Wet wood

[Joshlaugh]

This is my first year burning wood in my house. I grew up splitting and burning wood at my parents but couldn't afford the stove till now for me.
I had split a little over 2 cord for this year and just ran out. I called a local guy who sold me 2 tons of wood for $120 plus delivery. The problem... The wood is really wet. Any ideas to help it dry? How long should it take to dry out if I have to keep it covered? Am I screwed here?


Josh

 

[ericjeeper]

Is it wet? Or is it green?

Big difference in my opinion. If it is seasoned but weather soaked. It will re season pretty quick. Only tarp it when it is going to rain or snow on it. Otherwise let the sun and wind hit it. The freeze thaw cycles will even help dry it out.

 

[iCreek]

Let nature do it's thing ...

The problem... The wood is really wet. Any ideas to help it dry? How long should it take to dry out if I have to keep it covered? Am I screwed here?
Josh

First Welcome to the AS Forum, like ericjeeper said if its not raining try to not cover it, the wind and air will really dry it quick. I burn my wood in an outdoor stove, but wood on my pile seems to dry 3 - 4 days after the rain, when we have windy, sunny days. I think this could depend on many things, is it dry seasoned wood to begin with, or green wood with alot of bark? Either way your really not screwed, just might have to apply some patience, which is not helping you with your immediate need I am sure.

 

[billyjoejr]

I had a chord wet wood to deal with this year.

Not Green, just wet. The outer layer of some of the wood really soaked up the rain and the PNW Sun isn't up to the job of drying it out.

What worked for me is setting the wood around the stove to dry out. In one evening I can dry out several more days worth of wood.

So my routine this winter was to fill an old fridge on the back porch with wood.
Bring in an arm load or two to place around the stove to dry out.
Once dry I stack them in a big canvas bag, ready to feed the stove.

 

[Vibes]

I have an old set of those cheap metal shelves near my stove that I stack wet wood on. It depends how wet and how good the wood is till it is dry. Punky stuff takes longer. Hard wood takes a few days. The sheves hold about 4 days worth of burning. With good planning you can stretch the wood pile out. Especially late in the year when your getting down to the nitty gritty.

 

[enjoys cutting]

if your wood is green get it where it can dry under a tarp just on top to keep rain off but let wind throught.if you have access to any dead standing wood you can get some dry wood now.

 

[MRCONRAN]

2 tons?

I have never heard of anyone selling wood by the ton. Most sell it by volume such as a cord or rick. Here wood is always sold by the cord but a cord up here is 1/3 of a full cord. Also know here as a face cord- 16"x4'x8'

 

[Zodiac45]

To answer your question, if it's green wood, you're pootched for this year.

If it's just wet from rain but seasoned as the others have said, let the wind get too it, then get it in the garage, barn whatever.

The last time I ran out ( maybe 10 years ago) and had to get into the next years wood, I had to bake it inside the oven of my old Glenwood C cookstove, before burning it Worked but a pain and had too be sure it didn't get too hot. Since then I'm always 2-3 years out.

Hope you make out ok but this time of year is tough too get seasoned wood.

 

[Festus Haggen]

Splitting it as small as possible will also help somewhat. Like everybody said, if it's green, you're kinda done for.

And wet wood by the ton, did he have a "water added" sign on his truck? You probably got some real expensive water in that load.

Burning wet wood isn't efficient at all either. It will burn badly, and still not give off any heat. All of the heat produced goes to boil off the water in the wood, and goes up the chimney as steam, which also keeps your flue temp down low enough for creosote to form quickly.

I know how you feel, everyone has had troubles getting dry seasoned wood at some point. Start planning for next year now, try to get your wood stacked and seasoning as soon as you possibly can. Once you get a year's worth of dry seasoned wood, you will then really start to enjoy heating with wood.

 

[computeruser]

If I was selling wet or green wood, I'd want to sell it by the ton, too!

Like others said, depending on how wet it is and why it is still wet, your approach to dealing with it might vary. Generally, though, a couple days indoors will knock a fair bit of moisture out of wet wood. A few months indoors would be required to do the same to green wood, though.

You may wish to re-split some of it smaller, too, as that will hasten drying.

 

[Wood Scrounge]

I am down to my last seasoned cord but it is WET! not sure if I am going to be able to even use it this year.

 

[Joshlaugh]

Thanks for all the great advice. I followed up with the company because I didn't think the wood was all that he said it was. He told me he "seasoned" it for 1 year. I inquire again and find out that he cut it a year ago BUT split it last week. Come on! I consider that green. So I am back to square one.

I do have about 1 1/2 cord drying for next year plus now these 2 tons of wet wood. Luckily I recently was given access to 3 golf courses, so I can removed as much wood as I want. I will be heading out there on Saturday.

Thanks again

Josh, who will stick to cutting his own and NOT try buying again(hopefully)

 

[logbutcher]

Good advice.
Try this also:
Mix that "ton" green wood--it's green whatever the seller said--with fast burning wood like pallets. Pallets are usually well-dried, over dried, oak. Don't use too much of that green stuff however, it's a waste to try burning as is.
Look for woods like ash, that can be burnt green almost from the stump. There's plenty your way, and with the ash borer it looks bad for the species.
If it were me, I'd tell that seller to take it back...now. No one sells wood "by the ton."

 

[kallaste]

Josh.
I live in licking county Ohio also. Im in Pataskala. Real bummer about your wet wood! If your stove is anything like my wood furnace it will burn anything including day old standing timber.Get a good fire burning with dry wood, then load it up with your non seasoned wood and pour the air to it. Its not the best thing to be doing but if your heating totally with wood (as I am) you have to burn what you have. Just remember that your liner will creasote much quicker with unseasoned wood and you will have to clean your chimney much sooner