Wyld Bill said:
WOW! thanks so much for all the info.
You definently threw me for a curve with how long you season your wood. I grew up burning wood & around people that all burned wood & I never heard of anyone seasoning wood for more than two years. In fact if someone had wood that had been sitting for more than 5 years I considered it junk not worth trying to burn.
Most of the guys around here are really good. It is not popple or anything like that. Usually mostly ash, oak, some maple, a little birch mixed in. I hear what you are saying though. How do you know what you are getting really,...is it a true cord, what is it, how long has it been sitting split? etc... So trees that were dropped this Winter, cut up & split this late Winter/Spring,..you don't think will be seasoned to burn this Winter if I buy now & stack outside with a tarp over it?
I guess I'll call around some more & ask lots of questions.
Thanks & God Bless
There is a national hotline if you end up with some junk 5-year old wood and need it removed...it's 1-800-CALL-ED.
Oak will not be ready to burn by this winter. Ash would be the better choice being as it's drying time is much shorter and gives the btu's similar to oak. Any oak that you get you probably should stack it off to the side for the following or most likely the 3rd winter. Many people try to get "several years ahead" on their wood supply. If you how room and $$ now would be the time to start stocking up for the seasons to come.
Do not put a tarp on the wood unless it is on the *very* top of the stack. Tarping a stack of wood will trap moisture, preventing it from evaporating. Wind is the major drying factor for wood. Old scrap tin roofing is often recommended being as it's rigid and pieces of wood, rocks, or even rope can be used to hold it down. Be sure and stack off the ground...stack on pallets, 2x4's placed on top of cement blocks, on small trees laid parallel on the ground, etc.,. Stacking directly on the ground will cause rot and invite termites.
As for knowing what you are buying from somebody, that will come with experience and some research. A moisture meter will let you know roughly what the moisture content is, though the best thing is a wood supply that is two or more years ahead...then you don't have to worry about it. Fresh (green) wood will have the bark still on it and the grain should help to ID the species. As for whether it's a cord or not...a pile can be deceiving, though knowing the dimensions of the truck or trailer that the wood arrives in will let you quickly and fairly accurately calculate the volume. Of course once the wood is stacked you'll know what volume is there.
Best wishes to you, get your wood (ash hopefully) cut, split, and stacked!
Ed