fdegree said:
In some of my previous threads people posted wonderful advice about getting wood at least 1 year in advance so it could dry adequately before burning. So, I thought about storing enough wood to allow for 2 years worth of drying. Well, I called around to firewood suppliers yesterday and many are telling me their wood is ready to burn...been drying now for 1+ years. Most of them are providing oak, while a couple are also including a little maple and cherry. So, my questions are:
Can wood be too dry?
Will the wood dry-rot?
What is the ideal amount of time needed for hardwood to dry?
As some can see (based upon this thread and my past threads), I tend to over analyze things sometimes. Thus, generating lots of questions.
Anyway, thanks in advance with this one too.
Nothing wrong with "over analyzing things." That is how one comes to understand things.
I will mirror what quads posted:
You do not have to worry about firewood becoming too dry.
No dry-rot to be expected.
Ideal time for drying hardwood depends on what type and the conditions. It is still best to let wood dry for 2-3 years before burning.
A person can try to get scientific and get moisture meters and stack in various ways and under varying conditions including putting wood indoors. But no matter what, if you want the best firewood with the least worrying, dry it 2-3 years outdoors in the sun and wind; especially the wind.
We do not cover our wood the first summer and fall but then cover before the snow flies (we'll be doing that very soon). When we cover the wood, we cover the top of the pile only; never cover the sides.
Doing wood this way we never have any worries about moisture content or rot. The wood we are burning right now is 7 years since cutting, splitting and stacking. We have no worries about creosote and have no problems getting a fire going nor do we have problems with smoke.
Bottom line is do it right and do not try to short-cut the situation and you will get more heat from the wood and have a lot less problems.
Naturally, the hardest part for new wood burners is the getting ahead on fuel. If it were gas or oil, they could just order the stuff. With firewood, only time is the right answer.