Broke into the "Midwinter Stash"

[Steve NW WI]

Wait! Your sposed to separate piles by species??/ Wheww glad all I got is Red/White oak.... 4 cords gone and 4 to go been -20's all week at night I sure hope we see a January thaw pretty darn soon!!!

It's kinda like keeping your foods separate on your plate. It's all going to the same place, but it looks better going in separately. I do like a good stew now and then though.

 

[Circle B MN]

I've got mine seperated into three piles. Hardwood lengths, poplar lengths, and chuncks of everything. I do end up with a lot of chunks, end cuts, y's, etc. as I sell most of my good straight oak. It adds up fast. The nice straight hardwood I save for the coldest nights, otherwise it's chunks and poplar.

 

[newb]

I separate mine also. Made this pile in June, this in July, and so on and so forth.

 

[hardy steve]

I don't have the Hickory ,but I have Ash and Hedge to burn right along my oaks and locust

 

[Jon E]

No way I can separate my woodpile. I have, lessee....white oak, red oak, black birch, white birch, white pine, red pine, a few pieces of ponderosa pine, black locust, soft maple, sugar maple, ash, apple, pear, butternut, walnut, poplar, sumac, beech, cherry and hickory. Probably missed a few too, but that's what I remember has passed through my hands into the wood boiler since November. I have run through about 2 cords since early November, so I figure about a cord a month, that does my heat and hot water for 4300 square feet and a family of 7. I fill the OWB once a day, about dusk, with about 20 cubic feet of wood. It's gotten so regular that I have been able to calculate it. A stack in the front half of the firebox, full width, 30" high and 24" deep. If the weather's warmer, the coals build up and after 4-5 days I can skip a day and let them burn down, start back up the next day. As long as I mix species and sizes pretty good, I can depend on that formula. Put too much pine or small stuff in, I have less coals the next day. Too much hardwood, and I only have to put in less wood the next day. Works good.

 

[Mud23609]

Well I sold all my good wood yet again this year so when I am burning wood its popple, pine, or willow. Right now though I am burning coal. I got 200 a cord csd for my oak, and bought my coal at 110 a ton delivered (a ton seems to last just a bit longer than a cord of oak).

Load the stove up twice a day and it never gets below 70 in the house even when the temps were pushing -30 last weekend.

 

[nassin2]

I can be sound asleep and can not hear a train go by, but that little "tick" as the furnace comes on will rattle me outa bed so fast to turn up the Blaze King. I am not even awake yet, but am halfway across the house cussing the thermostat and bending it past 60 to make sure it never makes that mistake again. It was likely set at about 64 ish. Wanna know a secret? The old thermostats save more $ than the new programable ones. Just have to know the "secret". ............. Take yer needle nose pliers and "adjust" the needle on the thermometer about 3-4 degrees. She will never know the difference. I tell her, look, it is 70 in here, she says, boy, it doesnt feel like it, but is satisfied with the reading. Be carefull not to let another thermometer near the stat though.

That's pretty good stuff. Had to rep you for that one. Hope your missus doesn't read Arborist site.

 

[gwiley]

No way I can separate my woodpile. I have, lessee....white oak, red oak, black birch, white birch, white pine, red pine, a few pieces of ponderosa pine, black locust, soft maple, sugar maple, ash, apple, pear, butternut, walnut, poplar, sumac, beech, cherry and hickory.

When I say that I stack by type, I mean roughly hard vs. soft, seasoned vs. seasoning. I am not good enough at wood/tree ID to be able to do more than that (although I got the fandex tree identification guide for christmas which is helping).

 

[themaddhatter]

Wow some of you guys are a little OCD about your heating fodder

I have three piles of wood: the pile I got stacked onto pallets, the pile that didn't get stacked on pallets (big ole pile working off), and the pile still on the gooseneck from the fall (too wet of a fall to drive it to the pile).

Probably half the unstacked pile is gone (3-4 cords maybe gone?) into the OWB, but have enough on the property to last this year and maybe next year.

In the fall and spring, burn the smaller stuff on the pile(s). In the winter (like now) in goes the pieces that can hardly be lifted for the long burns.

Don't really care what species it was growing up, so long as it was deciduous. Only use coniferous for startup and when need quick heat (sleep in too late). Just pick it off the stacked pile, and go with it.

Really don't think too much about the wood, just whether there is enough of it or not

 

[Nuzzy]

Man, I feel like our wood is burning off pure hellfire this year! Last year the house stayed right around 70-71° This year has been hovering at 75° dampered down all the way and I haven't changed my wood feeding habits at all Haven't been going through any more wood either... I'm chalking part of it up to the door gaskets in need of replacement, but it certainly hasn't really changed our burn times.

Truthfully I think it's just 'cause last year the wood was much greener, but still.

 

[StihltheOne]

That's pretty good stuff. Had to rep you for that one. Hope your missus doesn't read Arborist site.

No she stays away from my chainsaw ####. I may have to start a new thread with this info eh? It has worked for me for many years. I know that when we go to other peoples houses, the wheels are a turning because I have caught her sneeking a peek at thier stats.