How Much Will OAK Season in a Year???

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BurnIt13

BurnIt13

Minister of Fire
Jun 10, 2010
636
Central MA
Hello all! I have three cords of red and white oak that was split about 9 months ago. The moisture readings are in the high 20's on smaller pieces and low 30's for bigger pieces when split in the middle.

It is stacked in two parallel single rows about 4ft high with about a foot or so between the rows. It gets plenty of sun until around August and is then shaded until the leaves fall off. It gets average airflow.

I'm hoping to burn this stuff for next winter. Think it will be ready?

I know alot of you season your wood for 17 years to make sure it is below 3%, but I'd like mine at or below 20. What do you think???? Will it be ready???

Thanks!
 
Short answer is yes but YRMV and are you sure you can get Oak to 3% in just 17 years?
 
I'll assume that you are measuring fresh splits. There's a pretty good chance that you'll be down to around 20% or so in another year especially on the smaller splits. Even in the lower 20s you should be okay for burning next year. Further splitting of the larger pieces will probably help. I'm a firm believer in NOT covering wood until shortly before you're going to need it. Some folks agree with that, some don't.
 
I think it will be pretty good by next year. I am not sure I'd re-stack wood that didn't fall over, but whenever I do have to restack I find lots of loose bark, accumulated leaves, etc. that seem to hold moisture in the wood and restrict air flow, and restacking helps to move some of the splits that are a spot where they aren't drying fast to better spots. If you really want to dry the wood you might restack it and remove any debris or loose bark you find.
 
Wood Duck said:
I think it will be pretty good by next year. I am not sure I'd re-stack wood that didn't fall over, but whenever I do have to restack I find lots of loose bark, accumulated leaves, etc. that seem to hold moisture in the wood and restrict air flow, and restacking helps to move some of the splits that are a spot where they aren't drying fast to better spots. If you really want to dry the wood you might restack it and remove any debris or loose bark you find.
Click to expand...

Or build a wood shed and put it in there :) One year stacked in rows out in the open......then one year stacked in a wood shed :)

Only thing I can think that I don't like about that is that I will be unstacking and stacking alot of wood.
 
Make sure you get the bark off - especially the red - and you'll be golden
 
I split some last spring and my readings were about where yours are, another full season in the sun and wind and you'll be ok, should be down to 20%.
 
ISeeDeadBTUs said:
Make sure you get the bark off - especially the red - and you'll be golden
Click to expand...

That begs the question... Is it worth the extra trouble and labor to strip the bark off a tree in order to expedite the drying process?

I don't know... just asking. I've never bothered to do it myself.
 
Kenster said:
ISeeDeadBTUs said:
Make sure you get the bark off - especially the red - and you'll be golden
Click to expand...

That begs the question... Is it worth the extra trouble and labor to strip the bark off a tree in order to expedite the drying process?

I don't know... just asking. I've never bothered to do it myself.
Click to expand...
Nope IMHO.
 
Just walk away. You will be fine for next season. I will put no effort into removing bark. If it falls off, fine. If it is stuck on, I burn it.
 
You may want to reduce the size of the largest splits to make sure you will be good for next season. In the mean time look for ash, locust, cherry, and maple. They don't take two yrs like oak.
I once had oak that took 3 yrs to dry, but it was shaded, double stacked and live when cut.
 
gzecc said:
.
I once had oak that took 3 yrs to dry, but it was shaded, double stacked and live when cut.
Click to expand...
Could yo :p u have found a hole to throw it into?
 
Ummm . . . so you thought I meant unstack a stack, chip the bark off, then restack???

Yikes!!

Drag the logs out on frozen ground . . . that's the prefered method for de-barking.
 
oldspark said:
gzecc said:
.
I once had oak that took 3 yrs to dry, but it was shaded, double stacked and live when cut.
Click to expand...
Could yo :p u have found a hole to throw it into?
Click to expand...
No, but I could have stored it in my swimming pool.
 
BurnIt13 said:
I know alot of you season your wood for 17 years to make sure it is below 3%, but I'd like mine at or below 20. What do you think???? Will it be ready???

Thanks!
Click to expand...

That's awesome.
 
BurnIt13 said:
Hello all! I have three cords of red and white oak that was split about 9 months ago. The moisture readings are in the high 20's on smaller pieces and low 30's for bigger pieces when split in the middle.

It is stacked in two parallel single rows about 4ft high with about a foot or so between the rows. It gets plenty of sun until around August and is then shaded until the leaves fall off. It gets average airflow.

I'm hoping to burn this stuff for next winter. Think it will be ready?

I know alot of you season your wood for 17 years to make sure it is below 3%, but I'd like mine at or below 20. What do you think???? Will it be ready???

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Don't worry about the sun. Wind is more important.

Would you mind telling us who seasons their wood for 17 years?
 
Jags said:
Just walk away. You will be fine for next season. I will put no effort into removing bark. If it falls off, fine. If it is stuck on, I burn it.
Click to expand...
+1
You're good to go! Don't over think it.
 
2 years should be good especially the smaller splits & the white oak.
Do a test burn next fall, if it sizzles, wait one more year.
Red oak in your climate, may take the extra year to be really good wood.
 
I seem to be in the minority on this board. I am burning oak, white and red (and some chestnut) that has been CSS for about 15 months and it is burning fine. About 3 pieces of wood have transiently left a brown mark on my glass at the beginning of the fire and they were big nasty knots that were split very big.

I would not fixate on what a moisture meter says. Wood with a 22 or 25% MC may run very well in your stove. I intend to report the difference in 2 year CSS oaks next year compared to the first year.
 
MarkinNC said:
I seem to be in the minority on this board. I am burning oak, white and red (and some chestnut) that has been CSS for about 15 months and it is burning fine. About 3 pieces of wood have transiently left a brown mark on my glass at the beginning of the fire and they were big nasty knots that were split very big.

I would not fixate on what a moisture meter says. Wood with a 22 or 25% MC may run very well in your stove. I intend to report the difference in 2 year CSS oaks next year compared to the first year.
Click to expand...

I think you are in the minority, as am I.

To the OP, I think it will burn fine. It will burn better the following season. Only you know if you have the storage space, time, etc to wait another season.

Many people just don't have the space to get more than a year or 2 ahead on their wood.
 
What tool are you using for the moisture reading?
 
JByrd said:
What tool are you using for the moisture reading?
Click to expand...
Lowe's has a moisture meter for about $30. Harbor Freight has one for less, I think. Split the wood (or re-split a split) to reveal a fresh surface in the middle of the piece and test away.
It's come in handy for me when cutting (dead trees, mostly) in the last year. I could tell if the wood I was cutting was ready to go or had to sit a while. Once you are a few years ahead, you know all your wood is ready.
 
Backwoods Savage said:
Would you mind telling us who seasons their wood for 17 years?
Click to expand...

Denial is a dangerous thing :)

How big are the bigger pieces? If you are worried about it and need the wood in a year, I'd consider resplitting them. Worst case is you spend a few hours splitting and your Oak is too dry.
 
MarkinNC said:
I seem to be in the minority on this board. I am burning oak, white and red (and some chestnut) that has been CSS for about 15 months and it is burning fine. About 3 pieces of wood have transiently left a brown mark on my glass at the beginning of the fire and they were big nasty knots that were split very big.

I would not fixate on what a moisture meter says. Wood with a 22 or 25% MC may run very well in your stove. I intend to report the difference in 2 year CSS oaks next year compared to the first year.
Click to expand...

That's fine & dandy if you have no problem with the efficiency loss from all that water vapor going up the flue; I'd certainly not construe that as "very well." No fixation involved, but there is flexibility here for allowing all the time required to get it down to ~15% outdoors here. Further drop indoors.

Considering the time, effort and space invested in processing wood here, I take my sweet time waiting until it's ready. Got a big pile of red oak that probably won't even be tested for two years. They're my main processing project for this winter.

More options, less pressure.
 
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