Seasoning question

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
I had a bunch of rounds that are from a load back in June '11. Some of it may be cottonwood...not sure.

Went and split some of the rounds tonight. Guessing I split about a pick-up truck full. Some of it appears to be fairly dry, but it has just been split and stacked. How long before this is moderately seasoned? Chances are this will be my shoulder season wood. Doesn't take off immediately, but once a coal bed is established, it has been burning decently. None of this is oak or premium hardwood. I am not great at identifying wood, but it's not oak or maple for sure...probably not locust or ash either.
 
Some of the wood has sharp little bumps covering the entire surface. This split very easily and appears to be fairly dry already. Like I said, it has been sitting in round form for 2 full summers.
 
Alot would depend on the size of the rounds. I don't split anything I can easily pick up with my hand. My experience with the wood I have is larger rounds don't season well at all. Oak forget it! You can tell when the moisture is sizzling out on the end.
Pics would help to identify the wood firecracker. :)
 
If this wood was just now broken out of rounds and you will burn it this winter, frequent checking/cleaning the flue is called for. It is real often said that wood does not begin to dry seriously until after it is split and stacked. And THEN it takes time to dry ( how long depends on location, stacking, wind, sun and the whims of the BTU gods, etc.).
 
  • Like
Reactions: ScotO
You say it doesn't take off quickly but burns on a hot bed of coals. Sounds like it is wet. Any wood will burn on a hot bed of coals, but wet wood is using up a lot of BTUs to evaporate the water in the wood, and you are probably getting unburnt gases and particulates up a cool flue and depositing creosote. Dry the stuff until next year and I think you'll see it burn a lot better.

That said, it is possible to burn wood that isn't well seasoned, it just is less efficient than burning sesaoned wood. Plenty of people get by with unseasoned wood, and if they clean the flue frequently it probably works OK.
 
If you absolutely need that wood this year try and save it for the spring shoulder season. At least it will have a few months to dry and if it's 2 year old cotton wood it should give up it's moisture quickly once cracked open.
 
Be careful burning that stuff, firecracker.....if its wet, you'll be dealing with a dirtier flue (as Gark stated), unsplit rounds can be very "iffy" to burn. That's why I try to get stuff split as soon as I cut it up, if I end up sitting on rounds for any length of time, that's time that it could be split, stacked, and seasoning...
 
  • Like
Reactions: scotvl
IMG_0489.JPG
 
I'm thinking either basswood or poplar, hard to tell on my phone.
 
that looks like bass wood is a low heat wood about 12.5 million btu a cord i had some of that last year it was ok fore sholder season
 
  • Like
Reactions: firecracker_77
looks similar to maple we have up here.
 
I was going to say poplar or maple. Maple branches are sometimes very dry if its been dead and off the ground for many years.
I may see some box elder (red streaking) in there too.
 
Top photo looks like maple splits. The rest look like cottonwood or poplar. Maple has opposite branching so maybe you can eliminate that if branches are alternating. On my phone so unsure.
 
Looks kinda like box elder, with the reddish tinge and the bark.

just me 2 cents
 
Some of the wood has sharp little bumps covering the entire surface. This split very easily and appears to be fairly dry already. Like I said, it has been sitting in round form for 2 full summers.
This sounds like hackberry? Im sure its a light colored wood (the inside grain part)?
 
When its wet, when you split it you can feel the moisture in it. 30% feels damp.

I do see what looks like a maple split in there, that bark looks like cottonwood, but im not sure we have all those other trees but usually around here there is so much oak thats all folks including me usually cut, so i cant identify that as well. Yep im a forester, but we usually dont identify trees taht are several years old no vbark and split open!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: firecracker_77
I agree with others, there is a mix in there. Definitely some maple, looks like elm, and maybe cottonwood. Most of it will probably be "ok" for spring.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.