Tree has been cut down for over a year, but has not been cut,split, and/or stacked. would this tree be considered : dry - partially dry - not at all dry.
dry wood
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pma1123
Burning Hunk
It would be considered whatever it tests out to be. There are a lot of variables, so there is no way to tell without checking the wood. In general, though, you don't get much drying until it's at least bucked, and you aren't going to get dry wood until it's split.
A couple of months ago I bucked some locust that had been cut down and stacked on top of other logs for a full year.
It was sprouting leaves. Sopping wet when we split it.
A couple of months ago I bucked some locust that had been cut down and stacked on top of other logs for a full year.
It was sprouting leaves. Sopping wet when we split it.
An ash/pine/poplar, etc. log stored dry for one year probably could be split and burned later this year, especially if the bark was gone. If it was uncovered, on the ground or any other type of wood, it is at least one full year, probably two once split and stored dry.
Rebelduckman
Minister of Fire
I learned a lesson on this when I first started burning. Had a buddy that had a white oak that had been down for a couple years and told me to get it, it's dry! Well not knowing what I now know I was beside myself. It wasn't long until I found out the wood was wet and I could forget about burning it for awhile. Luckily I had an older man that I worked with that had quit burning and gave me a couple cords of 5 year old oak. Now oak gets at a minimum 2 years for me
claydogg84
Minister of Fire
Woody Stover
Minister of Fire
Yeah, if it was dead standing with all the bark gone when cut, it could be pretty dry (except for dense woods like Oak.) If it was cut fresh, from a blow-down etc, no way it's dry.
Last winter I had the power line crew come through and cut down a bunch of trees on my land. I just recently (last few weekends) got to processing it. Was on the ground for about a year no rot or anything. Few pines a very large poplar and some maple/beech. I split with an axe and pretty much all of it was wet. When I hit it with the axe if it didn't split it spat out some water. The pine wasn't too bad. I'll be giving it all at least one year to dry. Definitely dryer than fresh cut stuff but not by too much. As others have said it depends on a lot of things though. If it was dead standing with no bark you're probably able to burn it pretty soon.
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
As others have said . . . depends.
If the wood was standing dead with the bark off it and was dead for several years before cutting . . . depending on the species . . . it may be good to go.
If the wood was standing dead, but only had been dead for a few months before cutting . . . depending on the species . . . probably not.
If the wood was live . . . no question . . . not ready.
As you can see there are a lot of variables ranging from the climate, type of wood species, tree's condition in terms of living or dead and how long it was dead if it was dead.
If the wood was standing dead with the bark off it and was dead for several years before cutting . . . depending on the species . . . it may be good to go.
If the wood was standing dead, but only had been dead for a few months before cutting . . . depending on the species . . . probably not.
If the wood was live . . . no question . . . not ready.
As you can see there are a lot of variables ranging from the climate, type of wood species, tree's condition in terms of living or dead and how long it was dead if it was dead.
Seanm
Minister of Fire
Im able to burn many of the trees in my area the night I drop them because theyve been standing dead for years. If that same tree blows over and is covered by 4 feet of snow all winter and then gets rained on and doesn't get any sun then it will go from 12% mc to 35%! As others have said to many variables but as a general rule I would say no its not. That way you're not disappointed. An unbucked log should always be considered suspect.
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