For some of the new guys..... myths about wood

[babalu87]

The bark is falling off, its plenty dry

Maybe but not always. I have some dead standing oak trees thanks to the gypsy moths two years straight.
The bark is falling off these trees. There is NO WAY that wood is close to being ready to burn.
Why?
Because I have cut a few down already and when I split it the moisture is pegging my meter at 35%. Trees continue to try and leech moisture out of the ground even after they have died.

The tree was dead when I cut it down, that wood will dry out in no time

Maybe
Much depends on the species of tree and where it was located.
I have cut down some oak trees that were nearly bleached from being dead standing without bark for so long yet that wood was over 30% on the meter. Possible if cut in the spring it could be ready by fall.

Pine makes the creosotes!

So doesnt Oak, Maple, Elm, Hickory, Apple and Cherry
Pine is FINE FOR BURNING as long as it is dry........ just like any other wood.
Sure it doesnt have the BTU's that Oak, Hickory or the other hardwoods does but ask anyone living high enough on a mountain or far enough North they'll tell you that is all they burn.

Add whatever else you want to this, just a heads up for new guys due to conversations I have had recently.
One, with a guy who has been burning 20 years

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Also lots of dead elm in this area. Some is okay to burn shortly after cutting but still should have at least the summer to finish drying. Probably 80% of it though has lots of moisture yet. Cut and let it dry for a year.

Buying "seasoned wood" from someone very well may not be what you want! Their idea of seasoned and our idea is probably different. It still depends on how must moisture is in the wood.

I love the way so many talk about these new outdoor boilers. You can burn green wood in them and any kind of junk. Well, that is true....but do you really want to? Also the claim that you will burn less wood. Not true! I know of three who have put them in and they all say that they actually burn more wood. It is just that they don't have to tend the fire so often and can burn bigger chunks.

When splitting wood, do not assume that you should always split in the center of the log. Some wood splits better on the edge rather than through the heart.

 

[woodconvert]

"The tree was dead when I cut it down, that wood will dry out in no time

Maybe
Much depends on the species of tree and where it was located.
I have cut down some oak trees that were nearly bleached from being dead standing without bark for so long yet that wood was over 30% on the meter. Possible if cut in the spring it could be ready by fall."

I've cut plenty of 6"-12" caliber standing dead elm here in Michigan. That wood has no bark and has not for some time and is generally good to burn. Anything bigger that requires splitting usually takes some drying time. That said, wood in log form doesn't dry in any reasonable amount of time. I've got a stack of oak logs in the 8"-20" caliber range that were cut four winters ago. Most of the bark is falling off them but they are still high in moisture and require 6 months in a stacked row to be seasoned.

As a rule of thumb, the harder the wood the more time it takes to dry. Logs don't dry and splitting and staking in rows is the best way to dry it (don't leave it in a heap as only the outside of the heap will dry). The best way to check moisture is with a moisture meter but a descent field test is the clink test. If you have two known pcs of oak splits that are dry, take one in each hand and smack them together. They will make a high pitched clink sound. When wet it's more of a thud. Obviously wood that isn't as hard as oak makes a lower pitched clink. I would NOT use that method if you are unsure what it's supposed to sound like and don't gamble and burn it in your stove if you are not confident. It's not worth it.

 

[johnsopi]

Things to kept in mind non-EPA stoves are different then the new EPA stoves so not all info transfers 100% over.

 

[DiscoInferno]

The best way to check moisture is with a moisture meter but a descent field test is the clink test. If you have two known pcs of oak splits that are dry, take one in each hand and smack them together. They will make a high pitched clink sound. When wet it's more of a thud.

The clink test has limits even if you know what to listen for. I grabbed a red oak split the other day that I knew couldn't be fully seasoned yet, and it made a nice resonant clink. (Rapped with knuckles.) Split it open, and used the meter: outer inch or two was quite dry, gradually getting wetter towards the center which was still 35%. Red oak is a pain that way.

 

[woodconvert]

"The clink test has limits even if you know what to listen for."

Yes it is. I have done that when buying what little wood i've bought from a "seasoned hardwood" add. It's a good enough test for a ballpark ref. but like I said I wouldn't gamble with it.

 

[karl]

I'm not sure if this is a myth or not but since I'm a new guy I thought I would point it out.

Don't think you're going to buy a stove and only use it "part time" or "just on the weekends". You will like it and use it alot more. You will also use more wood than you think you will, but the plus side is you will also think 68 is cold.