Will this wood be ok?

[Cudos]

My brother in law has about 1/2 cord of poplar. Some splits and many rounds. This stuff has been sitting outside in the elements for about 8 years. It has a greyish color to it now. Wondering if I could use this in my PE Super27? any problems with stuff this old.

Thanks

 

[wendell]

As long as it's not punky, you should be fine.

 

[Cudos]

Ok thanks, now at the risk of sounding like an idiot here: what does punky wood refer to?

 

[billb3]

Ok thanks, now at the risk of sounding like an idiot here: what does punky wood refer to?

rotten
or
compost

there is probably a cellular degeneration definition also

 

[Cudos]

Oh ok, got it, Thanks

 

[TreePapa]

Ok thanks, now at the risk of sounding like an idiot here: what does punky wood refer to?

Like tryin' to split a sponge.

Peace,
- Sequoia

 

[webby3650]

I can't believe poplar could sit that long and not be punky.

 

[Brian VT]

It's not very good firewood even under the best of conditions. I've got about 20 big poplar 100 yds. from my house. Most of them have fallen and would be easy picking. I'd sooner hook up the trailer and travel to get hardwood than bother with those poplar. If it's all you got, burn it and be warm.
It ranks with pine for BTUs : http://thelograck.com/firewood_rating_chart.html

 

[Cudos]

Yea I'm not worried about btu's at this point. I don't have a stock pile of well seasoned wood yet and this stuff I thought was well seasoned, albeit not the best for burning. I'm more concerned with creosote build up and smoky fires. I assuming this 8 year old stuff (if not rotten) should burn ok.

 

[Brian VT]

I assuming this 8 year old stuff (if not rotten) should burn ok.

I wouldn't assume. The splits should make a dry clinking sound when hit together. Not a thud.
I'd be more concerned with the rounds after splitting. Check them with a moisture meter, if possible.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

It would be amazing if this stuff is not punky (soft. When trying to split it will just crumble instead.) Without actually seeing it, I'd still leave it. I highly doubt it would be any good at all.

 

[Wood Duck]

I'd split a few of the rounds to see if there is good, solid wood left on the inside or rotten punky wood. If it was stored in a dry place, even an exposed pile off the ground, it could be well seasoned.

 

[Dune]

Nothing wrong with poplar. It burns fast and it burns hot. Stuff could be fine! Easy enough to tell if it is punky or not.

 

[LLigetfa]

If it's wood, it will burn albeit it will burn better dry than wet. Before I had my shed, my wood was stacked on top of Poplar that sat on the ground as sacrifice wood. After building the shed, I took down my outdoor stacks along with the punky soaking wet Poplar bases. At first I was going to put all the punky Poplar on my outdoor burn pile but figured it wouldn't burn wet so just put it in the shed to dry out. After it dried, I burned in the stove whatever would split cleanly. If it chunked off to the side when splitting, it went on the burn pile.

Now, I won't go out of my way to get Poplar and I only burned it in the stove cuz the stove was closer than my burn pile and I'm generally a lazy person. If a Poplar falls I'll leave it where it lays unless it falls toward my yard and I'm forced to clean it up. In that case some of it ends up in my woodshed and all the branches go on the burn pile.

 

[BrotherBart]

I hate it when I run low on Poplar during the winter. Split small that stuff is the best kindling in the world.

There was one year that I heated this joint the whole winter with nothing but Poplar.

 

['bert]

I would think it would be not worth the effort unless it was bucked up when it was cut down and stored off the ground. BTW Cudos you can get a decent moisture meter from Canadian Tire. They go on sale for $ 40 on a regular basis. The one from Princess Auto is not worth taking home. Where in Central AB are you?

 

[North of 60]

It's not very good firewood even under the best of conditions. I've got about 20 big poplar 100 yds. from my house. Most of them have fallen and would be easy picking. I'd sooner hook up the trailer and travel to get hardwood than bother with those poplar. If it's all you got, burn it and be warm.
It ranks with pine for BTUs : http://thelograck.com/firewood_rating_chart.html

Cmon man , I heat my home with the stuff. Your winters are like our shoulder seasons. If its there for the taking and is not rotten. It will do just fine. Better than paying for that hardwood stuff. Free is good. 1/2 a cord is better than no cord. Each time he burns that poplar, it will save that hardwood for when it gets cold.

 

[Dune]

I hate it when I run low on Poplar during the winter. Split small that stuff is the best kindling in the world.

There was one year that I heated this joint the whole winter with nothing but Poplar.

I had a freind in New Jersey(dead now) who heated his large house entirely with poplar. His wife was a deputy sherrif, and the local public works department dropped off loads of poplar rounds. He just split and stacked it. I can't imagine anyone not burning it, it is every bit as good a wood as pine.

 

[North of 60]

I hate it when I run low on Poplar during the winter. Split small that stuff is the best kindling in the world.

There was one year that I heated this joint the whole winter with nothing but Poplar.

I had a freind in New Jersey(dead now) who heated his large house entirely with poplar. His wife was a deputy sherrif, and the local public works department dropped off loads of poplar rounds. He just split and stacked it. I can't imagine anyone not burning it, it is every bit as good a wood as pine.

Hell ya, no sap to deal with either.

 

[madrone]

It's not very good firewood even under the best of conditions. I've got about 20 big poplar 100 yds. from my house. Most of them have fallen and would be easy picking. I'd sooner hook up the trailer and travel to get hardwood than bother with those poplar. If it's all you got, burn it and be warm.
It ranks with pine for BTUs : http://thelograck.com/firewood_rating_chart.html

Cmon man , I heat my home with the stuff. Your winters are like our shoulder seasons. If its there for the taking and is not rotten. It will do just fine. Better than paying for that hardwood stuff. Free is good. 1/2 a cord is better than no cord. Each time he burns that poplar, it will save that hardwood for when it gets cold.

classic. thanks.

 

[LLigetfa]

I had a freind in New Jersey(dead now) who heated his large house entirely with poplar.
...
I can't imagine anyone not burning it, it is every bit as good a wood as pine.

Nice comparison... we all heard the horrors of Pine. It was probably the Poplar that killed him. All those fine powder ashes probably gave him an asthma attack.

I'd rather pay $100 for a cord of Black Ash than take free Poplar and Aspen off my own land.

 

[Ratman]

Vanessa says poplar is great.

http://www.ec.gc.ca/cleanair-airpur/videos/Woodstove_mgt-Eng.wmv

 

[BrotherBart]

Vanessa says poplar is great.

http://www.ec.gc.ca/cleanair-airpur/videos/Woodstove_mgt-Eng.wmv

Vanessa is always right.

 

[crazy_dan]

All wood has the same BTUs on a pound per pound basis.

 

[Dune]

I had a freind in New Jersey(dead now) who heated his large house entirely with poplar.
...
I can't imagine anyone not burning it, it is every bit as good a wood as pine.

Nice comparison... we all heard the horrors of Pine. It was probably the Poplar that killed him. All those fine powder ashes probably gave him an asthma attack.

I'd rather pay $100 for a cord of Black Ash than take free Poplar and Aspen off my own land.

I'd rather pay $100 dollars a cord for black ash, than have to fell, de-brush, cut, load, and unload free oak, do you deliver for that price? To Cape Cod? Around here a "cord" of "mixed local hardwood", "forest fresh" is $300-$400 dollars. By local hardwood, of course, I mean nice soft swamp maple, with some oak on top. If you wanted it seasoned, you should have ordered it years ago.