Seasoned Wood Does Make A Difference

[firecracker_77]

As a person who generally burns wood that has been c/s/s generally less than 1 year, I noticed a major difference in burning wood that has been stacked 1.5 years. It takes off and almost immediately gives off beautiful secondaries. Now, if I just had enough wood on hand that I could let it sit idle for 2 years. Fortunately, my stove is somewhat forgiving of less than perfectly seasoned wood.

 

[Wood Duck]

It is hard to get ahead, but once you're ahead, staying ahead is no more difficult than what you're doing now.

 

[ScotO]

It really is amazing, isn't it? When you burn two- and three-year seasoned wood, it takes the frustration out of it and makes it something you look forward to doing every year. I personally love fall and winter all that much more now that I heat with well seasoned wood!

 

[onetracker]

like night and day

 

[JP11]

like night and day

You can't cure it except for time. I started cutting maybe in November or December of last year. 6 or 8 months before I put in the boiler. I'm cutting and cutting. I just don't know how much I'll use. My wife's customers keep asking her if I sell wood.. so I must be doing something right.

I know there's no way I'm 3 years ahead. I'm at around 20 cord.. but 5 of that is oak only. I'm off for 7 when I go home.. gotta cut!

 

[muncybob]

We had a nice fire in the backyard pit going on Saturday night with lots of dry maple, towards the end of the night all that was left was some oak that had been standing dead but only recently cut & split. Threw that on and it about smothered the fire...took almost an hour to get going again. A friend was with us that has insisted green would gives longer burns, I made this an example of how the longer green wood burn theory is not exactly what you want...doubt that I changed his burning habits though.

 

[clemsonfor]

Sorry to kind of Hijack...

But Scotty i guess you finished that living room and hearth since its your avatar now?

 

[TMonter]

Green wood will give you longer burns in a lot of cases but way less overall heat. Every pound of water you evaporate is around 1200 Btu up the Chimney.

 

[firecracker_77]

I have 2 friends / customers in the tree service business. One sells me hardwood mostly oak delivered at $225 split. The other is more negotiable. Maybe I could get a better deal with non split logwood and just work it myself. Then, I might actually have a chance of getting ahead some more.

 

[bogydave]

Seasoned wood makes a difference.
Big difference!

Like said, getting ahead is the key.
Takes a mammoth effort for most of us & 2 years at least.

Staying ahead isn't easy, just easier than getting ahead

 

[clemsonfor]

This is probly the reason this whole biomass thing is not really working out. The mill buys 1 ton of green chips for about $25. Half of that is water there buying and then there trying to fire a boiler with it???

 

[Nixon]

Like said, getting ahead is the key.
Takes a mammoth effort for most of us & 2 years at least.
Staying ahead isn't easy, just easier than getting ahead

The one thing about getting ahead is that once you are using truly dry wood , it takes less to produce decent heat . As you stated, it isn't easy , but it's a great incentive. I don't have any numbers on the amount of wood and work save using "seasoned " wood vs green ,or "unseasoned "wood , but I'd bet it fairly significant.

 

[firecracker_77]

The one thing about getting ahead is that once you are using truly dry wood , it takes less to produce decent heat . As you stated, it isn't easy , but it's a great incentive. I don't have any numbers on the amount of wood and work save using "seasoned " wood vs green ,or "unseasoned "wood , but I'd bet it fairly significant.

You have to score some logs, and then work it that way. I don't think I'm getting 2 years ahead when buying wood at $225 / cord. Quite an outlay.

 

[Nixon]

You have to score some logs, and then work it that way. I don't think I'm getting 2 years ahead when buying wood at $225 / cord. Quite an outlay.

Yup ! You are correct ,it's quite an outlay at $225 per cord . And as I understand you are in ,or near Chicago ,so log length would be problematic . But, my original statement still stands . Once you get ahead , it gets a bit easier to stay ahead. But , it's never easy .

 

[Woody Stover]

I don't have any numbers on the amount of wood and work save using "seasoned " wood vs green ,or "unseasoned "wood , but I'd bet it fairly significant.

Green wood will give you longer burns in a lot of cases but way less overall heat. Every pound of water you evaporate is around 1200 Btu up the Chimney.

Depends how wet it is, but TMonter is right. There's a graph showing the diminished returns in the link I posted in the "Wood too dry?" thread. The loss doesn't look real huge at reasonable moisture levels...

 

[clemsonfor]

They still do tree removals in chicago esp in supurbs so it may be easier than one thinks. Afterall i would be he is either in a part of town with houses and a few trees or a suburb. I dont think to many higrises have or allow stoves

 

[Backwoods Savage]

You have to score some logs, and then work it that way. I don't think I'm getting 2 years ahead when buying wood at $225 / cord. Quite an outlay.

Better to have your dollars in a wood pile than in a bank... Interest rates are not what we call good and haven't been for too long. Looks like they will stay the same for a few years yet.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

The one thing about getting ahead is that once you are using truly dry wood , it takes less to produce decent heat . As you stated, it isn't easy , but it's a great incentive. I don't have any numbers on the amount of wood and work save using "seasoned " wood vs green ,or "unseasoned "wood , but I'd bet it fairly significant.

I don't have hard numbers but that one year we burned freshly cut white ash was one of our worst years in how much wood it took to heat the house. At the time our average was around 6 cord per year and I remember we burned at least 7 cord that year and it was not a particularly hard winter.

 

[Nixon]

I don't have hard numbers but that one year we burned freshly cut white ash was one of our worst years in how much wood it took to heat the house. At the time our average was around 6 cord per year and I remember we burned at least 7 cord that year and it was not a particularly hard winter.

And of course your flue was less than pristine . That to could add to the cost of burning less than desirable wood if you aren't able to deal with it yourself .

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Well I remember cleaning the chimney at least 6 times that winter.

 

[Nixon]

Wow ! That's a lot ! Imagine paying some one else to do it ! F 77 , get ahead now . You are still going to pay the same amount for the cords burnt per year . It'll just hurt a bit more up front . But , in the end it'll be less expensive .

 

[mfglickman]

And of course your flue was less than pristine . That to could add to the cost of burning less than desirable wood if you aren't able to deal with it yourself .

Yep, to get the chimney swept would buy me a cord of wood here. I'd rather lay out for the cord of wood, burn better wood, and need to clean the chimney less often. (Yes, we can do it ourselves and yes, we probably will, but in a pinch, I think of the $$ it would cost to call the sweep).

 

[scotvl]

why do you guys pay to have your chimneys swept?

 

[Blue2ndaries]

Seasoned wood makes a difference.
Big difference!

Like said, getting ahead is the key.
Takes a mammoth effort for most of us & 2 years at least.

Staying ahead isn't easy, just easier than getting ahead

True words of wisdom Dave.

 

[mfglickman]

why do you guys pay to have your chimneys swept?

This was our first winter. We have a sweep coming to show us how to do it. But I know that in February with 3 feet of snow on the ground, I or DH is not likely to pull out the ladder to sweep. Or maybe we will...but it's a way of thinking about the cost of getting ahead vs the "cost" of burning unseasoned wood.