Wood Rounds vs Split Wood

Jay106n said:

I ordered three cords of wood in the round. Should I expect this to equate to three cords once I split it or is there a +/- for airspace?

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If it's advertised as 3 cords, then you should get 3 when its split and stacked - But keep in mind this is a business where most people estimate.

i would think once split and stacked - with the additional spaces - you would expect 10-20% more depending on how tightly you stack. But they might have already accounted for that when they delivery the rounds.....

Like Auzzie, I'd expect it to stack out to a bit more when split. I'd also expect it to be wet. If you need it for next year, stack the Oak separate...no way it will get dry. Soft Maple or some other faster-drying types might not be too bad...

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/cross-sectional-area-experiment.136945/

BTDT

Jay106n said:

ote: How long do you guys let your wood season after it is split? I'm new to this, but i figured split in the spring would be good to go in the fall/winter?

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That will depend on how soon you c,s,s it and how you stack it and store it, geographical location, elevation, sun, wind etc. What ever you do, once its on your property split it asap and get it off the ground. It wont dry worth a darn in round form. A very big factor will be what kind of wood you are dealing with (sorry if I missed that). Pine, and most other coniferous will be ready in the winter if c,s,s properly in the spring, just dont split to big. Oaks and denser woods will take longer, arguably up to 3 years. There are other wood species that will potentially be ready as well but I will leave comment to those who have dealt with them. Good luck, the fun is in the learning!

Jay106n said:

I still have about a foot of snow on the ground, I am waiting until the snow melts so I can move my currents green stacks to the other side of the property by wheel barrel for splitting and seasoning. It is currently stacked in rounds under shelter, just because it was the best way to get it off my lawn before killing the grass.

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Yeah its hard to do much until the snow is gone. When I process wood during snow months I have a spot on my patio that I can store it split and stacked and top covered until the weather gives me a chance to find a better location.

Jay106n said:

I ordered three cords of wood in the round. Should I expect this to equate to three cords once I split it or is there a +/- for airspace?

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Yes, but your chances of receiving 3 cord (by any reckoning) are slim.

Jay106n said:

How long do you guys let your wood season after it is split? I'm new to this, but i figured split in the spring would be good to go in the fall/winter?

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Only if it's a very fast drying wood, primarily softwoods. In general, expect hardwoods to take more than 18 months (two summers) to be dry enough to burn in an EPA stove. Most try to target 3 years, which is driven by some of the slow-drying hardwoods (eg. oak and locust).

Jay106n said:

So basically, the stuff I split now should be for two winters from now and I should buy seasoned split for this coming winter.

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Yep, you got it. Be forewarned about buying "seasoned wood" most of it is cut, split and stacked within a couple of months, and sometimes a matter of days, before being sold and, therefore, is in no way seasoned.

Chances are you are going to answer someone's add for seasoned wood; tell the seller that you require the wood to be not more than 20% moisture content and that you will re-split up to 5 pieces chosen at random from his load. If they don't average less than 20% moisture content you will not accept the load. If he agrees to the deal, pat yourself on the back because you've found a reputable firewood dealer. If he says no, you probably don't want to do business with him.

Most folks that sell firewood don't do it full time, year round so they lack both the time and storage space needed to properly season wood.

Good luck!

Im fortunate I dont have to buy wood but there are many in my area who sell it. I see adds all the time for dry, seasoned wood. Theres this one that I drive by that has split larch heaped in a field uncovered. I shake my head when I see it covered in snow, getting rained on. There are many threads on hearth about people complaining about getting duped from wood sellers. Buy it now and assume its not going to be dry. As others have said figure out what kind of wood it is before taking the plunge. Its good you have a moisture meter. It can be a fun tool.

Jay106n said:

So basically, the stuff I split now should be for two winters from now and I should buy seasoned split for this coming winter.

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Yes, except seasoned wood for sale is a unicorn, a myth, something we've all heard of but none of us have seen.

Ralphie Boy said:

tell the seller that you require the wood to be not more than 20% moisture content and that you will re-split up to 5 pieces chosen at random from his load. If they don't average less than 20% moisture content you will not accept the load. If he agrees to the deal, pat yourself on the back because you've found a reputable firewood dealer. If he says no, you probably don't want to do business with him.
Good luck!

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I think you would lose him at " require the wood be not more than 20% moisture content". But it would be an interesting conversation none the less.

Jay106n said:

I bought some this winter in February that was 15% on my moisture meter.

But yeah I get it, most dealers dont actually sell seasoned wood. But my point is it should be dryer than the green stuff I am splitting now.

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Don't count on it.

Most of the snow is gone where I am in Conn., Jay106n you must be in a colder part of the state. I've got 8 month old wood that needs to be split, nice to be able to get to it now. Unfortunately I had to burn some recently - far from ideal but it was adequate. Even putting some pieces near the stove (only when I'm home) seems to help dry it out.
Lately many ads I've seen for firewood include the word 'wanted'.

I live across the road from a firewood dealer. I have my own wood so I do not buy anything from him. I think the definition of 'seasoned' is that it has been cut and set out in his yard for a season. Technically, that would be 3 months. I guess 'well seasoned' is 2 seasons or more.
And all the used cars I buy have only been driven by little old ladies to church on Sundays.

I can only wish I had access to so much wood. As stated here, when wood is defined as 'seasoned' it doesn't necessarily mean ready to burn. I also have used vehicles, a 12 year old SUV and a 13 year old truck. The truck has been useful for woodstove purposes, such as transporting the stove home and many trips to/from my neighbor's yard to bring the trees cut down last June. Fortunately he has no interest in burning wood.

Jay106n said:

So basically, the stuff I split now should be for two winters from now and I should buy seasoned split for this coming winter.

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Depends. If you get at it, now, split fairly small, 4 or 5 inches, have a windy place to stack it loosely in single rows in full sun, most stuff will dry well enough to burn by fall. Lighter woods will definitely be ready. It will all be wonderful by the winter after that, though.

Folks here are fond of saying oak needs three years, but I assume they mean white oak, with which I have no experience. Red oak I do have, and it takes no longer than any other of the similar hardwoods like rock maple.

If you have to stack close together in a shady, humid spot where the wind doesn't penetrate much, yeah, you'll need 2 to 3 years for just about anything.

And in most of the country, "seasoned" to a firewood seller means they cut the tree down in the spring, then haul it out of the woods sometime over the summer and cut/split it to order in the fall. It's only marginally dryer than green and not worth the premium they usually ask for it. The majority of woodburners in this country are either burning in fireplaces or old pre-epa "smoke dragons" that can burn very green wood, so the sellers aren't cheating anybody, they're just supplying their market with what it wants using the time-honored definition.

You might take the time to look around on the Internet for an operation that sells kiln-dried firewood. It's more expensive, but usually dried to between 15 and 25. There's a slowly growing number of them in my state, responding no doubt to the slowly growing number of EPA stove owners.