How to tell if wood has too much rot

[TomH83]

I have no real firewood experience yet so bear with me here! On one side of my property a bunch of trees were felled around 1 1/2 years ago, and some large logs left around. The wood is oak. Since I have to get rid of these for some tree planting anyway, I've been cutting it up. Now some of it is obviously rotten and junk, while other stuff looks like it might be ok. How would I tell? Is a small ring on the outside of the log a good indicator of rot? And if so how much is acceptable for burning, if any? If it's no good I'll just chop it up enough to get rid of and not bother with it. If some of it is good I'd like to split and pile it. I'll be installing a wood stove between now and this fall.

I know this isn't a great picture but that's some of the bigger stuff, that pile looked decent to me. I can get better pictures of course. This wood has of course been on the ground for a while, but some was suspended up due to terrain etc.

 

[sunfish]

I have to look at it to tell. If the sap wood around the outside is rotten, but the hart wood is good, I stack it in the shed.

 

[freemind]

Outer rot doesn't turn me off as much as inner rot.

Whatever you have for solid wood, is what will be "prime".

Were it me, I wouldn't waste anything unless it is all punky (spongey).

 

[stihl sawing]

That wood looks fine, I am cutting oak that's been blowed over more than two years now. It takes a long time for a trunk to rot. If you can push the heart of the log in with your finger, It is rotten. Now the outside still may be good. If it's still hard it's ok.

 

[TMFARM 2009]

test it with a dull chain... hit it with the dull chain on your saw and if it cuts like butter its rotten...
if you go to pick it up by hand and it falls apart in your hand its rotten..
if you kick it and it d-centigrades on impact..its rotten..
:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

 

[stihl sawing]

test it with a dull chain... hit it with the dull chain on your saw and if it cuts like butter its rotten...
if you go to pick it up by hand and it falls apart in your hand its rotten..
if you kick it and it d-centigrades on impact..its rotten..:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

LOL, If it's not you have a broken toe.

 

[TMFARM 2009]

i figured they would get the picture... opcorn:

 

[TomH83]

test it with a dull chain... hit it with the dull chain on your saw and if it cuts like butter its rotten...
if you go to pick it up by hand and it falls apart in your hand its rotten..
if you kick it and it d-centigrades on impact..its rotten..
:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

Haha! Well I know that if it blows apart it's obviously rotten. Everything I have is solid, but the outside a bit softer on much of it. The bark comes off easy on some of it and some white worms fall out from just under. But it's still hard, no holes etc. It's been sitting in grass/dirty for that entire time.

 

[stihl sawing]

i figured they would get the picture... opcorn:

Yup.

 

[TMFARM 2009]

if you hit it with the saw and sparks and teeth fly, it might be petrified. just a hint....

 

[memory]

I have been cleaning up some trees that have been down a while and if it is still hard on the outside, then I will cut it up for firewood.

Even though some of it may be rotten in the middle, the way I see it is it is going to be burned eventually anyways, whether piled up or in a stove. Might as well get some use out of it.

Now if it is completely rotten where it falls to pieces, then I don't touch it. But as long as there is some hard wood left in it, I will cut it up for firewood.

 

[TMFARM 2009]

i look at it this way.. if it is a little rotten, it splits easier.
but if you drop it on the tail gate and it splits itself it might be a little too old...:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[4seasons]

If you can dent it with you hand or foot it is rotten. But if only the outside inch or so is rotten then split it and stack it. Bark falling off doesn't mean anything. Even some rot is ok as it will burn just not give of the heat or long burn times as a solid piece.

I am cutting up tops that have been down for 3 years with very little rot. What part of the wood was in direct contact with the ground is spongy, but the limbs that are off the ground are good wood and the trunks are solid because the limbs on the underside keep it off the ground.

 

[TomH83]

Thanks for the advice guys. It sounds like most of this wood will be useful. Biggest issue is dirt stuck to the bottom sides. I've been brushing like crazy!

 

[TMFARM 2009]

yup, my wife hates dirty wood also....

 

[needwood]

I have been cleaning up some trees that have been down a while and if it is still hard on the outside, then I will cut it up for firewood.

Even though some of it may be rotten in the middle, the way I see it is it is going to be burned eventually anyways, whether piled up or in a stove. Might as well get some use out of it.

Now if it is completely rotten where it falls to pieces, then I don't touch it. But as long as there is some hard wood left in it, I will cut it up for firewood.

That's me" If your going to heat with wood you will need all you can get. It may look like allot when its laying on the ground but when it is split it just don't add up"

 

[TreePointer]

I've taken oak trunks that have been sitting on the ground for 2 and 3 years. The outer portion of sapwood may be a punky, but the rest is just fine if you split it and let it dry.

 

[Circle B MN]

I've taken oak trunks that have been sitting on the ground for 2 and 3 years. The outer portion of sapwood may be a punky, but the rest is just fine if you split it and let it dry.

Agreed...I'll sticka saw in most and old log just to see what it's like on the inside. You would be surprised. As log as it is not like a sponge, it's good, and some may have a hard center or outer and dry rot. Well that dry rot falls away as soon as it hit the splitter. Not always worth messing with, but I try to get the most out of the land I have available to work off of.

 

[Sherwood stoker]

I've taken oak trunks that have been sitting on the ground for 2 and 3 years. The outer portion of sapwood may be a punky, but the rest is just fine if you split it and let it dry.

Treepointer is on the money there.
A lot of stove owners over here have a problem with firewood showing any signs of rot & are just being generally over fussy.
It's their loss.
Oak heartwood is superb, who cares if you can pull the rotten sapwood off in handfuls.
The end result is good firewood.

 

[mga]

if it doesn't burn, it's rotten.