Oak Firewood Ready for Next Year

chris2879 · Mar 21, 2015

I am not sure what to do. I called a guy today that will deliver log length oak for 100/cord this week. The only problem is, i don't have enough room to keep more than a years worth of wood. So up to this point, i mainly burn maple, which has been perfectly fine splitting in the spring and burning the following winter.

If i try to do that with oak, will i be asking for trouble? I know the rule is oak takes 2 years, and most everything else you are fine with 1 year of seasoning time. What is everyone's thoughts?

Roundgunner · Mar 21, 2015

I have burned 1 year old oak but it didn't work out to well.

Woody Stover · Mar 21, 2015

Here, it's 2 yrs for dead Oak, 3 for live-cut. And that's if I split medium-small. You only have about half a year, and probably live wood...no way.

brad wilton · Mar 21, 2015

try and fit it in some where it's worth it for the price.i have same problem as you lack of space but you'll figure something out driveway maybe

Applesister · Mar 21, 2015

Get it and split it and get the maple too. Split twice as much. Bite the bullet.
Best heating wood there is.
But dont burn it before its ready. Burn the maple.

porkchopexpress · Mar 21, 2015

I'll bet you can come up with another 128cuft of space for more wood if you try ;-)

30cal · Mar 21, 2015

Build a shed, who cares if it's dry? Dry it in the shed, gawdammit..

claydogg84 · Mar 21, 2015

My Oslo basically laughed at me when I tried to burn 18 month split/stacked Oak. It simply would not keep a flame. If you don't have the room, I say skip the Oak and stick with what has worked.

chris2879 · Mar 22, 2015

That's pretty much what i thought. Thanks.

Fred Wright · Mar 22, 2015

That's the gotcha with oak. Like the folks said, it won't be seasoned well enough to burn after a year stacked.

When ya think about it, a cord of stacked wood doesn't take up much room. Maybe you could make two or more smaller stacks, spread around?

kennyp2339 · Mar 22, 2015

you would be surprised how much wood you can fit with creative stacking in a yard with limited space, I say go for it, make your stacks nice and neat and it will be part of the yard décor.. heeps of wood look sloppy, a nice stack looks like your ready for anything.

MrWhoopee · Mar 22, 2015

A 40" x 48" pallet stacked 5' high will hold half a cord. Surely you can find an extra 80" x 48" space. Then wrap it in pallet shrink wrap to accelerate the drying.

claydogg84 · Mar 22, 2015

MrWhoopee said:
A 40" x 48" pallet stacked 5' high will hold half a cord. Surely you can find an extra 80" x 48" space. Then wrap it in pallet shrink wrap to accelerate the drying.

I don't know of anyone that would deliver just 1 cord of logs. It's most likely an entire log truck, load which equates to around 8 cord.

ryooper · Mar 23, 2015

claydogg84 said:
I don't know of anyone that would deliver just 1 cord of logs. It's most likely an entire log truck, load which equates to around 8 cord.

8 cord on a log truck, I can get about 20 on mine, different states different weights though.

BoiledOver · Mar 23, 2015

See this thread about log trucks in different areas.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/truck-load-of-logs.134546/#post-1808493

HybridFyre · Mar 23, 2015

MrWhoopee said:
A 40" x 48" pallet stacked 5' high will hold half a cord. Surely you can find an extra 80" x 48" space. Then wrap it in pallet shrink wrap to accelerate the drying.

Shrink wrap? Wouldn't this cause too much close condensation and sweat and actually slow the drying process?

MrWhoopee · Mar 23, 2015

HybridFyre said:
Shrink wrap? Wouldn't this cause too much close condensation and sweat and actually slow the drying process?

I haven't tried it myself, but from what I've been reading in other threads, the shrink wrap raises the temp during the day, then the moisture condenses on the plastic and runs out the bottom at night. The pallet should probably even be covered with plastic with weep holes poked in it. Hillbilly solar kiln.

Poindexter · Mar 23, 2015

HybridFyre said:
Shrink wrap? Wouldn't this cause too much close condensation and sweat and actually slow the drying process?

if you leave it open at the top you'll have a green house with a chimney. Iv seen some up here with a almost pyramidal roof on them made of cordwood splits, then wrapped, with just a four inch chimney hole at the top. If I had something with forks on it I would be sorely tempted to give it a whirl.

Smoke Signals · Mar 23, 2015

Do you have a friend or family member close by that would let you stack wood on there property? It's a pain to move it bu may be worth it.

Paulywalnut · Mar 25, 2015

I have two big cords of red oak which will be 4 years split and stacked next year. We'll see how it does. I tried some this year and wasn't impressed with the burn quality.

BradleyW · Mar 25, 2015

Personally I don't think oak is worth the trouble. But I know many who disagree, and they probably know a lot more than I do.

Smoke Signals · Mar 25, 2015

BradleyW said:
Personally I don't think oak is worth the trouble. But I know many who disagree, and they probably know a lot more than I do.

If you don't have the space and time to let it dry this may be true but if you do then oak is great!

BrotherBart · Mar 25, 2015

I just don't know how to burn anything but oak. Having paid a mortgage on five and a half acres that consists of 4.5 acres of oak trees. Burned off of it for 30 years and ya can't tell a tree is missing.

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