Pacific Northwest Wood Burners
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Seanm
Minister of Fire
Very nice wood shed. Are you seeing a drop in pine beetle kill? I went from the Elk Valley to Vancouver to visit family last week and noticed (at least through my eyes) that there were less fresh cut stumps and red trees in the Kamloops area then in past years. Also in the Elk valley I have seen a drop in the number of beetle trees, still there but not sure why they have dropped off as we haven't had the -40 c that they need to get killed off. Interested in your opinion....I'm a Lodgepole Pine fan too. I like it because the beetle kill stuff is plentiful around here and very dry. As others have said, you don't need to season it, if you choose the right trees to cut. It splits pretty easy, no big branches, so no big knots. Also there is virtually no pitch, if you select trees that are dry.
On the other hand, Douglas fir, which is pretty plentiful around here as well, never seems to be as dry as the lodgepole pine, even if it's been dead standing for much longer. Douglas fir also has lots of big branches and can be a real pain to split by hand. But the thing I hate the worst about DF is the pitch! It seems to ooze pitch forever, even if it's a few years old and you bring some in the house and let it sit by the warm stove it will start oozing. It oozes and drips on the floor and the next thing you know you're walking around the house with some sticky stuff sticking to your socks and leaving sticky spots on the floor in every room. I stopped cutting the stuff because of that. Lodgepole pine seems to burn just as well as DF, but without the pitch.
Lumber-Jack
Minister of Fire
Thanks for the compliments on the shed guys.
Fortunately or unfortunately? I live in an area where building permits are not necessary, so I'm able to build pretty much what I want. My woodshed is incorporated into the fence between my property and my neighbors, and I did discuss and get the neighbors permission before building the fence and shed. From his side all he really sees is a tall fence, and it gives us both a lot of privacy. It only holds a maximum of 5 cords, so in relation to a lot of other guys stacks and woodsheds in this forum, it's pretty small.
Seanm I have noticed less red (orange) trees around, at least in the huge groves they once were. I understand the really large areas of beetle kill are a little further North of Kamloops, and I haven't been up that way in while, so I don't know if what we are seeing is indicative of an overall beetle die off or what. I know they have been trying to harvest the beetle kill trees as fast as they can, so that might explain it to some degree? Also I know when I seek out the beetle kill trees I'm actually looking for ones that are no longer orange and have dried to the point where the needles have turned gray and started to fall off. I found that when the needles are still orange the trees still have a lot of moisture in them, and since I usually burn what I cut in the fall I try to get the driest trees I can.
Of course the biggest problem I have in selecting the trees to cut for firewood is getting direct access to the trees. Plenty of dead trees 50 or 100 yards off the road, but in most cases getting the truck to the trees is impossible because of the terrain.
Fortunately or unfortunately? I live in an area where building permits are not necessary, so I'm able to build pretty much what I want. My woodshed is incorporated into the fence between my property and my neighbors, and I did discuss and get the neighbors permission before building the fence and shed. From his side all he really sees is a tall fence, and it gives us both a lot of privacy. It only holds a maximum of 5 cords, so in relation to a lot of other guys stacks and woodsheds in this forum, it's pretty small.
Seanm I have noticed less red (orange) trees around, at least in the huge groves they once were. I understand the really large areas of beetle kill are a little further North of Kamloops, and I haven't been up that way in while, so I don't know if what we are seeing is indicative of an overall beetle die off or what. I know they have been trying to harvest the beetle kill trees as fast as they can, so that might explain it to some degree? Also I know when I seek out the beetle kill trees I'm actually looking for ones that are no longer orange and have dried to the point where the needles have turned gray and started to fall off. I found that when the needles are still orange the trees still have a lot of moisture in them, and since I usually burn what I cut in the fall I try to get the driest trees I can.
Of course the biggest problem I have in selecting the trees to cut for firewood is getting direct access to the trees. Plenty of dead trees 50 or 100 yards off the road, but in most cases getting the truck to the trees is impossible because of the terrain.
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