Is a year long enough to season oak?

[SPED]

I'm slightly confused on how long I really need to season my firewood. What I usually do is buy green(got 3 cords last week). I'll have it stacked by end of January at the latest, it is already split. It looks to be a lot of red oak with others mixed in. I plan to burn this starting in December of this year, so about 11 months from split to burn. I stack my wood on pallets and cover the tops. The only location I have for stacking gets some sun, but not a ton. Should I really be two years ahead on wood? I may be able to make room for another load. I hate to drop another 500 on wood this year...but if it's the right way to go, I can try and talk the wife into it

My opinion from reading the forums so far is that 1 year is probably safe to burn, but two would be ideal. Is that right? Am I losing a lot of heat value by burning after 1 year? I guess another option would be to build holz hauzens instead, which I'm willing to try if it would help a lot.

Thanks guys,
Ed

 

[pistonslap]

You can try but it's been my experience that oak takes longer to season. If it isn't dry enough you will beat your brains out trying to keep it lit.

 

[ERPARKER]

I'm slightly confused on how long I really need to season my firewood. What I usually do is buy green(got 3 cords last week). I'll have it stacked by end of January at the latest, it is already split. It looks to be a lot of red oak with others mixed in. I plan to burn this starting in December of this year, so about 11 months from split to burn. I stack my wood on pallets and cover the tops. The only location I have for stacking gets some sun, but not a ton. Should I really be two years ahead on wood? I may be able to make room for another load. I hate to drop another 500 on wood this year...but if it's the right way to go, I can try and talk the wife into it

My opinion from reading the forums so far is that 1 year is probably safe to burn, but two would be ideal. Is that right? Am I losing a lot of heat value by burning after 1 year? I guess another option would be to build holz hauzens instead, which I'm willing to try if it would help a lot.

Thanks guys,
Ed

I had two oak trees taken down in the fall of 2005. I burned some during the 2006/2007 winter and it was OK, but the stuff is burning a lot better this year, after two years of being seasoned. If you can stack it someplace where it will get a lot of direct sunlight and the wind can flow through it, it will season faster.

 

[Henz]

In my opinion, it all depends on how, where it is stacked. if its stacked along a treeline, receiving sun only 1/2 the day or less its gonna take longer. I stack my piles out in an open field so it receives the maximum amount of direct sun. I also do not cover it until early fall and stack it in only two rows, relatively loose. If I were in your situiation with the oak, it would be burnable as it could be in that amount of time

 

[crazy_dan]

where I stack mine it would be fine I stack mine in an open pasture in one long row north to south as the breeze usually blows west to east around here and it gets full sun all day and a light breeze flowing trough it. usually if I have it stacked by April it will burn just fine come October / November. I am at least 2 years out on wood but I do try some off the pile when I start burning to see if it is ready for the just in case scenario
With partial sun I'm not sure if it will be completely seasoned, but it will be better than fresh cut stuff. If you can get another year out it would be better for you also you do not have to buy it all right now a load here and there when you can afford it also it sometimes gets cheaper in the spring. from spring to the following winter should be fine (spring 2008 for burning in winter of 2009).

 

[SPED]

Ok, sounds like 2 years is the best way to go, any tips to get this load I got ready by next winter? Also, sorry if I'm splitting hairs, but what about ordering in the end of summer or early fall and seasoning for about 15-16 months? Is that reasonable? Just trying to plan around other stuff I have to do and $$$$$$$.

Thanks for all the info, keep it coming!

 

[WarmGuy]

Ed,

A lot depends on the humidity in your area, heat, sun, etc. So...

Mark and weigh some pieces (or bundles), then weigh them every few months. When the weight stops dropping, you'll know that they are as seasoned as they are going to get.

 

[babalu87]

A location with southern exposure for sun and no wind blocks for prevailing winds can be ready in a year, covering the top of the pile helps but wood needs sun and wind exposure to dry it out. Piles covered 100% usually dont dry very well.

 

[Henz]

nope they dont..I usually use old metal roofing..and use splits in particular areas along the rows to keep the roofing off the stacks at least 3-5"...better air circulation then. I do not like using plastic to cover piles while trying to dry

 

[downeast]

When we had high BTU hardwoods "down south" in northern Massachusetts, oaks (red and white) were cut in winter, bucked and piled. The oak was split and stacked either in the open, or in semi open woodsheds in the summer for fall/winter fires. The moisture content was always fine for burning: no sizzle, nice "knocking" sounds for seasoned firewood. Often the oak was stacked out in the open with no cover during the summer to dry; the theory and practice that rain "drives" the thicker sap "out". Seemed to work fine whether or not the theory held water :smirk: . Just be certain that the splits are thin enough to dry....practice is all. Basically: don't worry.
And please: just say no to Holtz Haufens. They are northern European methods of stacking and drying very small logs, since there is little old growth such as in Canada , the Pacific NW, or here in New England. HH take time to stack correctly, don't allow you to take the pieces you want when you want, and they do not allow you to lurk and drool at any hour over your woodpiles. If you have the compulsion to stack strangely, try making castle-like stacks, or stacks with gates and entrances between the splits, or stack creatively around your place. We've done the HH.

 

[Lignums]

If you stack it in a holzhausen, in direct sunlight to maximize the suns heating ability, it will be ready. No worries.

 

[BrotherBart]

I cut and split the red and white oak every April/May, cover the tops with plenty of airspace between the rows and burn it the following fall and winter. I haven't been hissed at by anything but snakes in a lot of years.

 

[downeast]

I cut and split the red and white oak every April/May, cover the tops with plenty of airspace between the rows and burn it the following fall and winter. I haven't been hissed at by anything but snakes in a lot of years.

Muchas gracias Sr. B² ......we have ignition. Cut, buck, split stack, burn. No serious woodpile snakes Downeast Bart.

But please, just say "no" to Holz Hauffens (sp). Just stack the silly splits in the time honored simple stacks. Grab a brew, and lurk, sneak out at any hour to "check out" all that effort. Get the disease of WLC ( a.k.a. woodpile lurking compulsion ). Walk about up and down....certainly not around a pile like H² ! Teepee stacking is for sissy types with time on their hands or tiny tiny trees from centuries of deforestation. :roll:
Reforestation in parts of Europe such as Spain ( opening here ) , consists of ordered rows of single species ( usually a fast growth softwood or poplar species ) that looks like "hair growth for men" on 1000's of hectacres of hillsides.

 

[nshif]

Out here in the west where humidity isnt a factor ( usually less then 20% in the summer ) I can season Oak to 20 -25% from Apr to Nov stacked or piled in an open area with full sun and the usual afternoon breeze. Depending on your conditions you may may or maynot be ok but at worst Id think it would be burnable. Get a better start on next yeat when you can

 

[Hogwildz]

I am surprised nobody mentioned size of the splits.
Small to medium splits will season within 1 year or possibly a tad less. As stated, depends on your environment . The large and overnight burners, def take a year maybe a lil more. Again depends on the environment you have them in.

 

[woodjack]

I recently moved into a house that's nestled in the forest and I don't have a spot to stack my wood that gets much sun. Based on the posts on this thread I guess my oak will not season in 6 - 12 months. If it's stacked and kept dry, but mostly in shade, will two years be enough, or will it never season?

 

[downeast]

I am surprised nobody mentioned size of the splits.
Small to medium splits will season within 1 year or possibly a tad less. As stated, depends on your environment . The large and overnight burners, def take a year maybe a lil more. Again depends on the environment you have them in.

Now wait one minute Msr. Hog. Read up a couple of posts regarding "...size of splits." Done. Said. I may even take offense .

 

[Lignums]

I cut and split the red and white oak every April/May, cover the tops with plenty of airspace between the rows and burn it the following fall and winter. I haven't been hissed at by anything but snakes in a lot of years.

Muchas gracias Sr. B² ......we have ignition. Cut, buck, split stack, burn. No serious woodpile snakes Downeast Bart.

But please, just say "no" to Holz Hauffens (sp). Just stack the silly splits in the time honored simple stacks. Grab a brew, and lurk, sneak out at any hour to "check out" all that effort. Get the disease of WLC ( a.k.a. woodpile lurking compulsion ). Walk about up and down....certainly not around a pile like H² ! Teepee stacking is for sissy types with time on their hands or tiny tiny trees from centuries of deforestation. :roll:
Reforestation in parts of Europe such as Spain ( opening here ) , consists of ordered rows of single species ( usually a fast growth softwood or poplar species ) that looks like "hair growth for men" on 1000's of hectacres of hillsides.

If time is money, then space is also money, and it looks better form the road. When one has 20 cords of wood in their side yard, the neater the better, for the neighbors, and faster drying for selling sake. ;-)

 

[Hogwildz]

I am surprised nobody mentioned size of the splits.
Small to medium splits will season within 1 year or possibly a tad less. As stated, depends on your environment . The large and overnight burners, def take a year maybe a lil more. Again depends on the environment you have them in.

Now wait one minute Msr. Hog. Read up a couple of posts regarding "...size of splits." Done. Said. I may even take offense .

I still don't see it. But if you say its mentioned, then thats good enough for me. Sometimes I skip posts and do miss things.

 

[downeast]

I am surprised nobody mentioned size of the splits.
Small to medium splits will season within 1 year or possibly a tad less. As stated, depends on your environment . The large and overnight burners, def take a year maybe a lil more. Again depends on the environment you have them in.

Now wait one minute Msr. Hog. Read up a couple of posts regarding "...size of splits." Done. Said. I may even take offense .

I still don't see it. But if you say its mentioned, then thats good enough for me. Sometimes I skip posts and do miss things.

"...... Often the oak was stacked out in the open with no cover during the summer to dry; the theory and practice that rain “drives” the thicker sap “out”. Seemed to work fine whether or not the theory held water . Just be certain that the splits are thin enough to dry....practice is all. Basically: don’t worry. ............."

 

[ATVriderINmass]

What is holzhausen? I just cut over 2 cords of oak and split it by hand sat and sun....omg am i sore now!! I thought it would be ready by next year...is there much of a loss of heat if i burn it next year?

 

[SPED]

Thanks for all the replies, my next question would have been will splitting smaller help Some of them are kinda on the big size, really even bigger than I can fit, so I'll split em down as I stack. What's a good size to make sure they season by december? Also, I don't have the room to put them all in one big line, if I stack more than one row deep, should I leave space between the rows?

Thanks guys,
Ed

 

[Hogwildz]

Thanks for all the replies, my next question would have been will splitting smaller help Some of them are kinda on the big size, really even bigger than I can fit, so I'll split em down as I stack. What's a good size to make sure they season by december? Also, I don't have the room to put them all in one big line, if I stack more than one row deep, should I leave space between the rows?

Thanks guys,
Ed

Smaller splits tend to dry faster. But ya don't want all small splits. Once they are dry, it will make that stove fire up and run away with a full load of small splits.
About a 5" or 6" split and they should be fine. You can double stack them, just leave a gap between the rows. Once every few feet bridge the front & back row with a piwce to held add stability.

 

[BrotherBart]

What is holzhausen? I just cut over 2 cords of oak and split it by hand sat and sun....omg am i sore now!! I thought it would be ready by next year...is there much of a loss of heat if i burn it next year?

These three splits pretty much big enough to fill the firebox of my 30 are sitting up there cruising at 600 right now. They are white and red oak cut and split last April.

 

[woodjack]

How did you get that lamp to work inside your wood stove?