Seasoning Firewood In Winter

[Woodcutteranon]

I just split up a bunch of rounds I had stacked since October. I split them to firewood size and stacked them in face cords. The ash was reading 28% moisture. Can I expect the moisture content to go down during winter? Does anyone have any experience on how long this should take to get to 20% on my MM?

I had a HUGE amount of oak and it is VERY green. I will stack this next week and burn it in about 2 years. I split the oak smaller to aid in its drying. Here is a pic. The fresh wood stacked in the background is oak from this pile. Anyone care to guess how much is in this pile? Regardless, I won't be enjoying this wood for sometime. It has to dry...it was dripping wet when I split them...



Thanks in advance for your replies.

WCA

 

[Mntn Man]

I think my wood dries faster in winter. Ash dries about as fast as any wood I have seen.

 

[Dieseldash]

So much depends on your local climate, keeping it dry, air circulation, and some sunshine. I know where I live you'd be burning in in a few months. I cut and split a pretty big 18" ponderosa pine last month that was a blow down. Wet enough that water squeezed out when the axe struck. I'd guess with where I store my wood it'll be ready to go by New Years (small splits are dry enough to burn)

Now my wood pile and climate is about ideal for drying wood. Southwest exposure, lots of sun, windy and dry climate.

 

[svk]

Around here wood will lose a little moisture over winter but not enough to make a difference.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Around here wood will lose a little moisture over winter but not enough to make a difference.

They say that here as well, but the winter air is normally very dry, so one would think it would still dry. A person can hang clothes out on the line in the winter and it will dry, even with it freezing.
I've never fussed with measuring, though I have plenty of people buying wood now and burning it pretty much as it's coming off the truck (way to be prepared huh!) I don't sell it as seasoned by any means.

 

[chipper1]

I think my wood dries faster in winter. Ash dries about as fast as any wood I have seen.

You got any locust, black locust dries very quick, great wood.

Does anyone have any experience on how long this should take to get to 20%

It usually depends on how nice the bed of coils is I throw it on lol.
If you have enough why are you concerned with it, maybe selling some?

 

[Sandhill Crane]

A person can hang clothes out on the line in the winter and it will dry, even with it freezing.

This is called sublimate. To go from a solid to a gas state without becoming liquid.
Just off the cuff I would say firewood does season in the winter, or sublimate, given it is off the ground, accessible to free moving air, a bit of winter sun, and covered on top to shed melting snow. As Valley says, the winter air is quite dry and one would think that would wick moisture.

 

[chipper1]

This is called sublimate. To go from a solid to a gas state without becoming liquid.
Just off the cuff I would say firewood does season in the winter, or sublimate, given it is off the ground, accessible to free moving air, a bit of winter sun, and covered on top to shed melting snow.

Thanks neighbor, I got my new word for the day, I can go to bed now .
Hope sales are good for you this season.

 

[jrider]

Humidity is generally much lower in the winter but remember that's relative humidity - the % given is relative to how much water vapor the air CAN hold. The colder the air, the less water it can hold.

Pay attention to times it's wet in the winter from a cold rain. Notice how long it takes roads and paved driveways to dry off completely. It takes a lot longer then compared to summer when the pavement and air are much warmer.

So does wood lose moisture in the winter? Absolutely, but 3 months of hot summer sun will dry it out way more than 3 months of winter.

 

[Mntn Man]

You got any locust, black locust dries very quick, great wood.

It usually depends on how nice the bed of coils is I throw it on lol.
If you have enough why are you concerned with it, maybe selling some?

Yes. Mostly burn ash and locust any more. If I had access to enough, all I would burn is locust. I have a bunch of ash right now and 1 trunk worth of locust.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

For our climate in southwest Michigan, freezing rain at the moment, covering the wood has been very helpful. After a beautiful summer/fall we have had weeks of rain stacked up. Long days of steady, soaking rain. Glad I'm not a farmer. The wood is covered and keeps pretty dry even if it stalls out on actual 'seasoning' for next year. Customers don't seem to mind paying a little extra when unloading dry, seasoned oak, uniformly cut and split. Pricing is all over the scale, but my customers seem tired of some of the surprises their previous suppliers have thrown at them. Most new customers have been from word of mouth. A few days, or a week after a delivery, one of their friends or neighbors call. I have a four and a half cord to be picked up or delivered, and one cord of seasoned firewood left.
Only 52 cord put up to date for next year. I've been slacking.
Once we get snow, I'm thinking of storing the Posch again, and continue to cut/split this winter, into piles using the conveyor. More handling next spring, but I hate to pass on so many good winter days to work outside. I found some knit gloves with rubber palms that look pretty good, for $6.00. Trying them out today loading out a pick up order. For now the conveyor is on hold, still broke down, while I'm being pulled in other directions when it isn't raining. A couple hours at most and the conveyor should be up and running.
Maybe I already posted this, but I had a guy come in with a small excavator and widen this out a bit, and squared it up. Hauled off a few stumps and brought in a little more gravel. I should get another six or so rows in now, not much, but an improvement. Also repaired part of the gravel drive to the house where the log trucks come in off the road, widening it for them at a slight curve, and building it up. This is a before and after picture. Where the crates are I had dumped saw chips and leveled them out. Huge mistake, as always wet. Dug it all out and hauled it out with the stumps.

 

[TimberWolf530]

If you keep it dry, the Ash should be ready to burn somewhere between 1 and 2 months.