White birch question...

[Swedishchef]

Hey guys

I recently purchased 1 cord of white birch (mixed with a bit of cherry) from an older guy nearby. He has barely any money and offered to sell me a cord for $200. It is cut and split and 3 years old.

However, once I started stacking it in my back yard, I noticed that some pieces had not been split. They were 8-10 inches in diameter. So I split them. They were not overly damp inside, however, it seems as though the wood has begun to get "punky". It's not falling apart but by looking at it you can tell that had I not split it this year (and burn it this winter) the wood would have been worse off next winter.

Is this normal? Should it still burn properly this winter?

Thanks

Andrew

 

[gzecc]

I just turned down white birch, because I've always experienced white birch rotting while still in the ground. It will definetly rot if not split in very short order. Look at your purchase as a good deed, not a bad deal. I would only work or pay for river birch, yellow birch, and black birch, after I inspected! Birch is nice if its nice!

 

[Wood Duck]

All birches seem to rot faster than many other types of wood. Even Black and Yellow Birches, which are almost as dense as oak, rot way faster than oak, and seem to rot from the inside out. Burn it soon

 

[Swedishchef]

That's what I figured.

The pieces that were split seem fine. It's only the rounds that were not split that seem to have a little bit of "punkyness" (for lack of better term ;D ) in the middle. That's why I wanted to split those rounds. Some 4 inch rounds are completely dried but the larger ones were a bit damp.

Andrew

 

[gpcollen1]

Birch should not be left in rounds for more than 1 year. That bark does not fall off like others and apparently does not allow moisture out. Bottom line, in rounds the wood does get punky.

 

[Battenkiller]

Birch bark contains a waxy substance called subarin. It makes the bark totally waterproof, so rounds only dry from the ends. Fungus takes hold and soon you are left with nothing but mush on the inside. It has to be split or it will do that every time.

Because of the waxy subarin, birch bark is just about the world's best fire starter, burning with an intensity like napalm. I've found paper birch in the woods that was so rotten I could practically shake the wood out of the bark tube. After peeling the bark and putting it in the sun to dry, it was still a decent fire starter.

 

[fire_man]

I loaded some small diameter unsplit white Birch into an unused fireplace over 10 years ago just for show. The wood stayed there (dry) for 10 years - I just happened to look closely at it a couple days ago and noticed the wood at the ends was all punky and soft. I think it goes to show even when kept dry this stuff rots if left un-split.

 

[Flatbedford]

There's a reason they make canoes out of birch bark. Split it fast, or it will rot!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Hey guys

I recently purchased 1 cord of white birch (mixed with a bit of cherry) from an older guy nearby. He has barely any money and offered to sell me a cord for $200. It is cut and split and 3 years old.

However, once I started stacking it in my back yard, I noticed that some pieces had not been split. They were 8-10 inches in diameter. So I split them. They were not overly damp inside, however, it seems as though the wood has begun to get "punky". It's not falling apart but by looking at it you can tell that had I not split it this year (and burn it this winter) the wood would have been worse off next winter.

Is this normal? Should it still burn properly this winter?

Thanks

Andrew

Andy, the price seems a bit high but that can depend upon your area.

As for the birch and cherry, that cherry should be really good; use that for your night wood or later when it gets really cold. The birch is probably okay to burn yet but maybe not the best. As others have stated, it can turn to punk quite fast if not split. The same goes for in the woods. If it comes down on its own, chances are it is already worthless. That is why when you see a birch dieing, cut it and split it quickly or forget it.

If the wood is perhaps 1/3 punk, I'd still burn it. I have a rule of thumb here; if it is more than 1/4 or 1/3 punk, it goes on a brush pile rather than in the stove.

 

[Swedishchef]

Dennis

Thanks for the input. I think it's mildly punky, perhaps 5% or so. Nothing serious but I just wanted to check with the PROS to make sure I wasn't shooting myself in the foot.

It is expensive; I was doing him more of a favor than anything. He thanked me about 10 times in 10 minutes. I ran into him the next evening, he had been drinking a few sociables. He gave me a big hug and bought me a beer. It was a decent deal for me but a great deal for him.

A,

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Hey Swede, it sounds like this all ended well and we're happy for you. Sometimes it just feels good to do a favor for some folks.

 

[Ratman]

Hey guys

I recently purchased 1 cord of white birch (mixed with a bit of cherry) from an older guy nearby. He has barely any money and offered to sell me a cord for $200. It is cut and split and 3 years old.

However, once I started stacking it in my back yard, I noticed that some pieces had not been split. They were 8-10 inches in diameter. So I split them. They were not overly damp inside, however, it seems as though the wood has begun to get "punky". It's not falling apart but by looking at it you can tell that had I not split it this year (and burn it this winter) the wood would have been worse off next winter.

Is this normal? Should it still burn properly this winter?

Thanks

Andrew

waterproof bark has a tendency to hold all the wood's moisture in.
just ask the Indians with their canoes.

 

[firefighterjake]

Hey guys

I recently purchased 1 cord of white birch (mixed with a bit of cherry) from an older guy nearby. He has barely any money and offered to sell me a cord for $200. It is cut and split and 3 years old.

However, once I started stacking it in my back yard, I noticed that some pieces had not been split. They were 8-10 inches in diameter. So I split them. They were not overly damp inside, however, it seems as though the wood has begun to get "punky". It's not falling apart but by looking at it you can tell that had I not split it this year (and burn it this winter) the wood would have been worse off next winter.

Is this normal? Should it still burn properly this winter?

Thanks

Andrew

waterproof bark has a tendency to hold all the wood's moisture in.
just ask the Indians with their canoes.

True, but aren't the Native Americans with their birchbark canoes more concerned with holding the water out of their canoe.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

No Jake. Now they use motors on the canoes so they go fast enough that water can't soak in.