Looks like my wood burning is over for the season

[schlot]

I'm all but done with the soft wood I cut and seasoned from earlier this season. The cottonwood I cut earlier went a lot quicker than I ever thought. Learned a lesson and will be stacking about double the wood for next year use. At least I kept the gas bill low for a couple months.

I've been focusing on cutting and splitting more softwood for next year and hardwoods for the years after that. I will be building more racks for all this wood. More wood, less grass to mow.

 

[stejus]

You're moving in the right direction. My first year I just made it with the amount of wood I sourced before the install. Since then I make sure I have a two to three years of wood seasoning (8 to 12 cords). This way you never worry about running out or not having dry wood. Get as much as you can now so it will start seasoning.

 

[maxed_out]

+1 right direction. In the meantime do you have access to pallets or stuff you can scrounge? Pallets are great for situations like yours. You might be pleasantly surprised on what you can find.

 

[schlot]

Thanks. We have a very small house and not in NW Iowa I'm sure we don't get as cold as some of you get, so it look like a season will consist of 2 cords based on this year plus adding a fudge (mmmm, fudge) factor into it.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I'm all but done with the soft wood I cut and seasoned from earlier this season. The cottonwood I cut earlier went a lot quicker than I ever thought. Learned a lesson and will be stacking about double the wood for next year use. At least I kept the gas bill low for a couple months.

I've been focusing on cutting and splitting more softwood for next year and hardwoods for the years after that. I will be building more racks for all this wood. More wood, less grass to mow.

schlot, good for thinking ahead so as not to get caught like that again. If you post what types of wood you get then perhaps we can help on the time required before burning it. For example, there are some hardwoods that can dry excellently in only 6 months or less (soft maple)! Yet others need up to 3 years (oaks and locust, for example). If it were me, I'd stay away from the oaks until you get 2 years ahead and then start with oaks if you have them. But do strive for 3 years ahead as this is ideal.

 

[Jack Straw]

Can you get pallets nearby, are there any wood shops around? We have a custom home building shop around here who puts KD lumber scraps in a big box for people to scrounge.

 

[wishlist]

Just an idea, do you have the emerald ash borer in Iowa killing all the ash? If so, that's the ticket! Some ca n be burnt immediately , for sure the tops. Keep thinking ahead and always be on the look out for a good scrounge!

 

[seeyal8r]

My first year we burned a lot of unseasoned oak. It wasn't the end of the world and didn't really hurt anything. I just kept an eye on the creosote build up which was minimal in my stainless liner. It took me a couple years to get ahead far enough that anything I was burning was seasoned. I have found several recent scrounges where people had cut a tree down last winter and it had been laying on the ground all bucked but not split. Keep your eye out cause you never know what you might find.

 

[Pat53]

check around on this forum, maybe you're close to a member who could lend you a few cords for the remainder of the season ?

Pat

 

[bogydave]

You can burn "less than perfect" wood. Mix it with the drier stuff & burn a little hotter.
Just inspect & clean the chimney more often.
Great that next year you'll be ahead

 

[NH_Wood]

check around on this forum, maybe you're close to a member who could lend you a few cords for the remainder of the season ?

Pat

Lending might be a stretch! Cheers!

 

[clemsonfor]

Or you could buy a cord for way less than $100. It must be cheaper than paying gas or fuel oil or even electricity?

 

[schlot]

Actually a co-worker's boyfriend brought me some dry ash when he heard I was having trouble with the greener stuff. Very cool.

Decided to limit burning to when we get home from work, that way we can enjoy it while we save a little money.

Unfortunately my "drier" stuff is still 22 plus in moisture. Makes for starting fires tiresome.

Learned alot this season and will be ready for next season with dry wood!

Thanks for all the help and encouragement this year guys.