Can wood be too dry?

[JordyBuck]

My moisture meter shows 17.8 to 13.4 percent moisture on my oak, cherry, and soft maple. The wood is two and three years old, stored outside and brought in for a few weeks. Someone mentioned that my wood may be too dry for an efficient burn. Is there any truth to that?

 

[Dieselhead]

Yes, wood too dry on some stoves can cause an issue, but at your numbers it will be fine.

 

[JordyBuck]

Yes, wood too dry on some stoves can cause an issue, but at your numbers it will be fine.

What's too dry? What type of stoves are more problematic about it?

 

[Dieselhead]

It was a recent topic

I

Thread 'Does burning extremely dry firewood in a wood burning stove pose any risks?'

Jul 12, 2025

Does burning extremely dry firewood in a wood burning stove pose any risks??

• Itslay90
• Replies: 12
• Forum: The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces

 

[Plink in NM]

The entire concept of "too dry" firewood is completely alien to me, as it goes against all common sense. Someone please explain how the most desirable metric of firewood becomes a negative. Me, I'll just bask in the added btu's as I'm not burning off energy evaporating moisture.

 

[Dieselhead]

The entire concept of "too dry" firewood is completely alien to me, as it goes against all common sense. Someone please explain how the most desirable metric of firewood becomes a negative. Me, I'll just bask in the added btu's as I'm not burning off energy evaporating moisture.

With my climate I’ll never experience it, I figure I’d just pass along others. Do you ever moisture check yours?

 

[ohlongarmisle]

The entire concept of "too dry" firewood is completely alien to me, as it goes against all common sense. Someone please explain how the most desirable metric of firewood becomes a negative. Me, I'll just bask in the added btu's as I'm not burning off energy evaporating moisture.

I tend to agree, i've burned lots of wood at 10% even lower,oak,usually and white ash,the King thrives on it and the combustor glows for hours no decrease in burning length or efficiency that i'm aware of.

 

[Slimdusty]

The drier the better in my opinion. However one caveat perhaps. I live in a dry climate, long hot low humidity summers and burn a lot of willow firewood that is very dry. Sometimes when I do a hot reload, the willow splits being lightweight and soft, I believe they off gas faster than my tube stove can keep up without opening up the air too much and therefore going nuclear. This will cause my glass to get dirty but I can live with that. If I pay attention I can usually avoid this but it happens sometimes. Just my anecdotal experience.

 

[ScottLewis]

I can't imagine problems with 10 percent moisture.

 

[Joe in MI]

Brought to you by the same people who say you shouldn't ever burn pine because it make creosote. Or that burning green wood is better because "it lasts longer."

I've heard stories of people over firing by burning a stove full of pallet wood, but beyond something like that, I think it would pretty hard to have *regular" firewood too dry.

 

[qwee]

5% moisture content Pine covered in sap in a warm stove and loaded full. Light it off. Full air. You forget the fire (it occurs). What happens? (I have 5% MC sappy Pine in my area - a mountain desert). How hot does that stove top metal get? 600F? 800F? 1000F?

Sometimes I sell wood like this. I tell buyers to be careful when burning it because it is very dry and sappy. They say, ",,,the drier the better...." Okay I say, but I might mix slower burning higher moisture content wood with this Pine - they laugh, "...wood can never be too dry...." Just don't get distracted after you stuff the stove and light the kindling.

It happens he gets distracted. His wife says, "Honey, I like the bright orange paint you used on the stove, it matches the curtains." Him - ahhhhh!

 

[Dieselhead]

5% moisture content Pine covered in sap in a warm stove and loaded full. Light it off. Full air. You forget the fire (it occurs). What happens? (I have 5% MC sappy Pine in my area - a mountain desert). How hot does that stove top metal get? 600F? 800F? 1000F?

Sometimes I sell wood like this. I tell buyers to be careful when burning it because it is very dry and sappy. They say, ",,,the drier the better...." Okay I say, but I might mix slower burning higher moisture content wood with this Pine - they laugh, "...wood can never be too dry...." Just don't get distracted after you stuff the stove and light the kindling.

They know better than you 🤷🏻‍♂️ sometimes it’s easier to nod and let them win.

 

[Sawset]

The wood is two and three years old, stored outside and brought in for a few weeks.

In the upper midwest, if stored outside, then no it could not get too dry. Equilibrium moisture content would take care of that. If stored inside, MC could get down to 5-8% over the course of months or years. We had a shed with 4cord of apple and red oak, been there since the 70s, MC 5-8%. Jotul f500 would over fire something fierce. In WI we need heat and lots of it, so the Jotul works fine for us. But that overly dry wood was a no go, not even a little bit. Hauled it all out and stacked some of it, put the rest of the bug eaten stuff on a burn pile.

 

[Garbanzo62]

I am burning some pine right now that is coming in at 9%. I am very careful to get the damper shut down as soon as I can when that is all that is in the box.. At that MC I can almost light it without any kindling.

 

[JRHAWK9]

Only reason I can see "too dry" of firewood becoming an issue is if whatever appliance it's being burned in can't keep it under control (limit the combustion air enough).