Barn wood?

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C

cricketfarmer

New Member
Jan 12, 2012
32
central illinois
Hello to all. I'm new to this forum and know absolutely nothing about wood stoves, which is precisely the reason I looked for a web site like this. I've decided to get a wood stove, but don't own one yet. I plan on installing one next summer and I'm sure I'll have lots of questions between now and then. My first questions concern my wood supply. From reading this forum I know well seasoned wood is a must. I'm in the process of remodeling my barn and I'll end up with a lot of wood from the hay lofts I'm removing. This wood ranges from 1" planks to 8" square posts and beams. I don't know what type of wood it is. What did they build barns with 100 years ago? What do you all think about burning this in a stove? Will it burn too hot and too quickly to be of any value, or should I simply have a spectacular bonfire? Since I'll be on the very front end of the learning curve, would I be better off finding some well seasoned firewood to learn what "normal" is before trying this barn wood? Thanks in advance for any advise.
Tom
 
Welcome to the forum. Youll find more information here that you EVER asked for!

I dont see any reason why not to burn it, but there is a serious market (here on the east coast any way) for barn wood, especially for large beams to use as mantles. Just my 2 cents which is worth maybe .3 of a cent.

Start collecting wood now, you wont regret it next winter!
 
+1 it will burn well. Great as kindling or mixed in with some less-dry wood. BUT, you might be able to sell it for much more than what it's worth as firewood. You just can't get old grown timbers & wide planks like that anymore.
Please don't throw it in a bonfire :ahhh:
You are very wise to be thinking about your wood supply now. Either buying wood now, or getting out ASAP to collect, split & stack enough for next season is the best thing you can do toward having a good, trouble-free burning season next year. Even better is to get set for the next 2 years (easy to say, not always easy to do). If you get a lot of Oak now, you should be aware that it's likely to be fairly wet still by next winter. Any other wood should be dry enough to burn well by then. Welcome & happy gathering!
 
Well it takes 1 to 3 years to season wood to be ready to burn well.
I think you have that covered :)
It will be great firewood,
Although a shame you can't find someone around that might buy the old barn wood.
Just another idea. May get enough for a new saw & a few loads of fire wood also.
You do what you got to do, but not a bon fire, it will probably be some of the best seasoned fire wood you'll ever burn :)
 
Remmy122 said:
Welcome to the forum. Youll find more information here that you EVER asked for!

I dont see any reason why not to burn it, but there is a serious market (here on the east coast any way) for barn wood, especially for large beams to use as mantles. Just my 2 cents which is worth maybe .3 of a cent.

Start collecting wood now, you wont regret it next winter!
Click to expand...
+1....Folks around here pay big $$$ for Barn Wood...I'd try selling some, and use that $$ to buy seasoned firewood
 
Welcome to the forum Tom. Couldn't agree more with the all the previous post. No matter what you decide to do with the barn wood , start collecting//hoarding firewood ASAP! :)
 
thomasmart said:
What did they build barns with 100 years ago? Tom
Click to expand...

That's going to vary pretty widely by area. I'm also in the midwest farm country and have spent a lot of time putting up hay, etc. in old barns. I've seen them made mostly from tulip poplar and oak.....or I should say oak beams/timbers and tulip siding, roofs, and lofts. Tulip is abundant around here and has a high level of resistance to insects.

I helped the farmer I used to work for take down and move one barn. We couldn't figure out what it was made of so we took a hand planer to one of the beams. Black walnut believe it or not. That barn had to be beautiful back in the day.

I would imagine that barn was probably made out of whatever was locally available at the time, so it could be nearly anything.
 
Thanks for all the advice. I really don't think anyone would want the planks as they are all cracked, split, or broken which is why I'm taking the lofts out in the first place. All the 2x6 and 2x8 joists have pretty good sags in them from supporting tons of hay for 100 years, so again I don't think anyone would want them. The larger posts and beams, on the other hand, may have some value. I'll have to think about that. The wood is not very heavy or dense, so I'm thinking it's not oak or any kind of hardwood unless 100 years of "seasoning" really lightens it up. My real concern is that this kind of wood may not be best to use when first learning how to operate a wood stove. I know I need seasoned wood which is why I'm collecting some now even before I get a stove. But from the reading I've done here, it looks like any wood I split and stack this spring and summer probably won't be good to burn next fall and winter as it won't be dry enough. So, should I plan on buying some firewood to start my education next fall?
 
only if you can get verifiably
seasoned wood. be sure to check it with a moisture meter-they're cheap. find one thru a search on this site.20 percent or less should be your target-although some may say 25. welcome to hearth.com. i've been here for several months and have learned an enormous amount of stuff about everything connected to wood burning. art
 
thomasmart said:
Thanks for all the advice. I really don't think anyone would want the planks as they are all cracked, split, or broken which is why I'm taking the lofts out in the first place. All the 2x6 and 2x8 joists have pretty good sags in them from supporting tons of hay for 100 years, so again I don't think anyone would want them. The larger posts and beams, on the other hand, may have some value. I'll have to think about that. The wood is not very heavy or dense, so I'm thinking it's not oak or any kind of hardwood unless 100 years of "seasoning" really lightens it up. My real concern is that this kind of wood may not be best to use when first learning how to operate a wood stove. I know I need seasoned wood which is why I'm collecting some now even before I get a stove. But from the reading I've done here, it looks like any wood I split and stack this spring and summer probably won't be good to burn next fall and winter as it won't be dry enough. So, should I plan on buying some firewood to start my education next fall?
Click to expand...

Sounds like it could be tulip then based on light feel. Tulip is a hardwood, but one of the softer ones.
 
thomasmart said:
Thanks for all the advice. I really don't think anyone would want the planks as they are all cracked, split, or broken which is why I'm taking the lofts out in the first place. All the 2x6 and 2x8 joists have pretty good sags in them from supporting tons of hay for 100 years, so again I don't think anyone would want them. The larger posts and beams, on the other hand, may have some value. I'll have to think about that.
Click to expand...

I'd disagree with this... can't hurt to throw it out there and see. I've been amazed at what woodworkers can do with stuff I thought was junk.
 
If the wood isn't useful for any more valuable use, I'd definitely save it for burning. It may burn hotter than typical forewood because it is cut relatively thinly and is veyr dry, but it should be easy to light and should give a hot fire. You will appreciate those qualities once your wood stove is installed, especially your first year. Get your firewood now and stack it somewhere the wind will hit it. I think firewood sellers may offer cheaper firewood toward the end of winter or in the spring, so maybe that is a time to buy. Don't wait until fall to buy or cut firewood. It isn't too late for you to have pretty well seasoned firewood for the fall/winter.
 
lukem said:
thomasmart said:
What did they build barns with 100 years ago? Tom
Click to expand...

That's going to vary pretty widely by area. I'm also in the midwest farm country and have spent a lot of time putting up hay, etc. in old barns. I've seen them made mostly from tulip poplar and oak.....or I should say oak beams/timbers and tulip siding, roofs, and lofts. Tulip is abundant around here and has a high level of resistance to insects.

I helped the farmer I used to work for take down and move one barn. We couldn't figure out what it was made of so we took a hand planer to one of the beams. Black walnut believe it or not. That barn had to be beautiful back in the day.

I would imagine that barn was probably made out of whatever was locally available at the time, so it could be nearly anything.
Click to expand...

Back in around '89 or so I answered local ad for some native Black Walnut barn timbers about 20 miles south.Dating to roughly 1890's,some of what I bought was 8 x 8 x 13 with mortise & tenon joints & drawbored oak pegs. Also a few 4 x 6 anywhere from 5 to 14 feet long.All old-growth,the 8 x8's were hand-hewn with broad axe & adz & the 4 x 6 were milled with bandsaw (you could see faint saw marks on the sides.Barely 30 yrs after bandsaw mills were invented.Still have maybe 25% of that stash,its got some of the best purplish chocolate hue I've ever seen.I've also been in the right place at the right time & grabbed some old hard maple & red/white oak timbers as well.They used pretty much what grew on their farm & woodlands at the time.

A few yrs later also bought cheaply & scrounged a dozen or so old-growth Doug Fir 4 x 6 & 6 x 6 beams from 2 separate sources.Beautiful orange-reddish-yellowish tight vertical grain with no knots.You wont find wood like that today at Home Cheapo.
 
thomasmart said:
Hello to all. I'm new to this forum and know absolutely nothing about wood stoves, which is precisely the reason I looked for a web site like this. I've decided to get a wood stove, but don't own one yet. I plan on installing one next summer and I'm sure I'll have lots of questions between now and then. My first questions concern my wood supply. From reading this forum I know well seasoned wood is a must. I'm in the process of remodeling my barn and I'll end up with a lot of wood from the hay lofts I'm removing. This wood ranges from 1" planks to 8" square posts and beams. I don't know what type of wood it is. What did they build barns with 100 years ago? What do you all think about burning this in a stove? Will it burn too hot and too quickly to be of any value, or should I simply have a spectacular bonfire? Since I'll be on the very front end of the learning curve, would I be better off finding some well seasoned firewood to learn what "normal" is before trying this barn wood? Thanks in advance for any advise.
Tom
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum Thomas.

I think perhaps many are thinking of the siding on the barn when they speak of barnwood. Yes, that certainly has some value and maybe the beams but that is somewhat doubtful too. As for what wood it is, 100 years or more ago many barns were built and most were built with the wood they had on the land at the time. So I suggest looking closely at what type of trees are abundant there and perhaps that is what the wood was cut from. Surprisingly you may find that many of the boards and even the joists were made of cottonwood. We've found many that were made of popple and, of course, several that were made from pine.

If I were doing it, I'd just sort the wood and anything you think might be valuable, give it a try to see if anyone offers anything for it. Another thing is, I would not burn that wood by itself but instead, mix it with your other wood that hopefully you are cutting right now. Good luck to you.
 
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