Uh Oh...Wood is Wetter Than I Thought......Advice?

[BurnIt13]

Just like the title says...my wood is too wet and I'm looking for advice. (Please don't say go buy dry wood!) We're hard up on cash with the newborn in the house and we were hoping to use the wood to save money!

A little history.... I bought 3 cords of "seasoned" wood in early October. I bought a moisture meter to see where it was at and found it to be in the mid 20's So much for seasoned wood! I put a cord in the basement with the dehumidifier running like mad and a bunch of fans blowing at the wood. I just finished burning this stuff a week ago and it was actually burning pretty good!

This past week I've been burning from the two cords stacked next to by house (full sun). I've been having a hard time regulating the temp and I've been having to run it with the air open more than normal. I thought it was the weather but it was really cold a few days ago and it still didn't burn well.

Today I took a moisture reading and nearly fell on the floor! A small split was in the low-mid 20's when split and a large one was near 30 in the middle! CRAP! Well this is the wood I've got, so now what? I've got some cut up pallets that I've been mixing in but it hasn't been helping much.

What does a guy do with crappy wood?

BTW...its an Englander 30 with 5ft of double wall stove pipe and 17ft of double wall chimney.

 

[nate379]

Pretty much nothing you can do other than let it set for a year or two.

 

[Dix]

Pallets, Eco/Bio bricks, to mix with the wet firewood is a good start.

Trade a cord with someone who has seasoned?

 

[pen]

Might be able to split some of them down again. That gives them more surface area and helps getting things to progress when burning less than optimal stuff.

You can't bring some of this wood back in the house again where you had the other stuff drying and start that process again? I'm not an advocate of keeping wood in the house, but if you are going to be trying to burn this stuff anyway, I'd rather you make every attempt at it being dry.

I know you said money is tight, but if you could spare a few bucks maybe you could find some bio bricks, envi blocks, etc and mix one in w/ each load.

Also, remember to sweep that chimney more often than normal (I'd recommend monthly if you are doing it yourself and able) when burning wood that is sub-par. Additionally, don't forget to get next years wood at the house now so that it has all summer to dry and you aren't in this spot again.

Most all of us have been here, I feel for ya, it'll get easier in time. Just be safe.

pen

 

[Hogwildz]

Get yourself 4 or 5 big plastic totes from Walmart and put the in the stove room, fill them with the wood splits and they will dry fairly well. In about a week or two.
I did this the last couple years and had about 2 to 3 weeks worth of wood inside and drying. Can be a bit messy, but vacuum can cure that.

 

[MD burner]

I am a newbie, but here is my two cents.

My husband and I were having a similar problem, and we ended up bartering some of our unseasoned locust for well-seasoned locust from a co-worker of my husband's (who then wouldn't take ours - called it a "house-warming" present, lol). Anyway, have you tried to see if someone locally will trade or barter with you?

When we were burning unseasoned wood in December out of necessity, we had to add wood to the fire every 3 hours or so, keep the door cracked for a while after adding splits even with a good bed of coals, and use the smallest possible splits we had. It worked (barely), but it was time-consuming.

Good luck!

 

[Pallet Pete]

I used a clay pot a few years ago and put it by the stove full of wood. We where short on firewood that year and this helped it dry fast for the next load.

Good luck
Pete

 

[wkpoor]

This past yr really sucked for drying wood. In fact it couldn't have been worse if I had stored it in a pond. I bought a cord of drier wood but still not anything under 20%. Cheapest solution has been pellets. I throw a couple scoops in before reloads and it helps get a nice hot flame going quickly to offset the steam coming off the wood. Its is amazing how much heat comes off the stove when I do put some dry wood in. Last yr I had nice dry wood but its all gone and after 70+ inches of rain this year any wood stored outside is soaked.

 

[ScotO]

This past yr really sucked for drying wood. In fact it couldn't have been worse if I had stored it in a pond. I bought a cord of drier wood but still not anything under 20%. Cheapest solution has been pellets. I throw a couple scoops in before reloads and it helps get a nice hot flame going quickly to offset the steam coming off the wood. Its is amazing how much heat comes off the stove when I do put some dry wood in. Last yr I had nice dry wood but its all gone and after 70+ inches of rain this year any wood stored outside is soaked.

yes it was a miserable year for seasoning wood here in central PA too...I think we ended up with 54 inches of rain for the year in our area, which slammed the record.......and now I'm definately building a woodshed this summer.......guaranteed....

 

[WoodpileOCD]

Split down smaller and do the dehumidifier/fan thing. Mix in pallets if you can get them. I was there last year and it was a real PITA. NEVER again...

 

[sam_j]

I have plans for a solar wood dryer that I found online. Not sure how much it would help, but it might.
http://owic.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/pubs/solar_wood_dryer.pdf

It might be possible to dry your wood in a month with the dryer; not sure how much that would help. If there is any way you can get some dry wood "stretch" your green wood by burning 1 piece of green with every 4 or 5 pieces of dry.

 

[wkpoor]

This past yr really sucked for drying wood. In fact it couldn't have been worse if I had stored it in a pond. I bought a cord of drier wood but still not anything under 20%. Cheapest solution has been pellets. I throw a couple scoops in before reloads and it helps get a nice hot flame going quickly to offset the steam coming off the wood. Its is amazing how much heat comes off the stove when I do put some dry wood in. Last yr I had nice dry wood but its all gone and after 70+ inches of rain this year any wood stored outside is soaked.

yes it was a miserable year for seasoning wood here in central PA too...I think we ended up with 54 inches of rain for the year in our area, which slammed the record.......and now I'm definately building a woodshed this summer.......guaranteed....

Thats on my list too.

 

[WoodpileOCD]

I have plans for a solar wood dryer that I found online. Not sure how much it would help, but it might.
http://owic.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/pubs/solar_wood_dryer.pdf

It might be possible to dry your wood in a month with the dryer; not sure how much that would help. If there is any way you can get some dry wood "stretch" your green wood by burning 1 piece of green with every 4 or 5 pieces of dry.

Interesting article and plans. I have built a solar food dryer on the same basic principle and it works great. I can run the temp inside up to 140 -160º on a sunny 80-90º day.

I might build a small version of this and do some experimenting with it. Split some fresh rounds and put half in the dryer and half stacked uncovered right beside it. Measure every 3-4 weeks for moisture content.

 

[sam_j]

Hi Woodpile,

I'm in Wilson; where are you in central NC? Saw this study regarding solar vs air drying so I haven't tryed the solar dryer yet.

http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_rn450.pdf

 

[WoodpileOCD]

Sam I'm in Mint Hill which borders Charlotte on the SE side.

I read through your link pdf and their methodology doesn't seem very sound to me. Basically just covering unsplit wood with plastic with the main objective to try to raise the temp some it seems. I do like the idea of the framed solar dryer which promotes air movement even on still days. I'm thinking that black plastic would be better than clear on this though. I'm enough ahead that don't anticipate needing something like this but you never know. I like playing with things like this and if I can prove that it works and you could dry splits in a couple months it would certainly help out a lot of newbies who have been through the same trials and tribulations as most of us who are unprepared the first year.

Good to know there are a few more of us in NC.

 

[sam_j]

I agree the methodology doesn't seem sound. Also, we don't know what they mean when they say "solar kiln". I have the lumber and plastic to make the dryer but haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

[weatherguy]

I remember when you bought that wood from the craigslist ad, same guy I called back in May. Do what a couple suggested and put some wood inside, the clay pot sounds like a good idea, instead of bio bricks I would buy the better quality compressed logs, not sure where you are in central mass but theres a guy in Leominster that sells them for 1.25-1.50 each depending on how many you buy. One in each load will really help raise the temp and they last 8-10 hours.

 

[gyrfalcon]

What does a guy do with crappy wood?.

Your absolute best bet is to leave it for next year. If you absolutely cannot afford to do that, get to work and split it all down as far as you can, 2 to 3-inch splits.

Second, make space near the stove to stack a large quantity of it, and get ready to relay it in all winter. (Stack the rest of it loosely, "lincoln log style," out in the open and uncovered.) Turn a fan on it, if you can. Small splits will dry next to the stove in a week or so.

Beg, borrow or pay for some supply of dry something, pallets or whatever, so you can start your fires and also get them going again when they die because the wood is too green to catch well.

Get some Super-Cedars for the same reason.

VERY important, get your chimney cleaned every couple of weeks until you know how well your set-up copes with burning green wood.

This is a major PITA, but many of us have been there, done that. There are ways to cope, but none that don't involve a lot -- a lot -- of extra work and vigilance.

 

[gyrfalcon]

By the way, "mid-20s" is really not that bad if the reading was taken from the inside of a freshly split piece, so you may not be as bad off as you think. It's not ideal, but it's OK. If the 20-something reading was from the outside of a split, that's another story and means the inside is much higher moisture.

 

[thinkxingu]

Yup--mid-20's is burnable. I would take your best guess about which are closer to 20 and mix with 30. Or split down smaller and bring inside near stove to dry as much as possible. Or re-load earlier so the wood'll still go up. Smoldering's no good, but if it's good and hot the wood'll burn.

S

 

[firebroad]

I am in exactly the same boat as you. I have been trying to find my driest splits, and laying two on the bottom of the firebox N/S. then I place two Ecobricks E/W with about an inch or so between them, and when they get going good and hot put a few splits in. So far, so good. I have another two cords coming tonight, and they will join the others for possibly next year.

I love how dealers tell you it is "seasoned and ready to burn". This guy that is delivering tonight insists that his wood (Oak) is cut from "Dead trees, so there is no sap left in them. I burn it myself, just let is sit for about three weeks." I did not argue with him, but it was hard not to laugh.

 

[Stump_Branch]

Seems to be common amoung new to wood burning folks. Been there done that, and the never again part is the thing to take away from this. Get splitting and stack now so you wont have this issue. Its tough to start but once you get more than one year ahead you can relax. Its been said wood stacked to dry is as good as money in the bank. The more you have ditting for longer the better.

Best of luck to you.

 

[firebroad]

Seems to be common amoung new to wood burning folks. Been there done that, and the never again part is the thing to take away from this. Get splitting and stack now so you wont have this issue. Its tough to start but once you get more than one year ahead you can relax. Its been said wood stacked to dry is as good as money in the bank. The more you have ditting for longer the better.

Best of luck to you.

You bet, that is the plan. I am getting another 2-cord load in the spring as well. Oh well, a good way to keep my girlish figure (yeahright).

 

[maple1]

You need to get as much of the wood as you can inside. If you don't have room for all of it, keep bringing more in as you burn. Resplit as small as you quickly can as you re-pile inside. Set up a large slow moving fan at the bottom of the pile blowing out. Keep that going. Don't bother with a dehumidifier unless your air levels are really high - they can use a lot of juice. Not sure what all you have for space - if there's room in your stove room, pile as much re-split stuff as you safely can there, put that stuff in the stove. As long as you get as much under cover as you have room for, re-split it, and keep air moving around it, things will improve greatly fairly quickly - especially if you've got pallets to help while the wood is drying some. It will require some on going work keeping the wood moving around, but at this point it comes down to time management and how much you value keeping warm and comfortable. And it won't cost you more money.

 

[gyrfalcon]

I love how dealers tell you it is "seasoned and ready to burn". This guy that is delivering tonight insists that his wood (Oak) is cut from "Dead trees, so there is no sap left in them. I burn it myself, just let is sit for about three weeks." I did not argue with him, but it was hard not to laugh.

I don't know what the situation is in your neck of the woods, but where I am, a very large number of people heat with wood, and only a small fraction of those are using EPA stoves. Most are working with ancient "smoke dragons" that will burn anything. A large number have their own woodlots and cut their own fuel, plus a few extra cords to sell to their neighbors who don't have woodlots. They do not cut it and stack for two years before burning. (Some of these larger, drafty old farmhouses with inefficient old stoves burn as much as 20 or 25 cords a year.) Many don't cut until they run out.

Bottom line, the accepted standard around here, and I suspect in most rural parts of the country, for "seasoned" is wood that was cut down in the spring or early summer. I've had more than one person shake their heads sadly at my insistence on having dry wood, telling me it won't burn as well and won't give as much heat.

So before you decide somebody is cheating you, consider that their definition of "seasoned" wood may well be the old one, not the one we minority of new-fangled EPA stove burners use.

There are actually few wood sellers stupid enough to deliberately cheat a potential regular new customer.