Is it wrong to buy a semi, 12 cords, of oak for my wood stove. Yes its green, mostly small 8"-14" rounds. Thinking this should last me a few years. I want to do this now so I can burn in 2014. Price is $85 a cord
Cheating?
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Yes, it is wrong if you want to burn it in 2014. One year is usually not enough time to season oak.
Other than that, it is very right.
Other than that, it is very right.
Ralphie Boy
Minister of Fire
I'm with Dune. The price is right but the time is too short. Maybe 2 years if you split it small and live in a sunny, windy area, otherwise 3 years is better.
There is NO WAY that oak will be ready for 2014. You need at LEAST two, preferably three years for oak to be ready. And that's AFTER you split it.
Jon1270
Minister of Fire
Fall of 2014 is two summers away. Not totally inconceivable, is it?
Lets see, its January 2013 right now.........so we fast forward 24 months and that puts us to January 2015, add the other 12 months (3 years, which for oak is optimum) and that puts us to January 2016…
Yeah, you should be ready by next fall........NOT.......
Jon1270
Minister of Fire
Not debating that three years is better (I don't have that kind of experience), but 2 is often said to be okay and the vast majority of the drying will happen in the warmer weather. The difference in MC between October and the following January is probably pretty small.
85.00 a cord is not bad. But only if you dont get shorted. Its hard to tell whats there when its in a log pile. If I had 1000.00 to my name Id go for it. If you have the room for a semi turn around in or the land to park 12 cords. Yeah go for it!!
If I had any money at all I would. Those size logs are easy to handle. Around where I live there are guys that own portable processors. you could hire someone to come in and split it. Some processors claim one cord an hour.
You could sell half of it. Or trade with someone for seasoned wood.
But the other guys are right. You will be putting your money in the bank for 2-3 years. But its still money in the bank.
If I had any money at all I would. Those size logs are easy to handle. Around where I live there are guys that own portable processors. you could hire someone to come in and split it. Some processors claim one cord an hour.
You could sell half of it. Or trade with someone for seasoned wood.
But the other guys are right. You will be putting your money in the bank for 2-3 years. But its still money in the bank.
Courderay80, that's good price for an Oak log load.
The last one I got was $75/cord, but that was almost 4 years ago.
As to the wood being being burnable in '14, yes, it's doable, but it won't be great. This is presuming you get enough c/s/s right now......not in 6 months, but right now.
I'm getting into some that's been c/s/s for a little over 2 years and it's giving me a bit of trouble with starts from a small coal bed. Part of that could be the warmer weather we're having.
Can we presume (since you've been a member for a minute or two
) that wood for '13 is gooder to go?
As usual, we need pics of this or it can't possibly have happened.
The last one I got was $75/cord, but that was almost 4 years ago.
As to the wood being being burnable in '14, yes, it's doable, but it won't be great. This is presuming you get enough c/s/s right now......not in 6 months, but right now.
I'm getting into some that's been c/s/s for a little over 2 years and it's giving me a bit of trouble with starts from a small coal bed. Part of that could be the warmer weather we're having.
Can we presume (since you've been a member for a minute or two
) that wood for '13 is gooder to go?As usual, we need pics of this or it can't possibly have happened.
red oak
Minister of Fire
Murder is wrong. Buying firewood is not.
eclecticcottage
Minister of Fire
Buying wood isn't cheating, plenty of folks do it. We will probably buy a few face cords of hardwood a year because we get a good price delivered and we scrounge the rest of our wood. Seems we only get softwoods that way, which is fine 80% of the time. But when there's a cold snap like we just had and it's 5 degrees out, hardwoods are just better.
You'll want to season that longer though, as previously indicated. IMO, buy it, split it, stack it and let it season, then find yourself some quicker seasoning wood for 2014. I hear Ash seasons up nice and quick for hardwood.
You'll want to season that longer though, as previously indicated. IMO, buy it, split it, stack it and let it season, then find yourself some quicker seasoning wood for 2014. I hear Ash seasons up nice and quick for hardwood.
Good price but if you want something to burn in 2014, best to get something besides oak. Sorry, I didn't make the rules; mother nature is the cause of this so blame her; but give her the time she needs to dry your wood.
Do not forget that after it has been cut and split, the stacking is another extremely important step. Get it off the ground and stack it out in the wind. Do not stack it in a wood shed until it has dried.
albert1029
Feeling the Heat
You would have to split it really small for it to be ready by Fall 2014. I split some oak in early September 2011 and I just took a measurement from it last week, 16 months after I split it, and it was 31%. Now, the very small split was 17% after I split it again, but this thing was almost toothpick size. I might be forced to burn 28 month old oak next winter because that is almost all I have in the stacks right now, but I am guessing it still will not be optimal. Time will tell if another 12 months gets me to where I need to be.
My solution is to get 3 years ahead because I have been getting tons of oak lately. Either that or split them a lot smaller.
That right there is the KEY to never worrying about ANY of your wood being seasoned and ready. I used to do it a year at a time and while I did get through, it was never optimal heat and I cleaned my flue every month!
After creeping on here for a year or more and eventually joining this site and learning just how important the dry wood is in regards to both safe AND efficient burning, I got three years ahead. Busted my AZZ that spring/summer/fall, and this past summer I added a fourth year. By this time next year I should be close to 5 years ahead. That is my goal.
I'll have two years' worth put up in my yet-to-be-built woodshed, the other three years will sit outside, split and stacked, awaiting their turn in the shed......
If you can get at least three years ahead (that really is the magic number), you'll notice HUGE dividends.......
Jack Fate
Feeling the Heat
Go for it
But you have to buck and split as much as you can as soon as you can.
It DOES NOT season in log length form.
But you have to buck and split as much as you can as soon as you can.
It DOES NOT season in log length form.
WoodpileOCD
Minister of Fire
Buck it, Split it, Stack it, then Forget it.
Then start working on next years (quickly, I might add) You'll be a rich man in 3 years with 12 cords of truly seasoned 3 year old oak.
Then start working on next years (quickly, I might add) You'll be a rich man in 3 years with 12 cords of truly seasoned 3 year old oak.
Blue2ndaries
Minister of Fire
Not cheating at all IMHO. But as others have repeatedly said, and for good reason, let it season adequately.
jdp1152
Minister of Fire
I see an oak pile accumulating in the landscapers lot up the road from me. Happy to see no one buying his 'seasoned wood'. The longer it sits, the lower the price gets for my end of season offer. I'd happily pay 85/cord for it.
loadstarken
Burning Hunk
I must be defying Nature then. Burning Pin Oak from Irene now. It's not "optimal", I would've loved to let it sit for another year or two, but it's what I've got and it is performing far better than I expected. Not too hard to get the stove over 600, great secondaries too.
Buying 12 cord @ $85 a cord? No shame in that. Pretty sure some folks spend near that to go fell, buck, and haul it home.
Buying 12 cord @ $85 a cord? No shame in that. Pretty sure some folks spend near that to go fell, buck, and haul it home.
Mr A
Minister of Fire
Winter is like football season. The 2013 Superbowl is the result of the 2012 season
Now, is 2012-2013 winter season. By fall 2014, the '14-'15 winter, yes, two summers will have passed.
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