"Chunks" of wood

[raiderfan]

Hey, just a question for you guys. When i was given my jotul 602, i went and got some wood that my neighbor's daughter had and wanted to get rid of. (I know its probably too seasoned, as its been stacked for awhile, but wasnt going to turn it away, as i'm just using it to heat my basement when i'm down there, and not my house). ANYWAYS... Some of the wood was 18" or longer and had to be zipped by a chainsaw(with my stove only taking 16" max) leaving me a 25gallong rubbish barrel of 4" chunks of wood.

My question is, what is the best way to burn this wood? Meaning should i pack my stove with it and use it as the main source of heat when i'm down there that night? Or should it just be used as the source right after the kindling catches, right before i use my 12-14" logs? Just wondering... Thanks.

 

[beau5278]

I burn small cut offs and pieces during the day,I put a couple pieces on each time that I tend the fire,if nobody is around to tend the fire during the day,then burn them in the evening.I usually save pieces that are just the right size so I can stack the woodburners full to last overnight.

 

[Cearbhaill]

I use 'em to chuck spaces left by regular size splits.
Or to "top off" a fire I don't want to 100% reload quite yet.
Or use during shoulder seasons.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

raiderfan, perhaps you could enlighten me on what wood is like when it is too seasoned?! That one throws me a bit.

Some of our wood will not be burned for 7 more years. Would that be too seasoned for you? I fully admit that it will not be too seasoned for our use.

 

[raiderfan]

raiderfan, perhaps you could enlighten me on what wood is like when it is too seasoned?! That one throws me a bit.

Some of our wood will not be burned for 7 more years. Would that be too seasoned for you? I fully admit that it will not be too seasoned for our use.

I don't know, i guess... i believe i've read that wood sitting around for more than two years would be "too seasoned" and would burn too quickly. But maybe its just a matter of opinion. 7 years? I bet this wood i have is all of that. I've been taking it for my outdoor fireplace for the the last four years, and now that i had a wood stove put in, i went and took the rest of it. As i said, i wasn't going to turn it away, no matter what i had read, because i wasn't worried about max efficiency of the burn, as i'm just heating my basement with it, and not the house.

But thanks for the info, as i will not worry about such a thing in the future.

 

[Tfin]

It really doesn't matter how you burn it. Its wood, if its well seasoned, it will burn and provide you warmth.

Just toss it into your stove and burn it. Seriously.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

raiderfan, definitely it will depend upon what type of wood this is, has it been covered on top and is it stacked off the ground. It all has a bearing, but for sure 7 years old wood should not be too well seasoned. If so, we are in trouble and have been for years without knowing it. The stuff burns just fine in our stove though. We prefer it that way.

 

[raiderfan]

raiderfan, definitely it will depend upon what type of wood this is, has it been covered on top and is it stacked off the ground. It all has a bearing, but for sure 7 years old wood should not be too well seasoned. If so, we are in trouble and have been for years without knowing it. The stuff burns just fine in our stove though. We prefer it that way.

as i said before, thanks for the info. burning wood is entirely new to me so i have just been reading anything i can find out about it, as well as info from everyone here on this site. so how long wood has been split and stacked will not be a concern for me. thanks again. this, to me, is why this site is so valuable --i literally learn something new everyday.

 

[beau5278]

When I'm cutting firewood,I very seldom let much of anything go to waste,we have a lot of wood that has been down,some of it for,probably 10 or 15 years but if I have to move it to get to something else,it gets cut up and goes in the woodburner.We also have trees that are standing that have died from age,insects and storm damage,some of that is doty on the outside inch or so but it still burns ok.If I was paying for wood,I wouldn't want to pay much for wood like that and I don't burn it on the coldest days of the year but there is no such thing as too seasned.

 

[myzamboni]

I love burning a load of chunks to get the stove/room up to temperature quickly.

 

[raiderfan]

I love burning a load of chunks to get the stove/room up to temperature quickly.

that's how i've been using the chunks so far... thanks.

 

[mayhem]

Chunks are great if you need quick heat (a few chunks), serious heat (a firbox full of chunks) or are around for the day and can feed the fire once every hour.