Anyone heat their homes with slab wood?
- Thread starter Don2222
- Start date
-
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. -
Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
Been using some Got a few rolls worth couple years ago. but you have to dry out a bit more, burns up pretty quick. what I had gotten was all oak from paper thin to some as thick as 3"all roughly about 6" wide by 4+ feet long. it was pretty cheap then even with delivery. 1 roll was = to 1 cord think I have about 1/2 cord left.
Its fairly common in my area. Hardwood, mostly oak are banded in 8' lenghts 3-4' around generally sell for around $80. The local Runnings store sells it in campfire bundles for around $6. I've never used it I know people with outdoor boilers that do.
I have hemlock 12" paneling scrap left over. Put it on the saw and chopped it into little bits. Used 3 large lawn / leaf bags to fill those bags full. Makes for the best kindling you could ever have. Unlike the kindling you get from a firewood seller when you reach the bottom of your pile after stacking, it's not dirty - and it's predictable. A few pieces get a fire going, and a few pieces wake a fire up. I love it, and likely will go to my local mill asking that any scraps they end up with, sell a pallet to me every few years!
As far as slab wood, I would have no problem buying slab wood from her if they are selling it cheap cheap. I would likely use it in my fireplace in between larger pieces, or even my stove if I need to get it hotter quicker.
Im not sure I would want to use just slab wood though. The more edges you have, the hotter and faster you are going to burn. I would be afraid of overfiring my stove if I stacked it to the very top with nothing but slab wood. Very afraid.
As far as slab wood, I would have no problem buying slab wood from her if they are selling it cheap cheap. I would likely use it in my fireplace in between larger pieces, or even my stove if I need to get it hotter quicker.
Im not sure I would want to use just slab wood though. The more edges you have, the hotter and faster you are going to burn. I would be afraid of overfiring my stove if I stacked it to the very top with nothing but slab wood. Very afraid.
YEP I do not stack it full, the pieces start to curl as they burn so a full loadwould get you an overfire quick.
I have seen several folks running OWBs on slab wood. Its really better to for boilers with thermal storage but most boiler owners would not go to the trouble.
I know the VP of blaze King got a load of slab wood. Fr the pics I saw I estimate about an inch thick. He'll burn it.
BKVP
Minister of Fire
I purchased Douglas Fir 16' length bundles. $45/bundle. Each bundle was about 1 cord of wood. It stacks incredibly tight. My wife loves it. For me, I laid out pallets with 6" gaps. Dragged the bundles onto the pallets. Ran ratchet straps around the bundles (gap in pallets) in addition to the straps that were on the wood when I loaded it. Ran the saw every 17" (KE40). Once I started, I would cut one or two of the 17" lengths, pick up the pieces and stack them. Neat and orderly. If you do not reinforce the bundles with additional straps, everything will go haywire on you! (Ask my buddy
!) I went and helped him pick up pieces, restack lengths etc.
They burn really nice. It also brought woodstove Tetris to a whole new level.
!) I went and helped him pick up pieces, restack lengths etc.They burn really nice. It also brought woodstove Tetris to a whole new level.
Are they dry enough to burn as they arrive? I suppose not. How then do you stack them so they can dry? Flat surface on flat surface is not really optimal for drying.
BKVP
Minister of Fire
Very few are flat! They are mostly the curves of the outside of the logs. So while they stack neatly and tightly, there is more than enough air circulation. No, I did not think they were all dry enough for burning last year. I brought large bundles into my home last year for my wife to use. I allowed these pieces to be exposed to the heat from our KE40 for about a week before I boarded a flight and headed off....This year, they are 100% ready! I just need to go get NIEL's for when I travel.
Similar threads
