Pine storage

[ggans]

So after learning about Pine I want to burn it because I have much of it. My question is how to store it, I have downed pine thats in good shape. I am sure it is seasoned well. When I pull it out of the woods for next year how should I store it? Cut it up in eight inch rounds and stack or should I split it?

Should I stack it and let it sit in the sun or should I cover it?

thanks...

 

[muncybob]

I also have access to a lot of pine. Most of the dead ones were knocked over 2+ years ago and are fairly small diameter so I will burn them as rounds. Anything over 8 inches or so will probably get split just to dry quicker but I don't plan to split much as pine burns hot & fast without being split! Intend to mainly use in shoulder season for quick hot fires and keep the hardwoods for the main heating season(which should be now but it was almost 60 this morning here!).

 

[basswidow]

I would split it, and stack in off the ground (I use pallets) in an area of full sun and wind. I only cover when it gets close to burn time (say end of September).

My acreage has pine, sumac, and a few shagbark hickories. I scroung elsewhere - but I am thinking of bucking up some of this pine and splitting it towards the end of march - just for something to do.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

So after learning about Pine I want to burn it because I have much of it. My question is how to store it, I have downed pine thats in good shape. I am sure it is seasoned well. When I pull it out of the woods for next year how should I store it? Cut it up in eight inch rounds and stack or should I split it?

Should I stack it and let it sit in the sun or should I cover it?

thanks...

This is a simple 2-step process

1) Pretend that pine is any other wood

2) Treat it accordingly

 

[gpcollen1]

What he said - treat it like firewood, cut, split, season...

 

[Wood Duck]

So after learning about Pine I want to burn it because I have much of it. My question is how to store it, I have downed pine thats in good shape. I am sure it is seasoned well. When I pull it out of the woods for next year how should I store it? Cut it up in eight inch rounds and stack or should I split it?

Should I stack it and let it sit in the sun or should I cover it?

thanks...

I'd assume the pine is not seasoned if it hasn't been cut up yet, but it should be nicely seasoned by next year if you get it cut and split this winter. I guess you mean 8 inch diameter rounds. I wouldn't cut 8 inch long rounds, but rather about 16 inches for most stoves. I would split everything larger than about 6 inches diameter, but I like to split. Other people would leave rounds up to about 8 or 10 inches in round form. I think most everyone here would split rounds that are 12 to 14 inches or larger.

 

[patch53]

I'm not sure if you have any where you live, but up here we have what are locally called "saw beetles". They will saw holes all thru any softwoods like pine, spruce, balsam, etc.. I had a big white pine in my yard i took down last summer. After cutting it up and stacking it in rounds, within 3 weeks I could hear them "sawing" away in the wood. You'll see piles of sawdust all over between the logs from the little buggers. They don't attack live wood, only after its been cut down and stacked up. The loggers up here will never leave softwoods decked up for long in the summer as these guys will lighten your pile in short order ! LOL

Pat

 

[ggans]

With that said dose pine have a shorter shelf life then hard woods? Not counting bugs.............

 

[patch53]

I wouldn't think so, as long as it stays dry?

 

[SolarAndWood]

With that said dose pine have a shorter shelf life then hard woods? Not counting bugs.............

Absolutely. Whatever gets split in the spring, gets burned the following winter.

 

[ggans]

So six months and its good to go?

 

[Pagey]

So six months and its good to go?

That has been my experience.

 

[SolarAndWood]

I split a couple cord in early June and it was dry by Thanksgiving. I don't know how it dries in the round though, as most of what I get is larger diameter and has to be split.

 

[firefighterjake]

1. Buck up to stove length
2. Split
3. Stack off ground
4. Wait 6-12 months before burning
5. Enjoy the heat

 

[Wood Duck]

I don't think that pine or other softwood has a shorter shelf life than other woods, provided nobody burns it. I have some older Norway Spruce in my pile that was in rounds for several years and now split for a year or so, and it seems as solid as it ever was. Keep it off the ground and it will last a long time.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I'm not sure if you have any where you live, but up here we have what are locally called "saw beetles". They will saw holes all thru any softwoods like pine, spruce, balsam, etc.. I had a big white pine in my yard i took down last summer. After cutting it up and stacking it in rounds, within 3 weeks I could hear them "sawing" away in the wood. You'll see piles of sawdust all over between the logs from the little buggers. They don't attack live wood, only after its been cut down and stacked up. The loggers up here will never leave softwoods decked up for long in the summer as these guys will lighten your pile in short order ! LOL

Pat

Pat, I think you are talking about powder post beetles. They are the ones that leave that dust in the woodpile. You'll notice some of that dust on the right side of this pile.

Oh yes, on the pine, as has been stated: Treat it as you would any other firewood.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

On the subject of pine having a shorter shelf life, here is my observation.
Lodge pole Pine is my primary wood source because in my area it is so plentiful as standing dead trees, thanks to the Mountain pine beetle (gota love them), many of the trees I cut are pre-seasoned (< 20% MC). In order for the trees to get to a state where they are < 20% MC they must be dead and standing for at least 5 years, possibly longer. I have cut pine trees that I know have been dead and standing for as much as 20 years and the wood is still in great shape, and very dry.
However if the tree happens to fall over or get felled and is lying on it's side, it will start to absorb moisture from the rain, which now has greater access to the tree's surface because it is lying on it's side rather than standing vertical. When the tree is on it's side like this it's moisture level will actually go up > 20% and the tree will start to go soft and punky within a couple years. This happens even if the tree is suspended off the ground lying on other trees. If it is lying directly on the ground it will happen even quicker.

My conclusion is, pine absorbs water very readily, if you have pine wood stored and want to keep it from getting punky, keep it dry, keep it under cover, don't leave it in the rain. If you keep it dry it will last indefinitely.

Results may vary in other regions, I live in a very dry semi arid climate. Climates that are wetter or dryer would likely have different results.

 

[billb3]

My house is made of pine, cedar and oak. All three have aged well except for where they've gotten wet.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

With that said dose pine have a shorter shelf life then hard woods? Not counting bugs.............

No. In fact it probably keeps better than most deciduous trees.

 

[Pagey]

With that said dose pine have a shorter shelf life then hard woods? Not counting bugs.............

No. In fact it probably keeps better than most deciduous trees.

This is due to its excessively high formaldehyde content. Also, it causes chimney fires in laboratory mice in the state of California. :lol: :coolgrin:

 

[KeepItNatural]

i've found it beneficial to split everything no matter how small the diameter of the round is- it helps in drying it out. That's just my opinion.

 

[dispatcher101]

I burn 99% beetle kill lodgepole pine. I cut the wood I am burning this season this summer, all the trees were standing. I split and stacked it outside. The RH here in colorado is very low, so the wood dries even faster here than other places. According to my cheapo harbor freight moisture meter all my wood measures between 10-15%, and burns very well. As for the ever-present creosote question, i burned for more than 2 months straight 24/7, when I swept the chimney it was spotless with the exception of the last foot or so which had minimal buildup. Burn it hot and make sure it's dry, and you shouldn't have any problems.