Husky137
Addicted to ArboristSite
I bet starting a fire would be the quickest way to see if it is ready to burn.
I need Help! Is my wood dry?
- Thread starter Ric3077
- Start date
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Once again...
If you really want to know how close it is to being seasoned take it to (not go out and buy) a firewood dealer or stoveshop that has a HIGH QUALITY moisture meter that can tell you where you stand with it. Otherwise, you'll probably be disappointed in it. I'm betting that it's still got a lot of moisture in it, seeing that it's Oak and it hasn't been split very long.
Ric3077 said:
If you really want to know how close it is to being seasoned take it to (not go out and buy) a firewood dealer or stoveshop that has a HIGH QUALITY moisture meter that can tell you where you stand with it. Otherwise, you'll probably be disappointed in it. I'm betting that it's still got a lot of moisture in it, seeing that it's Oak and it hasn't been split very long.
WoodTick007
Addicted to ArboristSite
Good Idea!!!
I think the moisture meter is a great idea!!!
I think the moisture meter is a great idea!!!
v8titan
ArboristSite Operative
Moisture meter testing
Here's a good method that determines your split wood moisture content fairly accurately. As one would guess, the moisture content will always be highest in the geometric center of the split piece of wood during the seasoning cycle. If you have one of the low cost meters ie. the two pin Harbor Freight variety, you can test the pieces most accurately by splitting them in half. Split a piece right down the middle and probe the meter inside the split half. This method works quite well and gives you a better idea of the maximum moisture the piece is holding.
Tom
Here's a good method that determines your split wood moisture content fairly accurately. As one would guess, the moisture content will always be highest in the geometric center of the split piece of wood during the seasoning cycle. If you have one of the low cost meters ie. the two pin Harbor Freight variety, you can test the pieces most accurately by splitting them in half. Split a piece right down the middle and probe the meter inside the split half. This method works quite well and gives you a better idea of the maximum moisture the piece is holding.
Tom
PA and V8 both good ideas thanks...the rain has dried out and I tried burning a few logs...they chared but never actually caught fire...which is weird cause wouldn't it still lightafter like 30 minutes even if it was green? All sides of the logs are blackened but the whole logs are in tact. The fire was hissing too...which makes me think the wood is green...however the ends of the logs are splitting and cracking a sign of dry wood and the bark feel of another sign of dry wood. Weird...I guess I need a moisture reading.
Schultzz
ArboristSite Operative
Good Advice
Hey PA Woodsman,
Nice to see a post of yours. Yes Oak takes at least two years to thoroughly dry even after being split.
PA. Woodsman said:
Hey PA Woodsman,
Nice to see a post of yours. Yes Oak takes at least two years to thoroughly dry even after being split.
Husky137
Addicted to ArboristSite
Ric3077 said:
Which has zero to do with whether or not your wood is seasoned. Topical moisture is a purely temporary state.
Your wood isn't seasoned but if you know how to start a fire, green wood will burn. Or you can waste your time and someone else's time and go in search of the holy grtail of moisture meters to find out that your wood is still wet inside.
Thanks for pointing out the obvious yet again
The reason I said the wood was wet was so people would know why I cant just try to light a fire to test it...I didnt think wet wood became green again. Please dont respond unless you have decent advice
Husky137 said:
The reason I said the wood was wet was so people would know why I cant just try to light a fire to test it...I didnt think wet wood became green again. Please dont respond unless you have decent advice
And the lesson learned from this is...
Ric, as you can see, everyone on here has their own ideas about what is the correct thing for you to do. But what the REAL LESSON that you should be learning from this is to split your wood WELL in advance to when you plan to burn it. If that wood that you got back in March would've been split then, it may or even may not be ready yet; the Maple yes, the Oak, maybe...But you would be in better shape than you are in now! If your wood won't burn, chars and sizzles, it's not seasoned. A meter would probably be "maxed-out" if you had it tested! Please, split wood well in advance, at LEAST in the late Winter/early Spring and you WON'T have these problems now. Then you won't have to even get it tested,or have to try mixing it, or splitting it thinner, etc; you'll know that it's ready-to-go and you'll enjoy your woodburning experience. I'm sure that you're not enjoying this! Good luck!
Ric, as you can see, everyone on here has their own ideas about what is the correct thing for you to do. But what the REAL LESSON that you should be learning from this is to split your wood WELL in advance to when you plan to burn it. If that wood that you got back in March would've been split then, it may or even may not be ready yet; the Maple yes, the Oak, maybe...But you would be in better shape than you are in now! If your wood won't burn, chars and sizzles, it's not seasoned. A meter would probably be "maxed-out" if you had it tested! Please, split wood well in advance, at LEAST in the late Winter/early Spring and you WON'T have these problems now. Then you won't have to even get it tested,or have to try mixing it, or splitting it thinner, etc; you'll know that it's ready-to-go and you'll enjoy your woodburning experience. I'm sure that you're not enjoying this! Good luck!
WoodTick007 said:
I'm gonna send you one for Christmas!
manual
Addicted to ArboristSite
Wow, How did my Grand parents ever survive with out a moisture meter ?
manual said:
Because they probably didn't wait to split their wood until 2 months before they tried to burn it!
Ric3077 said:Please dont respond unless you have decent advice
:sword: Everyone on here has decent advice; we're ALL right in our own little minds! :greenchainsaw:
Husky137
Addicted to ArboristSite
Ric3077 said:The reason I said the wood was wet was so people would know why I cant just try to light a fire to test it...I didnt think wet wood became green again. Please dont respond unless you have decent advice
You wouldn't know decent advice if you were hit up side the head with a seasoned piece of it.:deadhorse:
A moisture meter for firewood? Well to each his own, but seems um, hmmmm.... well I don't want to say ridiculous, but I'll go with over engineered instead
Ric, your oak is green. If you are burning in a fireplace, green white oak is sheer misery.
Ric, your oak is green. If you are burning in a fireplace, green white oak is sheer misery.
trimmmed said:
I know of guys who swear by them and guys who swear at them. The only reason that I kept telling this guy to get his wood checked by one was so that they could give him a "percentage" number of how much water was still in it, 45 %, etc, and HOPEFULLY they could explain to him that it's way off from being ready to burn properly and HOPEFULLY next year he doesn't wait to split it (especially Oak) until 2 months before he tries to use it, whether he's using it for heating purposes, "atmosphere" fires, campfires or whatever. Plan ahead and avoid these problems..I don't use a meter, don't have to because of planning ahead, but a few years ago I had some wood that I split in October and was wondering if it was close to being ready in February, so for "kicks and giggles" I took it to a local stovehop that had a GOOD meter ($500) with slide-hammer pins and they read it to be 22-25% moisture. They also told me that I was the first guy to bring wood in there that was under 30%-again, this was February. So even though I can tell pretty much like you guys when wood is ready or not without using a meter, I found it to be helpful in that situation. I thought and think that it would be helpful to make this guy SEE a number and realize that it isn't CLOSE to being ready. Heck, we could all tell by reading his posts that it wasn't ready and that he's new to this and still learning. Like I told him, SPLIT EARLY!!!
Here is what I did...
After getting some great advise on here I took the firewood to a local firewood dealer and he offered to buy the wood off me!!! He said it is DRY and it is the type he loves to burn meaning it is big 18" long and most of it is round...he only splits and sells little 15" pieces that are ALL split no rounds. Anyway I found out from him it is dry...but just to get a second opinion and to have a new tool I went out and bought a wood moisture meter...most of it is around 24%...the reason it wont light easy is a combination of the rain in the wood, the wood still needing to season a bit more and the wood being big and round makes it tough to light. Thanks everone for your help!!!
After getting some great advise on here I took the firewood to a local firewood dealer and he offered to buy the wood off me!!! He said it is DRY and it is the type he loves to burn meaning it is big 18" long and most of it is round...he only splits and sells little 15" pieces that are ALL split no rounds. Anyway I found out from him it is dry...but just to get a second opinion and to have a new tool I went out and bought a wood moisture meter...most of it is around 24%...the reason it wont light easy is a combination of the rain in the wood, the wood still needing to season a bit more and the wood being big and round makes it tough to light. Thanks everone for your help!!!
Husky137
Addicted to ArboristSite
So how much more is he going to sell it back to you for?:hmm3grin2orange:
Ric3077 said:
As long as you're happy, we're happy!
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