Seasoned Firewood

[MarylandGuy]

I searched the site and found some interesting threads on how long wood should be seasoned. But I didn't see any information that discusses what seasoning actually means.

I realize green wood must be set aside to dry out. Is that all seasoning means, to dry the wood out? To allow the majority of the moisture to escape?

The reason that I am asking is because I have run low on firewood. It seems winter wants to hold it's grip on the east coast for as long as possible, so my wood stove has been used a lot more than is normally done at this time of year.

I just cut down a tree on my property that had died about two years ago. I figured it would be good to burn right away, but once split I realized it was still pretty green on the lower sections of the trunk. I decided to bring the semi green wood in and stack it on my big hearth near the wood stove. Warm dry air is now blowing over the stack.

I would assume this would greatly speed up the process and possibly be ready to use next week. Is that a correct way in thinking, or does length of time drying have something to do with it as well?

Any thoughts?

 

[Ryan Willock]

That will speed the drying process. Seasoning just refers to drying the wood out.

 

[TonyM]

The time it takes to season wood varies greatly depending on the size, length, and type of wood, as well as how and where it is stored, and the local atmospheric conditions. Moisture can only escape through the end grains, so standing dead wood can take a long time to really dry. That being said, I have found the easiest way to speed seasoning is to cut the pieces really short. Couple that with piling them by your stove, and they will dry fast, but I don't think they will fully season in two weeks. You could burn some of the green and seasoned wood together, and that would extend the amount of wood you have, and might actually be a benefit as the weather starts to get a little more mild, as it will help to lower your heat output.

 

[ozy365]

Keep an eye out for any creosote build up with the green stuff as well.

 

[BlackSmith]

Don, where are you in Maryland. close to Hagerstown? I could spare enough to get ya through to spring...

 

[Mike Barcaskey]

if you can get some white ash. its the best (hottest) burning green wood

 

[tnttreeman]

You'll be alright burning the wood, even though it needs more time than what you've mentioned to season. Basically what you're doing in setting the wood by the stove is kiln drying. That process takes at least a month to have fully dry(less than 12% moisture content) wood. However, firewood doesn't have to be fully dry in order to burn. I regularly burn green wood mixed with dry wood. Once you have a hot bed of coals in a wood furnace, green wood will burn. It just has less heat output than when it's dry. From my experience, white oak is about the hottest burning green wood.
As for seasoning, all you're doing is drying the wood out. When I split my wood, I try to get it stacked immediately and cover the tops of the stacks with plastic to keep the rain off. In a few months time over summer(depending on the species of wood), you have seasoned firewood. I sell a couple hundred face cord of firewood every season and have no problem with the wood being wet.
When you are burning green wood, make sure the chimney is kept clean. If there is water in the wood(sizzling when it burns especially), it will produce extra creosote. Keep the chimney swept and you won't have an issue.

 

[MarylandGuy]

Thanks for all the replys. I felt a little silly asking the question, but I wanted the answer so I went ahead.

At first I laid the green logs out on the hearth on their ends because I thought they would dry quicker. But then I realized all the water was heading down to the bottom where it was sitting on the brick. So TonyM, I can see you are right, the moisture was heading out the side. I then just stacked the wood normally on the hearth and it seems to be drying out much quicker.

Blacksmith, I live in Clarksville now, near Columbia. I moved recently. Thanks for the offer of wood, but I should be fine. You are about 1 to 1-1/5 hours from me. I'm fine running my heat pump more, but I have made some major Brownie points with my wife when it comes to that warm dry heat that a wood stove makes. I guess I could go out and buy wood, but I would feel like less of a man. Besides, I recently bought an 026 from a pawn shop after reading the chainsaw site here. So I'm itching to get more use out of it.

Thanks again!

 

[glens]

Firewood production is good for the health as well as the wallet, and firewood warms you at least three times.

I know that moisture escapes predominantly through the ends, but I've found that splitting a round into at least thirds greatly speeds up the process.  I'm confident I'm not just imagining it, though I've not done any real testing.

I understand that white ash stands green at about 20% moisture content, which makes it most desirable for emergency fuelwood.  A neighbor lost a 30" red oak he'd been living under for some time and I was invited to get as much firewood as I wanted.  The tree had been standing dead for at least 17 years that he knew of, and the outer several inches wasn't much good for anything, but the heartwood was still sound.  I was splitting it up and he was quite surprised to see how much water was present even after standing dead so long.  It was most definitely still "green" in the middle!

Glen

 

[Gypo Logger]

MC or moisture content is really has more to do with when it was cut and how it was stored as opposed to the mere passing of time. In an ideal situation wood cut in the winter and stored in a well ventilated barn or shed makes the driest wood, but too dry can sometimes be a liability unless you can totaly starve your heating appliance for air.
Hard to believe but the best burning wood is wood that has been felled green, cut and split at 20- 25 below and burned fresh off the stump. Maple especially turns to coals when burned this way and doesn't hiss or spit moisture.
John

 

[Gypo Logger]

Isn't funny how a guy asks a question and gets an answer like the one I gave above which doesn't solve the immediate issue? LOL
Anyway, if you criscross the pieces in a crib like fashion like they would crisscross logs to support a railway trestle, it should dry pretty fast. As long as it will burn anthing is fine. LOL
John