Basic wood seasoning question

[Yarzy]

Hi everyone, I have what I THINK is a basic question for the group. Here goes:

If I were to order green wood (mostly oak) in the spring and stack it not outdoors, but in a barn, would it be seasoned enough to be used in two years? My issue is I don’t have a lot of sunny, windy areas outdoors, but I have a basically empty barn that I could stack wood into. Would it season enough all by itself (I don’t want to use a fan)?

Thanks

 

[smokinj]

3 year would be idea!

 

[Kenster]

Two years is the general rule but that is sort of a shotgun rule. Actual seasoning time can vary a lot on your location, climate, weather, etc. And the weather can change from year to year. I'm betting that my stacks of water oak that have been cut and split for the past six months are going to be close to "just right" after a little more than one year. For months, here in Texas, virtually the whole state, we've been in severe drought condition. We've been having temps in the 90s and 100s for weeks now. Lower humidity than normal. Very strong, dry winds day after day after day. My conditions are going to dry my wood a lot quicker than the folks up north with cooler summer temps, lots of rain, and relatively little wind.

But even here in these conditions, it would probably take three years in a barn.

 

[smokinj]

Two years is the general rule but that is sort of a shotgun rule. Actual seasoning time can vary a lot on your location, climate, weather, etc. And the weather can change from year to year. I'm betting that my stacks of water oak that have been cut and split for the past six months are going to be close to "just right" after a little more than one year. For months, here in Texas, virtually the whole state, we've been in severe drought condition. We've been having temps in the 90s and 100s for weeks now. Lower humidity than normal. Very strong, dry winds day after day after day. My conditions are going to dry my wood a lot quicker than the folks up north with cooler summer temps, lots of rain, and relatively little wind.

But even here in these conditions, it would probably take three years in a barn.

Texas Maybe not up North! It will burn ok at 2 years but if your looking for the btu's oak produces its 3 years up here.

 

[Kenster]

Two years is the general rule but that is sort of a shotgun rule. Actual seasoning time can vary a lot on your location, climate, weather, etc. And the weather can change from year to year. I'm betting that my stacks of water oak that have been cut and split for the past six months are going to be close to "just right" after a little more than one year. For months, here in Texas, virtually the whole state, we've been in severe drought condition. We've been having temps in the 90s and 100s for weeks now. Lower humidity than normal. Very strong, dry winds day after day after day. My conditions are going to dry my wood a lot quicker than the folks up north with cooler summer temps, lots of rain, and relatively little wind.

But even here in these conditions, it would probably take three years in a barn.

Texas Maybe not up North! It will burn ok at 2 years but if your looking for the btu's oak produces its 3 years up here.

Yep! That's pretty much what I said. ;-)

 

[midwestcoast]

What kind of barn? How big, how constructed, big doors left open....?
I've never done it or seen it done, but if we're talking about a big ole timber frame with loose wood siding, big doors & ventilation windows left open and a 40' high ridgeline you should do okay. Those old barns were made to let moisture from hay escape and the amount of moisture given off by the wood should be low compared to overall air volume in the barn..
A metal clad barn is something different tho.

Outside would give it more air movement than in the barn and I'd bet would dry faster even if you don't have a great location to stack it.

 

[smokinj]

Two years is the general rule but that is sort of a shotgun rule. Actual seasoning time can vary a lot on your location, climate, weather, etc. And the weather can change from year to year. I'm betting that my stacks of water oak that have been cut and split for the past six months are going to be close to "just right" after a little more than one year. For months, here in Texas, virtually the whole state, we've been in severe drought condition. We've been having temps in the 90s and 100s for weeks now. Lower humidity than normal. Very strong, dry winds day after day after day. My conditions are going to dry my wood a lot quicker than the folks up north with cooler summer temps, lots of rain, and relatively little wind.

But even here in these conditions, it would probably take three years in a barn.

Texas Maybe not up North! It will burn ok at 2 years but if your looking for the btu's oak produces its 3 years up here.

Yep! That's pretty much what I said. ;-)

:cheese:

 

[iceman]

it amazes me how much we factor elements into the equation, of course they are the main ingredients...lol BUT we often fail to take into equation the size of the split.. smaller splits= less time to dry.... no matter what you climate conditions are...
i would rather put in toothpicks and fill up a stove rather than unseasoned wood... If you don't have time to wait then split or resplit to smaller sizes...
yes i agree oak def needs 2-3 yrs in most cases, but if you need it quick split in small sizes

 

[Bspring]

Also, consider what kind of oak. Red Oak will take the longest from what I have heard here.

 

[Kenster]

Maybe we should preface this sort of discussion with... "all things being equal...."

A five inch, triangular split.
Red Oak.

We can estimate it based on our locations around the country and our current climate/weather factors.

With those parameters, we could come close to having an apples to apples comparison.

Just plug in a different tree species to vary the discussion.

 

[iceman]

Also, consider what kind of oak. Red Oak will take the longest from what I have heard here.

thats what i mostly use and and found the hard way it takes years to season...
that said, is also why now my splits are small..to medium... nothing over 6" inches triangular on any one side... try to keep them around 4-5"... my new thing is rectangular splits... small splits but pack in tight for overnight loads....
i know it sounds weird but i just cant keep 12+ cords in my back yard without pissing off neighbors or the wife..
so in order to stay sane i am splitting smaller, even if they arent perfect still burn great due to quickly burning off any moisture that is left over......

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Yes, I've seen wood dried this way and yes, it dries slower. Around here we leave oak in the stack 3 years before burning. Of course you can speed this up a bit depending on how the wood is split and stacked but I doubt you could get it ready in less than 3 years stacked inside a barn. And as someone else has mentioned, we do not know how much air this barn allows. Is this an old drafty barn or is it really enclosed? It will make a difference.


But to answer your question, "If I were to order green wood (mostly oak) in the spring and stack it not outdoors, but in a barn, would it be seasoned enough to be used in two years?" No.

 

[Battenkiller]

Been a while, but I seem to remember from back when I worked with horses that the hay loft was always real hot and the stalls were always nice and cool. If my memory is correct and you aren't dragging the wood up to the hay loft, I think it will season better outside... even in areas that see a lot of rain. Don't forget that when it's raining outside, the relative humidity inside the barn will be near 100% anyway. Wood won't dry at all in the rain, but neither will it dry when the RH of the surrounding air is 100%.

 

[firefighterjake]

Hi everyone, I have what I THINK is a basic question for the group. Here goes:

If I were to order green wood (mostly oak) in the spring and stack it not outdoors, but in a barn, would it be seasoned enough to be used in two years? My issue is I don’t have a lot of sunny, windy areas outdoors, but I have a basically empty barn that I could stack wood into. Would it season enough all by itself (I don’t want to use a fan)?

Thanks

Quick answer: No.

Even with the wood split small, even with loose packed stacks and even with a drafty barn . . . I suspect that while some of this wood might be OK, the combination of oak and being inside would make it less than desirable in two years.

In my own case I loose stack maple, ash and elm outside uncovered for 7-9 months and then it goes in my woodshed for 1 year+ . . . a woodshed with ventilated sides (think board and batting minus the batting) . . . and even then I get an occasional spitter . . . it's tough to season wood inside when the wood does not have good exposure to the wind (especially inside the middle of the stack) . . . and when you add in oak which is notorious for taking a long time to season . . . . well, a better idea would be to see if you cannot find the space to at least season the wood outside for a year or so.

 

[BrotherBart]

Knock the ends out of the thing to let air in and and make sure rising heat and moisture can get out and it will do fine. I keep seeing all of this "three years for oak" stuff here. I burn 99.9 percent red and white oak and top covered from the time it is split. Stuff is at 20% and usually much less at two years. And I live in monsoon land with rain and high humidity all summer long.

I let some sit for four years to see if there was any difference. None at all.

Keep the rain off the top of the stuff and it will dry just fine. Iceman found that out the hard way two years ago.

Rant away boys and girls.

 

[iceman]

Knock the ends out of the thing to let air in and and make sure rising heat and moisture can get out and it will do fine. I keep seeing all of this "three years for oak" stuff here. I burn 99.9 percent red and white oak and top covered from the time it is split. Stuff is at 20% and usually much less at two years. And I live in monsoon land with rain and high humidity all summer long.

I let some sit for four years to see if there was any difference. None at all.

Keep the rain off the top of the stuff and it will dry just fine. Iceman found that out the hard way two years ago.

Rant away boys and girls.

I





Ahhh, I was trying so hard to forget! Lmao!

 

[snowleopard]

BK brought up a good point.

Haylofts were designed to essentially provide the same conditions for hay and straw that are ideal for also seasoning wood: hot, dry, with good ventilation. The ones that were built back when farming was powered by animals and people, at least where I grew up, were frequently built into a hillside, which meant the farmers could drive their wagonloads of hay directly into the loft and unload there, then toss the feed and bedding down to the animals living below. If you have that kind of a setup, you're talking 'bout a whole 'nuther situation.

 

[Yarzy]

Guys,

Thanks so much for all the replies. So, to answer some questions, yes, I have one of the old barns built on the hillside, etc. Wood board walls, the whole nine yards. I would think it was rebuilt in the early 1800's, so we are talking old school. The one thing is I would most likely put the wood in the bottom level since it is on stone/concrete vs the wood floor upstairs. It is ventilated, but I would not say drafty.

Now you guys have me thinking about a wood shed. Can these be put up against the side of a stone house? It is hard to explain, but the door closest to the stove has limited room out back vs the larger area with the barns.

Thanks again!

 

[nate379]

Glad just have spruce and birch here. The stuff I cut and split this week will be ok to burn for this winter.