Firewood Seasoning

[bulletpruf]

Wood is providing supplemental heating for my house in Northern Virginia and I have a few questions about seasoning wood. I'll end up going through all the wood that's been cut, split, and seasoned, and I'm trying to figure out when the rest of the wood will be good.

Here's what I have -

-Locust. Was dead, but still standing. Cut and bucked a few weeks ago and is now split and stacked.

-Ash. Was dead, but still standing. Cut and bucked, but not split.

-Large oak. Currently alive and standing. Will cut and buck in early December.

-Cedar. Was alive and green. Cut and bucked a few weeks ago but not split.

-Cedar. Dead. Needs to be bucked and split.

All of this is sitting outside, uncovered.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks!

Scott

 

[lone wolf]

Well the Ash would typically be the fastest to season but the standing deadwood trees should be burnable now or soon.

 

[olddude]

A lot will have to do with how you store it. A well vented wood shed that has direct sunlight on it is the best way. Also it needs a floor in it, either a wooden floor that is up off the ground where air can flow under it or concrete. Wood on the ground will take a long time and the wood on the bottom will never dry even if covered with a good tarp.

 

[sb47]

First thing is to get it split. Then stack in a single row (if possible) in FULL SUN and where the prevailing wind can get to it. Only cover the top with sheet metal (not wood or tarp) Keep it off the ground. Let mother nature do her thing. Keep it out of the shade. Shade will make it take 2/3 times as long to dry.
Lost of sun and wind.

 

[bulletpruf]

Thanks for all the input!

 

[ktmtigger]

Lots of salt and pepper on the ash maybe some zatarays on the cedar

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

[Mad Professor]

If I can't move the wood when/where it's felled and bucked, I make stacks in the woods using junk branches as bunks to keep the pile off the ground. I stack these as high as me. On top wrist size 3' branches every 2-3' on top to support cover. Then folded over/tripled up lumber cover so it's ~ 3' wide roof on top. More 3" X 3' branches to hold it down and some big chunks to keep it from blowing off in storms. Stacked like that no water gets on the pile, will season well, and not rot for years. Move when you need it or have time.

I try to do this with split wood, but rounds work too. I'm still an axe/maul/wedge guy for splitting.

For your wood, get the ash split stacked and covered, standing dead should be near burnable. Then the cedar and locust. Live oak and cedar is going to need a year.

I'll be out this week doing cordwood, will try to post some pictures.

 

[Cambium]

Wood is providing supplemental heating for my house in Northern Virginia and I have a few questions about seasoning wood. I'll end up going through all the wood that's been cut, split, and seasoned, and I'm trying to figure out when the rest of the wood will be good.

Here's what I have -

-Locust. Was dead, but still standing. Cut and bucked a few weeks ago and is now split and stacked.

-Ash. Was dead, but still standing. Cut and bucked, but not split.

-Large oak. Currently alive and standing. Will cut and buck in early December.

-Cedar. Was alive and green. Cut and bucked a few weeks ago but not split.

-Cedar. Dead. Needs to be bucked and split.

All of this is sitting outside, uncovered.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks!

Scott

View attachment 941433View attachment 941436

Forget the oak. Split it as soon as possible, stack it and use it in 2023.

Ash you'll be able to burn now.

Get a moisture meter and check the moisture in the Locust.

The cedar I would use for kindling, not firewood. You'll love it. I like putting aside a stack of cedar and make kindling from it.

As far as covering... theres a debate with that. Covering keeps moisture inside the stack but prevents rain from falling into it.

 

[bulletpruf]

Thanks for all the input.

Looks like I'll be using the ash, long dead cedar, and the locust this winter. I'll check into a moisture meter as well.

Also like the idea of using cedar for kindling.

Scott

 

[Cambium]

Also like the idea of using cedar for kindling.

Yup.. See the stack behind the bucket? Those are all cedar pieces and I strictly use it for kindling. It's the best kindling because it last longer than other kindling and easy to split unless you have a knot.

Also, see the axe? I just sit there and kindle away.



Making cedar kindling in the snow is my favorite part.

 

[unclemoustache]

First year in a long time I haven't had some cedar for kindling. Oh well. Pine works ok too.

 

[Ash_403]

Around here, soft maple (silver maple, and red maple) is plentiful, and makes great kindling. Not too much cedar around this area, unless you count the juniper cedar (which isn't really a cedar). Though it makes good kindling too but can be pretty knotty due to the shrub branching.

 

[osteoart]

Thanks for all the input.

Looks like I'll be using the ash, long dead cedar, and the locust this winter. I'll check into a moisture meter as well.

Also like the idea of using cedar for kindling.

Scott

The locust will be burnable soon after splitting if stacked in the sunlight.

 

[bulletpruf]

The locust will be burnable soon after splitting if stacked in the sunlight.

It gets sunlight for a good portion of the day.

At this point, I'm burning oak that was split several years ago. Once it's all done, I'll start working on the locust and the oak that was standing dead as well. Both are split and in partial sunlight.

 

[Marine5068]

Only way is to

Wood is providing supplemental heating for my house in Northern Virginia and I have a few questions about seasoning wood. I'll end up going through all the wood that's been cut, split, and seasoned, and I'm trying to figure out when the rest of the wood will be good.

Here's what I have -

-Locust. Was dead, but still standing. Cut and bucked a few weeks ago and is now split and stacked.

-Ash. Was dead, but still standing. Cut and bucked, but not split.

-Large oak. Currently alive and standing. Will cut and buck in early December.

-Cedar. Was alive and green. Cut and bucked a few weeks ago but not split.

-Cedar. Dead. Needs to be bucked and split.

All of this is sitting outside, uncovered.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks!

Scott

View attachment 941433View attachment 941436

Try splitting some Ash and burning and see. It may be not bad.
Locust is very hard, dense wood so even dead of the stump it may take a year or more. Great firewood though.
Typically most hardwoods take a year or more so you need to plan years ahead.
I'd bet the Oak will be one or two years to properly season. I've even seen and heard moisture from Oak after 2 years under cover.
Good luck.

 

[sb47]

Only way is to

Try splitting some Ash and burning and see. It may be not bad.
Locust is very hard, dense wood so even dead of the stump it may take a year or more. Great firewood though.
Typically most hardwoods take a year or more so you need to plan years ahead.
I'd bet the Oak will be one or two years to properly season. I've even seen and heard moisture from Oak after 2 years under cover.
Good luck.

He is in San Antonio Texas not Canada. Split geen oak will dry and be ready to burn in six months where he lives. Provided it's split down to 4''x4'' size splits and stacked in the sun with good air flow around it. I have been splitting and using oak for many many years and that is what I have experienced. Different oaks take different amounts of time to dry. Red oak, water oak, white oak will dry a little bit faster then say post oak and live oak will but ether way in his environment six months will get the job done. I'm burning live oak this year that was split last summer and has been drying for about 8 months and it burns fantastic. I live north of Houston and my environment is wetter and has more humidity then he does where he lives.
I can get ash to dry in less the six months and the same with pecan or hickory. Where he lives he has live oak, mostly on the scrub oak side along with ceder (juniper) ceder elm, American elm, desert willow, and mesquite are most common in and around the San Antonio area.
Here is a humidity chart for the Texas area.
Average yearly relative humidity (%)

Daily	Place	Morning	Afternoon
59	Abilene	74	42
56	Amarillo	73	38
67	Austin	84	49
76	Brownsville	89	58
76	Corpus Christi	89	59
65	Dallas	82	49
41	El Paso	50	27
65	Fort Worth	82	49
75	Houston	90	55
56	Lubbock	74	38
54	Midland	74	34
78	Port Arthur	91	61
60	San Angelo	78	40
67	San Antonio	83	48
75	Victoria	89	56
67	Waco	83	50
64	Wichita Falls	82	44

 

[bulletpruf]

@sb47 - I'm actually in Northern VA for a few years for work (active duty Army). Mentioned that in my post above, but I need to change that in my profile, too.

Thanks

 

[sb47]

@sb47 - I'm actually in Northern VA for a few years for work (active duty Army). Mentioned that in my post above, but I need to change that in my profile, too.

Thanks

I did use the location in your profile as a reference. When asking about dry/seasoning times location is very important because the environment is key to drying times.

 

[sb47]

@sb47 - I'm actually in Northern VA for a few years for work (active duty Army). Mentioned that in my post above, but I need to change that in my profile, too.

Thanks

I should add a thank you for serving.

 

[unclemoustache]

Go Army!!
Hua!!!