Clean bill of health

wish I could say the same for my chimney and I've been doing this longer than you. Congrats!

Stegman thats great kinda makes you feel all funny inside. Great Job.

Stegman is almost to the pro level Congratulations.

Nothing like getting good news coming into the heating season. Congrats!

I just had my chimney cleaned last week. The sweep looked up the chimney with a mirror for a second and said "You better come take a look at this."

With visions of unlimited repair bills dancing in my head I came over and looked in to see... a perfectly clean chimney reflected in the mirror. "Ha! Just pulling your leg! I wish they were all like this.", the guy said... oblivious to my recovery from near-cardiac arrest.

"I have to say, I think some of the "season wood for two years outside" stuff is a bit of overkill unless you're talking oak. Seems like one year is plenty for most wood."

Oh no you did-ent.
Don't go gettin' all cocky and stuff.
All kidding aside, I think you're onto something there. I've only burned oak, maple, poplar (or aspen), and softwoods. Oak is the only one that needs at least 2 years to burn really well.
Here.....for me.

Stegman said:

At the risk of stirring up some controversy, last year I burned ash, cherry and maple that had only been seasoned about 6-8 months. It wasn't perfectly dry, but it wasn't green either.

I have to say, I think some of the "season wood for two years outside" stuff is a bit of overkill unless you're talking oak. Seems like one year is plenty for most wood.

Click to expand...

Sweet . . .

And truthfully . . . I agree . . . to a point. In most cases a year of the wood being cut, split and stacked outside for most species should be fine . . . but a large part depends on the climate of the area (humidity, sun, rain, etc.), how the wood is stacked (or not stacked), species (as you noted), etc.

I can say I have burned some wood that is a year-old and it burned fine . . . but when I've burned two-year old wood it burned even better.

Stegman said:

At the risk of stirring up some controversy, last year I burned ash, cherry and maple that had only been seasoned about 6-8 months. It wasn't perfectly dry, but it wasn't green either.

I have to say, I think some of the "season wood for two years outside" stuff is a bit of overkill unless you're talking oak. Seems like one year is plenty for most wood.

Click to expand...

But once you try it you won't want to go back. And on oak, we want 3 year minimum.

Good deal...makes you feel better about burning doesnt it. I got the same result and was a little worried with some of the Cherry I burned...but it must have been alright.