Seasoning Oak

[PapaDave]

I know this has been beat to death, but I just have to correct something.
I've made a couple responses to posts re:seasoning oak, about how I've got oak that's been drying for about 16-17 months. How well it's burning, blah, blah.
Yeah, well, turns out that 2/3's cord was in 2 stacks left over from last years wood. When I restacked in the front yard, I didn't bother to move those up closer to the front porch as usual. I stacked all my other stuff in rows all around it, and forgot about it. Here comes Dec., and a bunch of cold, and I was feeling pretty good about how well the wood was burning. I'm now into the stuff that got c/s/s in July-Aug. of '08, and it's less than optimal. It still burns pretty good, but it's NOT completely dry.
I brought it up to the front of the house sooner than I should have, so next years wood is staying in the sun and wind until late in the fall this year.
When it gets put in the front, it doesn't get as much of that.
So, in my case at least, Oak needs more than 16 months to dry. I schooled myself. Or got punked, or something.
Flame suit on.

 

[Slow1]

Just what I don't need to hear confirmed as I look at those last few logs of red oak sitting there on my lawn.. I planned to burn them year after next. Hmm.. that would be well under 24 months from now. Survey says oops! And I don't have ideal drying conditions either - no sunny field to stack things nice and spread out in. Nope, just a shady small back yard. Go figure.

 

[billb3]

Yeah, good enough is just that.

It's nice when you can make some decent comparisons.


All things being equal (and they usually aren't) longer is usually better.
In some ways even easier.

 

[rdust]

Won't get any argument from me. I have about a cord of red oak that was cut/split in Nov. of 2007 and I have some white ash cut/split in Sept of 2009 that burns better. :lol:

 

[FireWalker]

I'm not sure if it's the water leaving the wood or the water that is reabsorbed due to rain/humidity......point being, the oak in the log pile is the one species that is the big PITA when it comes to burning time. This is exactly the opposite of what I uase to think.

 

[Redburn]

I have red and white oak the red was cut last July and the white in December last yr I stacked it single row sun all day plenty of wind ,top and have not had any sizzle swear on my wood pile... But if I had the time and the room for it I to believe it burn allot better when seasoned longer having burn some older oak ...

 

[quads]

2 years at the very least for white or black oak, is what has always worked well for me. 3+ is even better. At 3+ it makes no difference if my oak is stacked in the shade, not covered; it's all perfect to burn by then.

 

[relax]

if you had a metal building big enuff just for wood , oak in my case,would you you rather stack it all inside right away , or would you rather stack out side to season ,then move it inside..guess im wondering will it season as fast inside...ZZZim

 

[Backwoods Savage]

The problem with stacking inside a metal shed is air circulation. If the wood is stacked outdoors in the wind it has a much better time of drying. Put it indoors right away and it just can't dry as fast. The ideal is to dry it outside and then move it to the shed.

 

[relax]

well thatS A GOOD PLAN , BUT i CUT SPLIT AND STACKED 11.5 CORD OF WHAT WAS LIVE BUR OAK ,INSIDE A 16 X 33 METAL BUILDING WITH A 18' OVERHEAD DOOR WICH I CAN LEAVE OPEN SO WOOD CAN DRY AND IM WONDERING IF I HAVE TO MOVE THAT WHOLE DAM PILE OUT SIDE TO DRY BEFORE I CAN USE IT IN 2 YEARS...WOOD PROCESSED 9-09 WILL IT AGE OK FOR 011 IF KEPT INSIDE...I COULD STORE 150 CORD INSIDE IF I KNEW THAT WAQS THE WAY TO DO IT...

 

[fossil]

I guess we'll all just have to wait a couple of years for you to tell us how that worked out for you, zim. Meantime, turn off your Caps Lock. Rick