Delivered wood, learned my lesson I think

[weatherguy]

I've been in a bind and needed some wood delivered that could be ready in a year, for instance if I didn't have any wood in my stacks right now for three 17-18 season I would be looking for ash, maple birch, those are what I was asking for when I called some dealers. I got a guy to deliver ash and birch that I stacked for the following year and it was ready. Now I'm 3 years ahead but I've been in your spot. Look for someone selling wood that seasons in 1 full year. Oak needs at least 2.
I got some maple rounds from someone that had them stacked on pallets for 2 years, when I split them they were 30%, they did season in one year though.

 

[slayer7]

Here is a pic. This stuff was super easy to split. No effort at all.
View attachment 193236

They said they supply it to cracker barrel to burn in thier hearths. Dont know how true that is. Maybe if it is true I can post on CB's facebook and let them know what kind of company they are getting their wood from for that location.

LOL! I had to laugh when I read this. My GF works at a CB here and there for extra money. Every fall, the "wood guy" comes and dumps a truckload of green wood next to the restaurant which they then attempt to burn all winter. If you look at their "fireplace" setup, you'll see that there's actually a gas burner under the wood grate. They put the sopping wet wood in there and then basically grill the water out with the gas fire. The wood is always sizzling and smoking up a storm and she comes home smelling like a smoked set of ribs. The managers are basically clueless about wood and woodburning and actually couldn't care less about the fireplace in general. They are required to run it by corporate from November to March to create "ambiance" for the guests which evidently includes a healthy dose of carcinogenic smoke that's constantly back-puffing from the boiling wood into the dining room. I used to go there and eat all the time before I got sick of it and it was funny watching them constantly fiddling with the "fire" because it wouldn't burn right. I mentioned a few times the problem was with the wet wood but was told "the wood guy says it's seasoned!"

...okey-dokey.

 

[Deeje]

I have a huge pile of red oak cut last June. Tested a piece the other day and read 37%. Stuff takes forever to dry!

People selling firewood generally can't be trusted. Not sure why deceptive characteristics seem to be common in people who work in that industry, but of the 6-8 guys I've used, only 1 didn't try to screw me over, and he only sold firewood for one year.

My current guy is reliable and fair with his quantity (actually stacks and delivers the wood on custom built racks to ensure each one is exactly a rick), but he can be a little loose with MC and Max length promised. If you don't want to cut your own, it's worth it to keep looking for a decent provider.

 

[Woody Stover]

I too have thought of testing wood before accepting it but I think that's going too far, unless you were to go to there location, test it, and just say not interested. It could get pretty awkward if you were to turn them away at your own house after asking them to bring a load.

This is the way I would do it. Even if you agree on the phone, there still could be a discrepancy when the wood gets there. I would feel uncomfortable...

Yeah that sucks....good thing you said there is a good bit of red oak that will be great in a few years....but like others said, if you request or find some ash, silver or red maple now, even if it's green, you'd be good to go by next winter if you can stack in a single row with good sun and wind exposure.

Soft Maple for sure. Maybe White Ash, but I prefer to give it two years, then it's a lock.

Yep, I had to spend a lot of time, basically the whole day trimming off the rotted outside the best I could with some of those pieces.

That's just how it is with dead Red Oak. The sapwood goes to hell fast but the heartwood can be good for many, many years. Most of what dies here is Red Oak...brought a couple quad trailers up next to the house yesterday. While loading, I was knocking off loose bark and a bit of punked sapwood on some pieces.
If you can get some fresh Red from storm damage and get it split and stacked pretty quick, punking will be minimal. Still you can have a few punky ones, even with the stack top-covered.

I have a huge pile of red oak cut last June. Tested a piece the other day and read 37%. Stuff takes forever to dry!

No lie. But with splits the size of what he metered in the pic, that might be good in two years.

If you don't want to cut your own

That's the best way to get wood, if you can. Go into a woodlot and get it yourself. Everything is the perfect length. You can grab small, dead trees with the bark gone, and burn it that fall.

 

[matrix961]

Thank you all for the replies, I've been learning a great deal. I'm in contact with another person selling firewood which seems pretty decent. He also said I can test the wood if I'd like but thinks it's 15-20%, I'll have to see. I'm also building some racks to go along side my shed to start storing the less seasoned wood I currently have. I'm going to store at least 4 cords but I think I can make the room for 6.

 

[Tar12]

Thank you all for the replies, I've been learning a great deal. I'm in contact with another person selling firewood which seems pretty decent. He also said I can test the wood if I'd like but thinks it's 15-20%, I'll have to see. I'm also building some racks to go along side my shed to start storing the less seasoned wood I currently have. I'm going to store at least 4 cords but I think I can make the room for 6.

Follow through and test it! It doesn't matter how nice they appear...sometimes they simply do not know what they have and guess...and that won't cut it!

 

[jatoxico]

I've come to think most of these firewood sellers don't really know dry wood, not EPA dry anyway. I can't blame them, for the amount of work and money you can't expect them to stack it, top covered for 2 yrs too. If you buy, figure on stacking and drying yourself before it can be burned.

 

[JotulOwner]

I had the same problem when I first started burning wood. I quickly learned that (IMHO) there is no such thing as buying fully (or sometimes at all) seasoned fire wood. I bought green splits in quantity (cheap) and dried it for years. Never looked back.

 

[tcassavaugh]

i got burnt with some wood a month ago. luckily, he came and picked it up and i got a refund. i wanted nothing more than 18 in. half of it was over 18. had a lot of poplar in it too. was advertised as mixed hardwood. technically, i guess but 1/2 was poplar. the kicker was much was over length and i wasnt about to cut it again or mess with 9-12 inch pieces. i'll be on site next time when its delivered.

 

[matrix961]

Just got a new load and it was as advertised. I tested it before he dumped it and got around 16-21%. Much better, I also told the guy that Id be interested in greener wood that I could season myself over the warmer months. He said no problem and that he can provide wood thats usually 75 a cord in the spring/summer months thats not seasoned. Ill definitely get more to stack and season from him I think.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

I don't know a single firewood dealer, other than one in my area, that uses a modern stove themselves. To most dealers, a pile of oak felled last year and cut and split a month prior to delivery is well seasoned enough to burn in their oversized, old stoves. They just can't fathom how dry wood needs to be for a modern stove.

This was the case for me too before we bought our F400. The stove got stuffed full of greenish wood once a day, damper left wide open and I cleaned the pipe three times a year.

Because of this, I can't fully blame most of them. They are living in a different wood galaxy than we are now.

 

[Jay106n]

Red Oak, you won't be burning that this year. Stack it and forget about it for 4 years.

 

[weatherguy]

I had the same problem when I first started burning wood. I quickly learned that (IMHO) there is no such thing as buying fully (or sometimes at all) seasoned fire wood. I bought green splits in quantity (cheap) and dried it for years. Never looked back.

99% true, I did find one guy in my area that sells seasoned wood. He uses a kiln. I've bought a couple cords off him and it burned great in my princess which was sensitive to seasoned wood, had to be 20 below or it didn't burn right. Unfortunately I gave the guys number to a member here that lives near me and he didn't get the kiln dried, not sure what happened there.
His price was a little on the expensive side but not ridiculous, I noticed he raised his price this year but I'm 3 years ahead so don't need him.

 

[Woodfarmer1]

Just got a new load and it was as advertised. I tested it before he dumped it and got around 16-21%. Much better, I also told the guy that Id be interested in greener wood that I could season myself over the warmer months. He said no problem and that he can provide wood thats usually 75 a cord in the spring/summer months thats not seasoned. Ill definitely get more to stack and season from him I think.

I assume your talking face cord for $75? If you have room, why not buy a load of logs? You'll be getting the wood for roughly $100 a real cord.

 

[RSNovi]

I have come to the opinion that trying to buy ready to burn wood will just leave you angry.

I just assume that it will be delivered green and buy two years ahead. Now I am much happier with my purchase and have good wood to burn.


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[Babaganoosh]

75 a cord green in the spring/summer? I'd take that in a heartbeat. I'd take it as logs or I'd take it in rounds even. I'd buy 10 cord and call it 4 years done!

 

[matrix961]

75 a cord green in the spring/summer? I'd take that in a heartbeat. I'd take it as logs or I'd take it in rounds even. I'd buy 10 cord and call it 4 years done!

I definitely plan on buying as much as I can. What would you normally pay for a cord of green mixed wood usually?

 

[Woodsplitter67]

If your buying wood, buy it figuring its not FULLY seasoned.. The wood your buying is only partially seasoned. Most of the sellers are selling wood the was split over the summer and through the fall. It is sitting on the ground which is usually earth and wet, and the wood is not tarped or under cover. If you were doing this in your owne yard you would not be considering it ready to burn. Purchase your wood, put it under cover and burn it next season. The peolpe like myself who process there own wood are doing it 2 to 3 years in advance. . The people who buy there should be no different as all wood bought or self processed take the same time to season

 

[hickoryhoarder]

Red oak, as you say. To me, it looks exactly like a load I got once that had obviously lay on the forest floor a long time before he cut it. Lots of dust on the driveway when I stacked it. I basically mixed that junk in with better wood.

 

[astonvilla65]

I'm in the same boat as you, just moved into a new house and left my dry wood at my other one. Unfortunately you can't trust anyone selling wood. I too have thought of testing wood before accepting it but I think that's going too far, unless you were to go to there location, test it, and just say not interested. It could get pretty awkward if you were to turn them away at your own house after asking them to bring a load. I've just accepted the fact that this year is kind of a waste, I'm stock piling wood for next winter & the following, and I plan to never be in this predicament again.

I came across a local potential new supplier and took 4 net bags to test it out, what he said, dead seasoned for 2 years ash, he was correct but he only had only had 1 bag of ash and shoved pine on me, not a disaster but maybe get a couple of small nets to try...I'm new to house ownership and bufning so I'm far from an expert!@

 

[CHeath]

So if I want to stack up say, 3 cords for the 17-18 winter season, what shall I order? I have a good friend that sells it, he said he had "some green" but I dont know what to order to be ready in 9 months.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

So if I want to stack up say, 3 cords for the 17-18 winter season, what shall I order? I have a good friend that sells it, he said he had "some green" but I dont know what to order to be ready in 9 months.

Purchase your wood now... stack it (hopefully in a wood shed ) up off the ground in a location with a sun exposure. . Let mother nature do the rest.. depending on what your getting(hardwoods) and size of splits you should be ok for next year... if you have the space and funds go 2 years in advance

 

[jatoxico]

So if I want to stack up say, 3 cords for the 17-18 winter season, what shall I order? I have a good friend that sells it, he said he had "some green" but I dont know what to order to be ready in 9 months.

In your location you're more likely to have more good drying days then those in the north so a spring and summer single stacked in a good location should do OK. If you can be picky and get ash or other faster drying species all the better. And yes if you can swing it order some for the 18-19 season too. After that order for the next season and you'll always be burning 2 yr dried wood. In my area (northeast) 3 yr CSS is better but I think you'd be good at 2 in NC.