Seasoned firewood

[Preston]

When y'all use "seasoned" firewood, what length of time do you feel is necessary for the wood to season? I've tried different seasons of wood but thinking the dryness of wood would help keep the creosote down in my chimney.

One year, two years, what do ya think.

Thanks

pt

 

[rmount]

Your climate and wood will be different than mine, but for what its worth I let mine sit for at least a year and preferably two after splitting and stacking.

 

[Ironworker]

I cut, split and stack mine around Dec.-Jan. and it burns fine and my flue is always clean, so 1 year is fine with me

 

[Shmudda]

Depends.....

It depends on the species of wood. Look at Elm or Mulberry, those types of wood take about 3+ years to dry or more, but oak will take about 1 1/2 years or so. It also depends if you split them into small or leave them in large pieces. I like my pieces quite large. If I have a log that's 10" or smaller in diameter I don't split it and it takes longer to dry when you leave them unsplit like that. I go for the increased burn times with the larger logs, that's the method to my madness!

It's all in what and how you burn......

Craig

 

[jrider]

Wind and sun exposure both play a huge roll as well.

 

[darkbyrd]

I'm splitting oak small, and putting up in single rows several feet apart, hoping to get it decently dried for next season.

 

[ken45]

All good answers above.

A lot of people are happy with 1 year, but the wood is even better with 2 or 3 years.

I'm trying to get at least 3 years ahead.

Ken

 

[Preston]

I normally have red, white, and post oak. Some hickory and sourwood. If I have a 10" log I split it half. Larger than that and I split it 4 ways. I go slow bcuz I use an axe, 8 lb sledge and a wedge. I'll be getting splitter sooner or later but at 68 I think I need to hurry up.:msp_smile:

Thanks for all your reply's.

 

[Shmudda]

I normally have red, white, and post oak. Some hickory and sourwood. If I have a 10" log I split it half. Larger than that and I split it 4 ways. I go slow bcuz I use an axe, 8 lb sledge and a wedge. I'll be getting splitter sooner or later but at 68 I think I need to hurry up.:msp_smile:

Thanks for all your reply's.

Preston.....at 68 what are you in a hurry for??? Take your time as most likely you are retired and have nothing but time! My dear old grandfather lived to be 88, split and burnt until the day he passed. Guess what, he split with an ax, wedges and sledge! That what I'm gunning for! No splitter for me, but right now I'm only 49.

Craig

 

[genesis5521]

For what it's worth, below is a quote from this web site: How to Season Firewood: 6 steps - wikiHow

Notice the last tip concerning over-dried wood.

Don <><

The duration of seasoning depends on the wood and for deciduous trees, when the tree was felled. The sap of deciduous trees moves to the roots in the winter, so trees felled in winter have a much lower moisture content to begin with, and so will be seasoned more quickly. In general, pine and other soft woods require around 6 months to season, while hardwoods such as oak require a year.

Place the stack of wood where it will get the most sun all day long.

There are two theories on the covering of wood during the seasoning process. You must decide for yourself which theory you wish to follow. One theory is stated above--cover the wood to prevent the rain and snow from entering the center of the stack and gathering there. However, within the firewood community, another theory holds that you do not have to cover your wood at all--ever. Just leave it out there in the weather and it will season just as well as if you covered it. This theory has its supporters and they are quite sure it works just as well as covering your pile.

Ash can not be burned immediately as most people seem to think. It does need to be seasoned like any other wood. Most people think Ash can be burned immediately because it has a lower moisture content than any other fresh cut woods. Ash can have as little as 30% moisture content compared to 50% of other species of wood. Most wood is seasoned enough after 8 months if proper steps are taken, but longer is better obviously. Ideally you want only 20% moisture content in your wood

The notion that Pine is dangerous to burn, or creates more creosote is an old wives' tale. If seasoned properly, it will not create any more creosote than other types of wood. It does, however, burn hotter and faster than denser hardwoods.

Over-dried wood will have less energy as volatile esters in the wood evaporate. These waxy substances have a great deal of heat energy, so it is a mistake to think that longer is necessarily better.

 

[branchbuzzer]

There are two theories on the covering of wood during the seasoning process. You must decide for yourself which theory you wish to follow. One theory is stated above--cover the wood to prevent the rain and snow from entering the center of the stack and gathering there. However, within the firewood community, another theory holds that you do not have to cover your wood at all--ever. Just leave it out there in the weather and it will season just as well as if you covered it. This theory has its supporters and they are quite sure it works just as well as covering your pile.

This depends heavily on where you live. If you leave a stack uncovered in these here parts you'll soon have a pile of mush to spread in your garden, not firewood.

 

[ken45]

Ideally you want only 20% moisture content in your wood

There are obviously differing opinions. From most of what I've read, 20% is the maximum, not the "ideal".

Ken

 

[rmount]

Over-dried wood will have less energy as volatile esters in the wood evaporate. These waxy substances have a great deal of heat energy, so it is a mistake to think that longer is necessarily better.

I've seen this reported several times but it makes no sense at all to me. Air dried firewood will never have less than atmospheric moisture levels no matter how long it is stacked. Kiln dried wood has lower moisture content when it comes out of the kiln but will eventually regain moisture if it is left in normal atmospheric conditions. I've never burned kiln dried firewood, but kiln dried lumber seems to me to burn hot although I've never measured the temperature. Does anyone know of a reliable study that addresses what these esters are and how is it that their evaporation is time dependent, not temperature dependent?

 

[BILLSFIREWOOD]

It depends where you leave. Hear in NC 6 mo to a year, it test 20 to 10%. We stack it in rows on a tarp. Anty time over 1 year it will get to dry and will not heat as good.

 

[4seasons]

It Depends

Where I live we have a average humidity of 72.5%. So I consider it a small miracle if my wood ever reaches the magic 20% mark. I also never have used a moisture meter of any kind. That said, I find that white oak takes 2 years after being split to make good firewood. Red oak will burn fine after 1 year as well as hickory. Ash will go up in as little as 6 months. Now if you happen to live in a dessert you can probably cut those times in half. Also you can reduce the time it takes to dry out by spitting small or if you really want to speed it up stack a few weeks worth in the same room as you stove. Wood heat is a dry heat and it will dry the wood you are about to heat with in a hurry too.

 

[Whitespider]

Does anyone know of a reliable study that addresses what these esters are and how is it that their evaporation is time dependent, not temperature dependent?

Well, I don't know if this is a "reliable study", but dad has some oak that's been stacked and covered something close to 5-years now... yeah, it's dry as a popcorn-fart and light weight. It ain't punky or rotten, it's hard, old, gray oak firewood... and it burns fast, real fast without much coaling. When I say "light weight" I mean LIGHT! I'd be willing to bet my 1/2 ton pickup could haul near a full cord of the stuff without a grunt.

Wood, like any organic substance, will eventually break-down into dust... it doesn't matter how well it's stored. There is a point in the seasoning process where firewood is at the best it will ever be, after that it slowly begins a downhill slide, ain't nothin' can be done about it... ashes-to-ashes/dust-to-dust. Ya' can't compare lumber with firewood, lumber has a different job to do. Even though the lumber holding your house up has aged a lot, it still retains the strength necessary to do its job for many, many years... but it's become way too old and light to be called good firewood.

 

[ken45]

Where I live we have a average humidity of 72.5%. So I consider it a small miracle if my wood ever reaches the magic 20% mark. I also never have used a moisture meter of any kind.

Without a meter, you don't know but I'll bet it does get below 20% eventually. Air humidity and wood moisture content are two different things. If you set a bucket of water in the garage, it will eventually dry up, right? (Zero percent moisture.) Same with wood, the water is just dispersed in the wood. I'll bet your wood eventually gets down to the 15% range +/-, probably a bit below 15%.

Wood moisture percentage is the pounds of water in the wood as a percent of the pounds of wood. Air humidity is a percent of moisture in the air compared to maximum saturation, two totally different types of measurement.

Ken

 

[Preston]

I know this most probably is not the professional way to do it, but after I stack my firewood, when the ends turn a deep gray, I know I can burn it and know it starts easily with no hissing from to much moisture. Most of the wood I get if red oak. It is very wet and smells like a far-, let's just say sulfer. It does stink.

Now the hottest wood I've every had in the fireplace is water oak. That stuff got so hot I thought is was going to catch the kitchen table on fire. Well, more fire wood, but maple.:msp_rolleyes:

I do cover my wood with metal roofing that came off my house. Each sheet is 33 inches wide and most of it is 16 feet long. I can't seem to get 3 years ahead with the wood. I'll cut now or next winter. That eight pound sledge does get heavy, but my forearms are in good shape. :smile2:

 

[Whitespider]

Ken is correct…
The moisture (water) content of air is measured as a relative value…
The moisture (water) content of wood is measured as an absolute value…
As long as the relative humidity of surrounding air is below 100% (even 99.9%) wood will continue to lose moisture (water) until it reaches an equilibrium relative to the density and temperature of the wood… kiln dried wood will gain moisture outside the kiln until it reaches that same equilibrium. Even in the most humid places on earth wood will eventually dry to somewhere between 15% and 20% (absolute)... unless it rots first. The relative humidity of air affects how fast wood (or anything else) loses moisture (water), not how dry it will eventually become.

It must be remembered that something can be “wet” and still contain no moisture (water)… a rag soaked with alcohol or oil will be very wet, but will have very little, if any water. Even in an atmosphere of 100% relative humidity alcohol (which is an ester) will evaporate where water will condense (such as morning dew). Once firewood reaches its ultimate dryness (water loss) other volatile, energy containing liquids can still be lost during the over-aging (over-seasoning) process… making the dead wood lighter and less effective as a heating source as it becomes older.

 

[branchbuzzer]

When I say "light weight" I mean LIGHT! I'd be willing to bet my 1/2 ton pickup could haul near a full cord of the stuff without a grunt.

[SARCASM]

A full cord of wood on a pick-up? Impossible!

[/SARCASM]