Good heat from punky wood

[PA Fire Bug]

Last winter I cut a lot of downed trees that had been on the ground for a while. Several of them were fairly rotten and soft but I didn't realize how bad they were until I split them. They were frozen when I cut them which made them more solid. I stacked all the punky stuff near our fire circle and had planned to burn it outside. Once I realized how much I had, it seemed like a waste not to use it for heat inside the house. I started burning it a few weeks ago when the temperatures got warmer and am pleasantly surprised with the heat output. The wood is dirty but we will get several weeks or more worth of heat out of it now that we aren't burning 24/7.

 

[gmule]

I burn that stuff early or late in the season too. It just burns quick which is great during the shoulder seasons.

 

[BobUrban]

any heat from wood is "good heat" and I have been doing the same with punk and junk to try and limp out out this burning season and take the chill off in the AM. Not sure how long my plan is going to last as I look outside and it is snowing off and on today. I am ready for some 60+ degree weather.

 

[bogydave]

Last winter I cut a lot of downed trees that had been on the ground for a while. Several of them were fairly rotten and soft but I didn't realize how bad they were until I split them. They were frozen when I cut them which made them more solid. I stacked all the punky stuff near our fire circle and had planned to burn it outside. Once I realized how much I had, it seemed like a waste not to use it for heat inside the house. I started burning it a few weeks ago when the temperatures got warmer and am pleasantly surprised with the heat output. The wood is dirty but we will get several weeks or more worth of heat out of it now that we aren't burning 24/7.

+1
Did the same a few years back
It's BTUs

 

[PapaDave]

I get some of that stuff every year. As Dave said, it's BTUs.
Not sure down by you Bob, but we're getting a warm up this week.

 

[Ralphie Boy]

How does that punkie stuff react with a cat stove? I've about 1.5 cord of white oak, from a tree that was standing dead for 10+ years, that all the sap wood is pinky but the heart wood is harder than a witch's heart. Just wondering if I should remove the punkie stuff, if it doesn't fall off first, before it goes into the Buck.

 

[Woody Stover]

the sap wood is pinky but the heart wood is harder than a witch's heart. Just wondering if I should remove the punkie stuff

I have a thing about removing most of the punk...but I'm not right in the head. Last week I sawed a bunch of punk off some Cherry rounds before splitting. Worked pretty well but obviously took a while to do.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

How does that punkie stuff react with a cat stove? I've about 1.5 cord of white oak, from a tree that was standing dead for 10+ years, that all the sap wood is pinky but the heart wood is harder than a witch's heart. Just wondering if I should remove the punkie stuff, if it doesn't fall off first, before it goes into the Buck.

Ralph, there is no problem burning punky wood in a cat stove. I suggest doing that in the fall of the year though after it has dried nicely in the hot summer sun and wind.

 

[osagebow]

Lugged a bunch of red oak like that out of the creekbottom last year and burned it to finish off this year.