of my time and no gas expense because I was out that way hunting or fishing.
And time spent in the Woods/ Mountains is priceless.

 

[husky455rancher]

586 bucks for a cord of pine??? thats insane for any hardwood let alone pine. you can buy cords of pine down here all day long for 75 bucks.

 

[woodbooga]

586 bucks for a cord of pine??? thats insane for any hardwood let alone pine. you can buy cords of pine down here all day long for 75 bucks.

That's Canadian money. But still at .81 on the USD, Austin's still looking at a high price tag - over $425/cord in USD by my quick math.

 

[savageactor7]

Are we talking about 'white birch'...around here it's pretty pathetic. It's probably one of the few woods I wont waste my time with.

Looks pretty sitting there in a static display though.

 

[mtfallsmikey]

Yah, I'd go back to burning #2 fuel oil full time before I paid those kinda prices!

 

[yodayoda]

Are we talking about 'white birch'...around here it's pretty pathetic. It's probably one of the few woods I wont waste my time with.

Looks pretty sitting there in a static display though.

I think it's white birch, same as paper birch isn't it? Whats so bad about white birch? I burned some this winter and thought it was ok. Smells really good when burning . The BtU rating per cord isn't too bad. I'm a newb to wood burning though, this is my first year.So I am open to any input, preferred wood, reasons why, and such.

 

[Austin1]

I think it's white birch, same as paper birch isn't it? Whats so bad about white birch? I burned some this winter and thought it was ok. Smells really good when burning . The BtU rating per cord isn't too bad. I'm a newb to wood burning though, this is my first year.So I am open to any input, preferred wood, reasons why, and such.

White birch is a tiny bit better than Pine if it is not too dry. But it's harder to get here and not worth the effort but wood is wood I burn Poplar as it is easy to get no fuel in getting it means you can burn it with no cost to you.
If Birch sit's too long it becomes very dry and almost has a dry rot thing and thus burns very fast. That's at least the best way I can explain it lol.
Wood is wood 10 lbs of Oak is the same as 10 lbs of Pine except the oak is only a 4''x4'' x 18'' long piece of wood were the pine has to be twice the size but don't forget pine will still hold some hot burning resin in it.

 

[flewism]

I ended up with a cord of birch , paper, white, whatever. Seasons fast, and burns very fast. I will not go out of my way for birch. It will go in the kids bonfire pile if some gets drop off.

 

[Zodiac45]

I think it's white birch, same as paper birch isn't it? Whats so bad about white birch? I burned some this winter and thought it was ok. Smells really good when burning . The BtU rating per cord isn't too bad. I'm a newb to wood burning though, this is my first year.So I am open to any input, preferred wood, reasons why, and such.

It's good firewood Yoda. Not the best but certainly not the worst either. I put it in the middle of the spectrum. Yellow birch (looks a bit like white but with goldenish bark and much denser) on the other hand is great firewood right up in the top echelon. The problem with white birch comes from the waterproof bark it has. If not split, it has a hard time drying/seasoning and tens too punk up and rot because the moisture cannot escape. You'll see it starting too grow fungus out the ends. My rule of thumb is too split white birch as soon as I cut it or close too it. I known thats not what you wanted too hear but you need to get it split or it won't season.

 

[Tree Pig]

It's good firewood Yoda. Not the best but certainly not the worst either. I put it in the middle of the spectrum. Yellow birch (looks a bit like white but with goldenish bark and much denser) on the other hand is great firewood right up in the top echelon. The problem with white birch comes from the waterproof bark it has. If not split, it has a hard time drying/seasoning and tens too punk up and rot because the moisture cannot escape. You'll see it starting too grow fungus out the ends. My rule of thumb is too split white birch as soon as I cut it or close too it. I known thats not what you wanted too hear but you need to get it split or it won't season.

agreed

oh yeah Zodiac get rid of that avatar man its creeping me out worse then that burger king dude on TV

 

[AKDoug]

In log length I can let birch sit for three years without rot if it's off the ground. It's all we have for hardwoods up here so it's the firewood of choice. It burns just fine in my opinion. Ours is Paper birch, much the same as found in N. Alberta. I split all my birch above 8"...mostly just to be able to handle it better. It works great in my OWB and it's BTU's work out that one cord will equal 100 gallons of heating fuel.

 

[xcr440]

We mainly burn birch in northern wi. I usually bring home 3-4 cords down home from the wood lot. It burns down to a nice powder. The burn time is nowhere near oak or hickory but it does put out some good heat and burn time. We stack our birch on a poured concrete slap in the wood shed. None of it rots, main thing is to get it dry with proper air flow.

 

[aktaylors]

Here in Alaska birch is our only hardwood choice. I burn about 5 cords of it a year. The main problem is the bark. There is a reason they build canoes out of it. So you have a couple of options at two foot lengths.
1) split it. Anything over say 8 inchs and keep it off the ground and covered.
2) Score it. JUst run a saw line down your logs through the bark layer. This will allow the water an avenue to escape.
Log length birch will not dry very well at all. Remember wood dries through the ends mostly. And with the bark on birch, it really needs a way to releasethe water.
I've seen down birch be totally rotten in year laying on the ground