Everytime you think you ahead

[TJ-Bill]

This will be my 4th winter burning wood.

the 1st year I was try to figure out what I was doing.. the 2nd year I cut a few cord of mine own.. 3 rd year I bought wood (5 cord) and drove 40km-25 miles to get it,, last year I got 6 cord dropped in my yard...

Yet I'm still burning wet wood!!!!!!!!! It's a learning progress I guess,, I had about 14 cord here trying to get ahead.. I guess I need more.

Wet wood sucks.. everytime I think I get ahead with my wood we burn more ..


Still cheaper then paying the Electric Bill.. except I`vehad to turn the heat on the last few weeks..

Grrrrissed-off:

 

[turnkey4099]

Yep, it is a learning process alright. Once you have "how much do I need" solved then it is working on trying to get a year (or more) ahead. Figure a year to get green wood cured properly cut, split and stacked so it is well ventilated. Covered on top if outside.

Harry K

 

[jhoff310]

I can say I planned ahead, not trying to rub salt into anybodys wounds. I started grabbing wood last year mostly ash and soft maple. I had my stove installed in October'10. I started burning my ash and soft maple and have gathered more than enough wood to get me thru the next 3-4 years right now. My backyard looks like some sort of logging camp but dammit I'm warm. I grab wood when I see it and I am in my truck. I made the mistake of hauling wood home in the wifes car, yeah that was not one of my shining moments :shame:

Jeff

 

[tibikedad]

For many years, I tried to pick up wood on the side of the roads. I would wait for storms, look for broken trees, answer neighbor's calls when they wanted a tree cut down ... you know the drill. I spent every weekend hauling back 1/2 cord of wood, and never seemed to get ahead so that I had at least 2 year's worth of wood on my property. As a result, I always ran out of seasoned wood way before the end of the burning season, and had to revert to burning oil (at great expense) for the remainder of the heating season.

Finally, my neighbor and I broke down and started to buy 5 cord loads of logs from a local place. The driver would pile the logs into 2 piles, and we would cut, split, and stack the wood in a couple of weeks, and then call for another load. Between the two of us, we cut, split, and stacked 30 cords in one spring/summer/fall. It was a lot of work, but it put both of us 2 years ahead. The next year, we did it again, and now we both have 3 years of wood sititng, seasoning and waiting to burn. Now we only have to process 1 year worth of wood every spring, and we are done. I haven't had to buy any oil in the last 2 years, and it only cost me $600 a year to heat my entire house (including DHW). This is less than the oil that I was forced to buy at the end of each heating season, and I don't have to use any gas in my truck to scrounge the wood, or beat up my small truck hauling it. I also have much less wear and tear on the truck, and spend a lot less time processing the wood.

This spring I will build a large wood shed that I can drive my truck up the middle (I'll post pictures as I build it), and hopefully, I can leave the truck there during the winter. This should make wood processing even easier.

 

[1grnlwn]

For what I spent on my OWB I don't think I could ever buy wood. But we do find it a lot easier to find free wood during the spring and early summer. We are set up pretty well to haul (bobcat with tongs/dump trailer) but we are only on second year and do not have a (process) finalized.

 

[Axe Man]

Having just moved into our house last June it didn't leave much time for the wood I cut to season.However the Ash and Red Maple I cut in July and August burned not too bad. ( didn't stack it but left it lying in the sun ) Ran out of that wood this week and had to buy some. Being new to the area I asked my neighbour where he got his. He said he was very satisfied with what he got and gave me the number of the guy he used. I ordered the wood and when it came it was obvious it wasn't seasoned but the guy assured me it was cut last winter and was ready to burn. Piled some near the stove, first time I ever saw wood boil over. Oh well went to see another guy today and check out his wood. He gave me 3 armfuls to bring home and burn today. If I want more, call him if not no charge. Guess where I'm buying my wood? Next burning season I'll be ready. Have 5 cords stacked now for next year.

 

[Outlander]

I'm also a 4th year woodburner. I've been cutting, splitting and stacking standing dead Elm for 5 years. Last year I started cutting Red Oak and split and stacked it outside in the sun and wind. During harvest season I mentioned to my wife I would like to get those Red Oak stacks in the woodshed before winter. Well, bless her heart, she moved all that Oak (about 6 cords) into the woodshed. In doing so, she buried all the 3-4 year dry Elm. So, now I'm trying to burrow my way into the dry wood. I am "mixing" 1 year split Oak with the Elm. Doing about a 1 to 4 Oak-Elm mix. Seems to be working good so far.

I certainly am not blaming my wife for this, I just need to be more careful what I say to her when I'm working those 20 hour days during planting and harvesting season.

 

[Cerran]

Luckily I live in the PNW where it's low humidity and our "softwoods" season in as little as six months if split and stacked through the summer. However id still took about 3-4 years to figure everything out and get enough wood stockpiled so we weren't burning partially seasoned wood every year. I think this is the first year I'll have more than enough wood so that some of my stack will be seasoned for 2 years before it's burned.

 

[dmlefevre]

Don't give up, you're close to having the pattern down. I'm fortunate - my neighbor has 100+ acres, he likes to drop trees (doesn't use them at all?!), and I can get what I need. I have 3 years ready.

 

[cjcocn]

Just keep on working towards where you want to be - you'll get there.

Over time you'll get better and better at recognizing seasoned vs green wood and, even if you haul a mixed load home, you can split and stack them into separate areas.

When burning season rolls around you can eyeball your stacks to gauge whether or not you have enough dry wood for that season. If not, you can mix in some green with seasoned to get you by as was mentioned above, but in time you will be able to fill your seasoned stacks with more than enough wood for one year.

EDIT: just in case anyone wants to jump on my "eyeball" statement - I stack my wood in between some old fence posts and each stack holds 1.5 cords. When I "eyeball" I just count the stacks and figure out my cordage.

Just remember to try and keep two stack areas - one for this year's (seasoned) wood and one for next year's (green) wood. It makes it a whole lot easier to gauge your preparedness and there is less chance of getting mixed up as to which pile is which.