Burning rotten Oak?

[avalancher]

Need some advise here, not sure what to do. All my woodcutting areas have dried up, and have been looking for some options. I was offered the opportunity to cut where a logging crew went through last summer and left behind over a hundred red oak tops. Here is the catch. The sap wood has some rot in it, and I am not sure how to handle it. Cut and split it like usual and just burn the rot along with the good heart wood, trim it off with the splitter as I go, or what. I have never had to deal with this before, always went in right along with the loggers and got my wood fresh, and I dont know how my wood will be received next year by my customers with a ring of rot on the outside. Many of the tops are big, and it would pay to trim it off if that is what I need to plan on, but I sure hate to have that mess in my yard, all that rotting wood to either burn up or haul off.
Anyone have to deal with this before? Ever tried burning it? I wondered if the ring would give off any noticeable smoke or smell.

 

[olyman]

depends on how bad it is rotted--id burn it--as i have some ash and some maple with bad in it--free is good----

 

[BaldSawRunner]

Sap wood rot is pretty common. It will not hurt anything to burn it. We burned it for years. To me, it is agood sign of good dead/seasoned wood.

 

[Bowtie]

Sap wood rot is pretty common. It will not hurt anything to burn it. We burned it for years. To me, it is agood sign of good dead/seasoned wood.

What he said. I have a bunch of Bur Oak in the pile right now that has a lot of rot in the sap wood, but I aint throwing it away because there is good heartwood attached. I dont get very picky when it comes to free Oak. You might be able to explain to some customers what you have and offer it at a discount rate? Guess it depends on the customer.

 

[Ductape]

Slpit it as normal and burn it. Like everyone else sez...... don't worry about a lil rot in the sapwood. I've burned plenty like this..... its still good wood!

 

[PA Plumber]

We are burning some now, also. Yep, "well seasoned."

 

[bama]

If your firewood options are diminishing, than this is surely better than nothing. You will get some crud with the good, but some good will heat a house better than none. I never turn down free oak, no matter what condition it is in.

 

[allthegross]

Its Fine

looks great to me. keeps ya warm right?

 

[buckwheat]

mmm... burning it for yourself is one thing, but selling it to customers is different. If anything, I would price it accordingly but make sure they know why you've discounted it so there are no misunderstandings when someone comments on the quality. People hate surprises like that and they may not want the extra dirt. Other folks may not even see the difference; and still others may be happy until a relative or neighbor comments on the punky wood.

I've got a bunch of the same stuff in my pile that I pulled from a bunch of leftover tops that were cut two years ago - burns fine but it sure is dirty.

 

[HUSKYMAN]

I am burning stuff just like what PA Plumber has a pic of. I have 18 acres full of the stuff and its been down for 10-20 years. It burns very hot. I will be burning it for the next ten years easily.

 

[PA Plumber]

I am burning stuff just like what PA Plumber has a pic of. I have 18 acres full of the stuff and its been down for 10-20 years. It burns very hot. I will be burning it for the next ten years easily.

I like this stuff. If I can get to it, I cut it. Ready to burn immediately and almost like having some red maple in with the oak. Lights quickly and burns a good while.

 

[HUSKYMAN]

I like this stuff. If I can get to it, I cut it. Ready to burn immediately and almost like having some red maple in with the oak. Lights quickly and burns a good while.

Its a little messy if you burn inside your house and its a little tough on chains since its so dry but I like it too. You would not believe how much of this stuff I have laying around. My property was logged about 15 years ago and all the tops from the oaks they cut are still solid for burning because they have been off the ground the whole time. Add to that the trees that cam down naturally and I dont have to cut a like tree for five years EASILY and I will have plenty of wood. Dont be afraid of dead wood as long as its solid in the middle

 

[GeeVee]

Wood is wood, it all burns.....

 

[gtstang462002]

i just cut and split 2 large oak trees about 2 weeks ago that had been down for close to 5 years. There was a 2-3 sponge layer of rot all the way around the tree, found that as I was splitting it most of that was falling off leaving the good heart wood behind.

 

[BaldSawRunner]

What he said. I have a bunch of Bur Oak in the pile right now that has a lot of rot in the sap wood, but I aint throwing it away because there is good heartwood attached. I dont get very picky when it comes to free Oak. You might be able to explain to some customers what you have and offer it at a discount rate? Guess it depends on the customer.

This is just a personal preference, but I would not discount firewood if I was selling it because of sapwood rot. Wood cutting is serious work, and as long as the heart wood is solid, there wouldn't be a problem. If a customer has issues with it, they could go see a psycharist. That is just my opinion though.

 

[Blazin]

OH Jeesh! Take it - Burn it! A little punk on the outside never hurt anyone! especially Oak.....

 

[logbutcher]

You've got wood gold: easy spliting, seasoned ready to burn, available. Here they're called "pasture oaks", used to mark fields. Some of our dead standing and fallen Red Oaks are 7 feet DBH with shelf fungus that you could use as seats they are so big.
Right about the cambium and bark killing chains: the inner wood that's rotted sucks up grit over the years. Forget the rotted wood, just a mess for the homeowner.
Frankly, you should charge MORE for the gold. We could call it : "_______" Or, save it for yourself.

 

[Brushwacker]

I sell a lot of that wood and burn the worse myself. Generally standing the top 2/3 of the tree is fairly dried out if most of the bark has peeled off.
If it is laying down it tends to suck up moisture but finishes drying faster then green. If the punky layer dries good , it does catch fire very good.
As for selling it , keep buyers informed of the woods true condition. There is always a shortage of fully seasoned wood in my area and most of my customers are content as long as it starts and burns well. I usually describe it as crumby on the outside and inform them it leaves a mess. If they buy a year in advance they will get wood in better condition. It helps spread out sales to as most would just wait to buy when they need it.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

@ avalancher :

One of the places we have permission to cut is along the gravel township roads out in the county, "trimming the right of ways" . The townships are generally working with a very limited budget and usually happy to have it done for them. They even suggested good places to start. All of the wood is within 10-15 feet or less of gravel road and eassily accessable.

It wouldnt bother me to burn more of the wood you described. When we sell wood I do my best to describe it accurately AND make sure they lay eyes on what they are getting. If the first time they see it is when we get there with it I make sure they see what they are getting before we get paid and the load gets dropped. I do try to kep the better stuff for the paying customers and the rest goes home with us. But in January and Febuary when the good stuff is gone we get calls for anything that will burn.

Some will gauge how good it is by how easily it lights, the aroama and how the flame looks, not by how well it heats their place. If it worries you discount it some and explain why.