bassman1641
ArboristSite Lurker
got a load of wood given to me, split and stacked this month will it season by march mostly maple and beech if should i cover top?might need it march early april
does wood season in winter
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gandrimp
ArboristSite Member
It will season a little, but if the wood is green now, I dont think it will be very good even for the first of next burn season.
doobie57z
ArboristSite Operative
maple seasons fast, 6-9 months around here. I would cover the top and start mixing it in with dryer stuff when you run low.
Wood does season in winter around here (Nebraska), just a little more slowly. Seasoning usually means losing moisture, and it gets above freezing many times in the winter to expedite that. If the wood is allowed sun and wind exposure, that also helps.
CWME
ArboristSite Guru
I am burning Beech and Maple that I cut last March. I split a few pieces last Month before I started burning and MC ran around 16-18%. Average split size is about 4".
My point is that both Maple and Beech season pretty quickly compared to Red Oak. In my limited experience 4 months is pushing it. I think the MC was in the high 20's back in June for my stuff.
My point is that both Maple and Beech season pretty quickly compared to Red Oak. In my limited experience 4 months is pushing it. I think the MC was in the high 20's back in June for my stuff.
Of the two, birch and maple, I find that maple (especially soft maple) seasons faster. Oak is one of the slowest of them all to dry. Birch, however, is the toughest of the three to split--stringy as elm or cottonwood if split green.
branchbuzzer
Undiagnosed
You could also try bringing some of it inside. It doesn't get the sun and wind, but it is in a constant low humidity environment, especially if it can be stacked near the stove.
I brought some green red oak inside at the start of last season because I knew I was going to be cutting it close with my dry supply by the end. By March it was close to being totally seasoned, with only a small amount of steam. I was glad I did, since last year was a real killer. I have to do this with most of my "dry" supply as well, because I live in a high humidity area with not a lot of sun time on my property.
I brought some green red oak inside at the start of last season because I knew I was going to be cutting it close with my dry supply by the end. By March it was close to being totally seasoned, with only a small amount of steam. I was glad I did, since last year was a real killer. I have to do this with most of my "dry" supply as well, because I live in a high humidity area with not a lot of sun time on my property.
Wood does season in the Winter, especially during extreme cold spells. we have discussed this "sublimation" process in previous threads.
Oldtimer
Addicted to ArboristSite
When green wood freezes solid, it don't dry a hell of a lot. It'll burn just as well at the beginning of the winter as it will at the end.
woodman6666
ArboristSite Guru
Love your analogies, your definately a common sense kind of guy I respect that.
wood is thicker than cloth & u cant hang it on a clothesline
Wow, thanks for sharing. Who would have guessed?
sunfish
Fish Head
I dries pretty damn good here in the winter.
Freeze and thaw, plus very low humidity make it so. I does help to stack it in the sun. Yes, the sun does shin in the winter
Freeze and thaw, plus very low humidity make it so. I does help to stack it in the sun. Yes, the sun does shin in the winter
CountryBoy19
ArboristSite Operative
Also don't forget that ice will sublimate a small amount as well. That means that some moisture will still evaporate even if it's frozen. That is how freeze drying works and it's also what causes freezer burn.
So theoretically, yes it will still season in the winter, but I can't really say how much...
So theoretically, yes it will still season in the winter, but I can't really say how much...
& dont 4get the outer wood insulates the interior of the wood
4seasons
ArboristSite Guru
You must live somewhere in my neck of the woods. Sometimes I wonder how my wood gets dry enough to burn when it seems like the humidity of the air never drops below 50%. I bring wood up under the carport a cord at a time to keep it dry but my stack of wood out in the woods takes 2 years to season white oak. Need to finish my wood shed to get a roof over all my split wood.
Drying Wood Advice
I used to think green firewood dried faster if stored in a garage and covered, thus "protected from the elements".
That's wrong. If you are sheltering your firewood or even protecting it with a big tarp to "dry it out", forget it. Inside and/or protected under a tarp, wood will hold its moisture longer.
Wet wood from a storm dries in a day or so. Freshly cut green wood takes months, and shelter from Mother Nature slows it down.
I used to think green firewood dried faster if stored in a garage and covered, thus "protected from the elements".
That's wrong. If you are sheltering your firewood or even protecting it with a big tarp to "dry it out", forget it. Inside and/or protected under a tarp, wood will hold its moisture longer.
Wet wood from a storm dries in a day or so. Freshly cut green wood takes months, and shelter from Mother Nature slows it down.
what color should a woodshed's roof be?
Diesel nut
ArboristSite Operative
Orange...
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