Worried about Mold.

[Gaitley]

Hello Everyone,
I’m looking for some help in assessing a cord of wood a bought. Specifically, I’m worried about the mold. I’ve searched for information about this but am still not clear, so I thought it share some photos here as ask for your help.

What looks like black mold (among other moles) seems to be everywhere, not just the ends, if 80% of the cord.

Is this unsafe to burn now? I’m in the northeast and was planning to use this ‘seasoned’ wood now.
If so, might it be safe if I let it dry over another summer?

I’m somewhat new to wood stoving and concerned I was given the ‘junk’ by this firewood guy, and that it won’t be safe to burn now.

Thank you!

 

[EbS-P]

It was piled or stacked wet at one point. As long as it’s dry now it’s safe to burn. I wouldn’t want to store it inside, but chances are those molds are quite common and probably not very toxic. But fewer mild spores we breathe the better I think. If you don’t have a moisture meter I suggest getting one.

My wet pine grows crazy stuff if in the wet spring and humid summer.

 

[Gaitley]

It was piled or stacked wet at one point. As long as it’s dry now it’s safe to burn. I wouldn’t want to store it inside, but chances are those molds are quite common and probably not very toxic. But fewer mild spores we breathe the better I think. If you don’t have a moisture meter I suggest getting one.

My wet pine grows crazy stuff if in the wet spring and humid summer.

Thanks so much for you quick reply! Most of it is <20%. Some is waterlogged though so I suspect your right that it was on the ground, and I likely got the bottom of the pile.

 

[Wildflush]

I got the bottom of a pile in April. Was 30% since it was wet. Stacked it and now 15/16%. It dried out nicely. I would stack it and the wind and sun will dry it out. Granted mine was drying all summer.

 

[30WCF]

I’d have never looked twice at that or thought anything about it. It will burn and go out the flue with the rest of it.

 

[brenndatomu]

Don't store it inside, just bring enough in to load...then don't lick your fingers afterwards!
Make sure you are testing the moisture on the middle of a freshly exposed face (resplit)

 

[Gaitley]

Thank you! I appreciate all the input. Glad to hear it’s not a big issue.

 

[peakbagger]

Whenever I just pile wood randomly after splitting before I have a chance to stack it and leave the pile for more than a few weeks I regret it. It may look fine on the outside but as I work down through the pile I find mold and the wood is black and greasy. Once stacked, the mold goes away but the black color remains. Compare that to the stuff that was stacked immediately after splitting and top covered and the wood stays light tan with gray in areas where there might be splashing. About the only good thing with black and greasy wood is that the bark tends to fall off quicker when handled.

If at all possible, I cut the rounds at my wood lot, throw them in the back of the Unimog, drive home and put the log splitter at the back and my loader on the other side of the splitter. I then directly load the rounds to the splitter and throw the rounds into the loader bucket and then drive to future stack and dump it. I take breaks from splitting to stack so by the end of the session I have it stacked and at least temporarily covered until I put up a more permanent top cover over it. The wood is a lot cleaner and has far less black stain.