Out of wood

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Looking at the longterm forecast, shoulder season should start this weekend. I have 8 bags of pellets saved for that.
 
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Down to my last stack of seasoned wood 4ftX7ft by 4ft high. I do have some oak that was cut and split last febuary if I really had to but I think we will make it.
 
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I am years ahead (30-40 cords stacked), so no problem getting into next years wood which I did. My wife thinks I am nuts, but had a slow winter at work and don't mind the cold weather so much. I had a major oak scrounge last summer and cut a lot of box elder and elm last fall thru December and a lot of splitting Jan-March - even sold a couple loads for some $$. I have a lot of dead elm and all the box elder I would ever want in our woods. Always some decent dead or fast drying wood to find while waiting for the oak to season.
 
I’ve barely had a fire for the past couple weeks, but now that the lows are back in the 20’s I’m starting a fire every 2 days to keep the stove warm and mixing it with the heat pump. I’ve got about 3 more burns of “this years” wood. I’ve got plenty of dried wood in my holz hausen, but I never figured I need it this year so it’s all at the bottom of the stack. Lesson learned: don’t cover up your fully seasoned wood with green wood unless you are SURE you won’t need access to it! At least everything on top is Ash, I don’t feel so bad if I burn some of that and it’s not completely seasoned.
 
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I am years ahead (30-40 cords stacked), so no problem getting into next years wood which I did. My wife thinks I am nuts, but had a slow winter at work and don't mind the cold weather so much. I had a major oak scrounge last summer and cut a lot of box elder and elm last fall thru December and a lot of splitting Jan-March - even sold a couple loads for some $$. I have a lot of dead elm and all the box elder I would ever want in our woods. Always some decent dead or fast drying wood to find while waiting for the oak to season.

HEY! This is supposed to be a thread where we are all commiserating about being out of wood. Not a "I have sooooo much wood I even sold some to unprepared fools like you all" thread!! Kidding.....

But good on ya for having that much on hand. I am down to the nitty gritty and am keeping my sweaters handy. But as of a month ago had 10 cords brought in. So hopefully I'm not bummed out in march and april any more. With what is already on hand for next year and that I should be able to process and keep ahead of it now. It's like they say. When you think you have enough, better double it!
 
I burn 10-12 thru 5-30 of every year. 5 cords. In the last 3-4yrs.
Im right on schedule. Have 1 cord left of seasoned for this current year. facecord red oak, facecord poplar and 1/2 face of black cherry 1/2 face of Green ash.
I did cut into a facecord of oak designated for next year. A deadfall. More oak for the overnights than usual.
My spring burning seems longer than what everyone is saying. Thats where the poplar comes in though.
I like to stack my wood in facecord or cord increments so I can keep track.
 
3 cord still in the shed and 2 stacked just out side. Plenty left. Use more coal this time of year as it's easier to regulate. Got about 30 cord of misc. log/rounds hauled in the last few weeks for the next decade of wood burning. 1/2 mile from the house and they loaded my dump truck. Easypeasy !
 
Do you really like that paneling in the den?;lol
 
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I still don't get the this years and next years wood thing. I just have seasoned and unseasoned, I'll burn til the weather warms and then work on refilling the wood racks that are empty. I understand you have to plan ahead and make sure your wood is seasoned for future years but there's plenty of wood that seasons in one year if need be. Unless there's some type of wood shortage where some of you live.
I think people set aside additional wood that they feel won't be necessary to burn in the current or up
Coming season, when they get caught like this year, being on a three year plan makes it less likely to run into that type of a situation, so you are probably in quite better shape then all dipping into next years wood stash....
 
I think people set aside additional wood that they feel won't be necessary to burn in the current or up
Coming season, when they get caught like this year, being on a three year plan makes it less likely to run into that type of a situation, so you are probably in quite better shape then all dipping into next years wood stash....
I understand that but if you have seasoned wood why not burn it? Just replace it, there's no way of knowing exactly how much you'll burn any given year. I can fit 13 cords in my stacking area, so probably 3 years worth give or take. I just keep burning until it warms up then refill as soon as possible to give the wood plenty of time to season. If I know I won't have much seasoned wood for the upcoming year because I have too much oak and/or hickory I'll get ash and maple since I know that seasons quick.
 
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I am not out of wood and didn't post here to gloat, just to point out that I think I am within a face cord or less of the end of burning season. It is supposed to get warm here this weekend, and with April around the corner I will be burning only occasionally. My point is that you guys who are out of wood won't be missing much more of the wood burning season, at least not here in the northeast.
 
I decided the power company could KMA, and I got a small load of wood from my neighbor. 35%MC, but far better than what I had. Burns just fine. :)
 
I decided the power company could KMA, and I got a small load of wood from my neighbor. 35%MC, but far better than what I had. Burns just fine. :)
haha,,,they are gonna be all over you!;lol
 
I was thinking the other day, I could probably split my splitting round if it never warms up.
That's a slippery slope, too. Next, it's the furniture.

My sympathy to all you in the central and eastern parts of the country. It just doesn't seem to quit. Here in the west it's been just the opposite, unseasonably warm and dry almost all winter. January might as well have been spring. It's raining now, but we're never going to catch up. The drought and wild-fire season are going to be really scary. Whatever happened to "normal"?
 
That's a slippery slope, too.
yes, and the wife has 5 pairs of those shoe stretchers made of solid maple, bet those would burn good.
 
Look around, I bet you could find some old wooden salad bowls that are never used...;)


i have a few old unused cutting boards also waiting to be split.
 
I am into next years wood but my heater decided to start dying a slow death right after I got 200 gallons of fuel last January, $760 worth, now it's time for a new system. So I am burning fuel and trying to make sure I keep enough for the hot water while nursing my furnace. I would rather burn up as much fuel as I can then give it away especially since I went through so much firewood this season. If everything goes well I will be converted to gas by mid May. After talking to people around here about the cost of heating with gas this past winter and being almost 4 years ahead I may be able to take my foot off the throttle scrounging. The highest gas bill I heard of was for $150 in January. Even heating partially with wood if I can keep things around $100 a month during the winter I may just crank the thermostat up and relax a little.
 
I`ve gone through 6 cords of wood by the end of February. With températures around -14F this morning, I am well into next year`s stash. It was really cold this year compared to last year, and the wood stove just couldn`t keep up. My house is a sieve. And I won`t get up at 01:00am to feed the stove, so the electric forced air furnace kicks in during the night. My electrical consumption has gone up this year compared to last year, but I was ready for that, given the exceptionally cold weather. Last year was my first year burning with the stove, and I saved $900 in heating costs. So this year to date, the savings are still $600, so I`m still ahead.
Now, if winter could just stop and have temps in the 30`s, I`d be really happy.

Update: I`ve done the math, and it has cost me $181 more in heating this year, vs last year. That plus a couple more heating lamps in the barn for the animals.
 
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I understand that but if you have seasoned wood why not burn it? Just replace it, there's no way of knowing exactly how much you'll burn any given year. I can fit 13 cords in my stacking area, so probably 3 years worth give or take. I just keep burning until it warms up then refill as soon as possible to give the wood plenty of time to season. If I know I won't have much seasoned wood for the upcoming year because I have too much oak and/or hickory I'll get ash and maple since I know that seasons quick.

Well, I agree with burning the wood that you have, not getting hung up in is it this year's wood or next year's? But after the wood is split and stacked, I try to figure out how much I have. I try to allow 5 cords per winter, which is usually more than I burn (although maybe not this year!). So if I have 20 cords, I say that I'm 4 years ahead. If I say that I'm dipping into next year's wood, all it means is that I'm using more than that 5 cords I set aside for this winter. I'll keep burning until it warms up also, and I'll burn all 20 cords before I pay the propane guy!
 
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I feel the pain of being out of wood. i thought i was getting close to 2 years ahead.... not so much anymore. i'm lucky enough to have a few cords left on the stack. I did have to make a delivery of a weeks worth of wood to a good friend of mine yesterday though, he had resorted to burning sticks from the yard. i felt terrible seeing his wood stack of pieces of bark, sticks, a broken up pallet, small cut offs, some brush... i had to help.
 
For those out or nearly out of wood - find some free pallets - good for taking the chill out of the house during shoulder season (just take it easy on the amount you put in the stove - burns real hot).

Looks like this will be the first year that every bit of the 5 cord I put in the barn will be gone - one row left which is about 10' tall by 6' wide. That should get me through till mid-April if the temps stay cold, but if it finally warms up, might be fine for the year when I can fill the stove less often and with less wood. If not, out to the stacks - pallet of dry pine that was set aside for next fall - but be my end of season wood this year. Cheers!
 
For those out or nearly out of wood - find some free pallets - good for taking the chill out of the house during shoulder season (just take it easy on the amount you put in the stove - burns real hot

The previous owners of my house took your advice! When I went to look into why the ashpan wouldn't close all the way, I found about 4" of compacted nails crammed into the very back!! The firebox and ashpan is probably 30" deep, so it took a long time and some frustration to get all of those suckers out!
 
Well, I agree with burning the wood that you have, not getting hung up in is it this year's wood or next year's? But after the wood is split and stacked, I try to figure out how much I have. I try to allow 5 cords per winter, which is usually more than I burn (although maybe not this year!). So if I have 20 cords, I say that I'm 4 years ahead. If I say that I'm dipping into next year's wood, all it means is that I'm using more than that 5 cords I set aside for this winter. I'll keep burning until it warms up also, and I'll burn all 20 cords before I pay the propane guy!


there's alot of folks, like me, on here who are supplemental burners for whatever reasons. One of those reasons is that I don't have room on my .54 acre lot of keep 5 cords. Another is that I'm away at work 9 hrs/day and the wife doesn't want to handle splits, but that's another post. I have room for 2 cords max. That's why next year I'm gonna get 1 pallet of NIEL's for the wife to use during the day.
 
The previous owners of my house took your advice! When I went to look into why the ashpan wouldn't close all the way, I found about 4" of compacted nails crammed into the very back!! The firebox and ashpan is probably 30" deep, so it took a long time and some frustration to get all of those suckers out!
Ouch - definitely need to be careful - sounds like they were not! Cheers!
 
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