Getting wood dry enough for next season

[KennyK]

I've got about 3/4 of a cord of cut and stacked partially dry wood now, and another cord or so of rounds from a tree felled in November (Norway maple) that I plan on splitting in the next few weeks. I'm hoping to have 3 to 4 cords for next season. I see some folks in my area selling split green wood now for around $185 to $200 (which is the cheapest in my area, aside for getting a grapple load of logs, which I'd love to get but don't have the space for). This is generally listed as a mix of hardwoods - cherry, oak, maple. If I split my wood now, and get a delivery of some green wood within the next month or so, should this be ready for next season? I figure I can start next season with the 3/4 of a cord of split wood I have now, which should be good to go, and and once I get through that I can move on to the other stacks. I could get a delivery of green wood as soon as next week, but I'm planning on building a deck with a wood storage area this spring, so it would be more convenient to get the wood delivered after that is in place. I also have another reliable and honest company that could deliver wood that's been split and stacked for four months this spring, but it's pricier. Any thoughts and/or anything I should look for in regard to green wood I have delivered now, would be helpful. I know oak takes longer to season, but again, most people around here just advertise "a mix of hardwoods," so I don't know if I can try to get them to avoid oak. Thoughts?

 

[Allagash350]

Maple dries quick in my opinion.
If you do single stacks and they get good airflow the maple might be ready by the middle of winter.
The wood you can buy already split is a crap shoot in terms of it would be ready. It can dry quicker stacked in the right spots, but the bottom line is you need time sunshine and wind.
You could also mix it with the stuff you already have split

 

[begreen]

If you can get some split ash now, that has the best chance of seasoning quickly. The maple probably will not be ready for next season unless conditions are perfect. If you are planning on a larger stove by next season you are going to need more seasoned wood. I would guess at least 3-4 full cords. Shop around, maybe someone has standing dead trees that they will be splitting up?

 

[weatherguy]

I was able to order no oak one year when I needed the wood to be ready in one year, he brought ash and birch. If you can get semi seasoned that could be ready and don't want to move wood twice might be worth to pay extra for the semi seasoned. Get that thing built and get working on the following years.

 

[Poindexter]

I have read here repeatedly that the soft maples cn season in one summer, the hard maples generally take two. I don't know my maples well enough to know which are which. I think rock and sugar maples are among the hards and big leaf is one of the softs...

Pine brother, bring in some pine. That will reliably season in one summer.

 

[begreen]

I've tried soft maple in 6 months, it burned, but with low heat and some sizzling on the ends. Much better to go a year, year and a half. Doug fir, otoh can do it if we have a dry summer.

 

[Alpine1]

If you can, go with evergreens: Norway spruce, black pine, Douglas fir, silver fir... whatever. Usually cheaper than hardwood (at least here) and if stacked (covered) in a sunny spot ready to burn in 6 months or so.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

Keep your splits on smaller side. I just split up some ash for use this fall. I’m confident it will be ready, but I split it smaller. Also, I feel to have waited a month more to get that wood cut split and stacked wound have been unwise. Top covering I have learned is very important. The very wet weather around New England lately has impacted my wood greatly.
I am a believer that wood can be dry for the stove if cut split and stacked by Easter. That said, your drying conditions have to be at least average, wood split smaller, and no dense wood like oak. If you can get your hands on black birch, I have found this to be an awesome wood and dries rapidly, like ash. Again, smaller size splits.
And as said earlier, pine will be of help, but definitely top cover that stuff.

 

[KennyK]

All these responses are super helpful. A few thoughts and questions:

I'm keeping my eye on Craigslist to see if there are people who are not wood dealers but have older (or newer) stashes of wood they want to get rid of (perhaps they used to burn wood and don't any more). What I can see now that falls into the categories of what people here have said are the following:

1) A guy has over a cord of pine for sale pretty cheap ($100). He says it's been stacked and seasoned for four years (from the pic it looks grey). He doesn't say what kind of pine and he probably doesn't know. My questions are: is 4 year seasoned pine overseasoned and in general how much should I worry about which kind of pine or should I just get my hands on any kind of pine, at least under my current circumstances? (I see other folks with unsplit pine too, and they never say what kind of pine). This would also require my picking up and loading (and then unloading and stacking at my place) which is a PITA, and would involve me renting a uhaul or something as my minivan won't cut it, but it's cheap so maybe worth it.

2) Someone has over a cord of ash and maple logs. He says the maple "was dead and already dry," and the ash is green. Again these are unsplit. Very cheap (he's asking for $40), but again would require me renting a uhaul or something and moving.

3) I have some trees behind my house that fell and have been down, but uncut, for anywhere from a few months to a few years or possibly more (before you jump to the conclusion that I'm a bonehead for not getting this wood sooner, remember I just got into burning!). I know that to really season wood should be split, but for some of these that have been down for a while, might they be dry or close? What should I look for to see if these are good to use, not infested with bugs, etc. I haven't used a chainsaw yet, and I'm a bit nervous about it, but I guess it's time to learn!

4) Related to all of this, I'm thinking about storage and starting to worry about how to best do this. As mentioned, I'm planning on building a deck, and building a wood storage area on that that should be able to fit 2 to 3 cords. I planning this, I hadn't thought about just how much all this wood weighs and now I'm wondering if a deck can handle it. The part of the deck that the wood would be on is mostly ground level and then the ground slopes down so the rest of the deck will be above ground up to about 4-5 feet. Thoughts on wood weight on a deck? I have another deck already that is attached to the house (the new deck won't be) and could get a cord or a bit more there without hampering use of the deck for enjoyment) but it's about ten feet above ground, and I worry about the weight. I have a concrete storage are that's below that deck that I think might have been built for wood storage, where I can get about a cord and a half - it's outdoors but gets no sun, and is right up against the house so not great wind flow. I also have some other spots where I can get some wood, but all up against the house so not great wind flow and I've heard you should not store wood up against the house due to bugs. Is that true? Finally, I have a good amount of land behind my house, all of which gets some sun and great wind, however it's all a fairly steep hill. There is one flat section, but it means hauling up and down the hill to get to that area (ugh!). I know there's a lot here, but any thoughts or suggestions are very helpful. Thanks!

 

[firefighterjake]

All these responses are super helpful. A few thoughts and questions:

I'm keeping my eye on Craigslist to see if there are people who are not wood dealers but have older (or newer) stashes of wood they want to get rid of (perhaps they used to burn wood and don't any more). What I can see now that falls into the categories of what people here have said are the following: The key is to always be on the look out . . . especially later this Spring and Summer when folks may be selling their homes and moving and may not want to move the wood or are told by the realtor to clean up their lot.

1) A guy has over a cord of pine for sale pretty cheap ($100). He says it's been stacked and seasoned for four years (from the pic it looks grey). He doesn't say what kind of pine and he probably doesn't know. My questions are: is 4 year seasoned pine overseasoned and in general how much should I worry about which kind of pine or should I just get my hands on any kind of pine, at least under my current circumstances? (I see other folks with unsplit pine too, and they never say what kind of pine). This would also require my picking up and loading (and then unloading and stacking at my place) which is a PITA, and would involve me renting a uhaul or something as my minivan won't cut it, but it's cheap so maybe worth it. If he's like most folks who are not in the know, he may be calling his evergreen tree a "pine." It could be pine, spruce, fir, hemlock, hackmatack, etc. . . . but regardless . . . it should be halfway decent . . . if it isn't rotten or punky . . . it really cannot be over-seasoned if it was stored outside. You will want to split it sooner rather than later. I should add that generally softwood in New England is not considered very valuable as it tends to burn up much faster than hardwood. I might take softwood for free, but I wouldn't pay for it in my neck of the woods. The other question is whether the guy actually knows what a true cord of wood is . . . not a face cord . . . not what he thinks a cord should be . . . but the actual definition.

2) Someone has over a cord of ash and maple logs. He says the maple "was dead and already dry," and the ash is green. Again these are unsplit. Very cheap (he's asking for $40), but again would require me renting a uhaul or something and moving.If this is a true cord of wood I would jump on this . . . due to the price. The maple may or may not be ready to go this Fall (there is dead . . . and then there is dead-dead). Contrary to popular belief in a modern stove one should not burn fresh cut ash . . . it will season quicker than other wood species, but for best results give it a year or more.

3) I have some trees behind my house that fell and have been down, but uncut, for anywhere from a few months to a few years or possibly more (before you jump to the conclusion that I'm a bonehead for not getting this wood sooner, remember I just got into burning!). I know that to really season wood should be split, but for some of these that have been down for a while, might they be dry or close? What should I look for to see if these are good to use, not infested with bugs, etc. I haven't used a chainsaw yet, and I'm a bit nervous about it, but I guess it's time to learn! When it comes to wood ready to be burned it usually comes down to one word -- depends. Depends on the type of wood. Depends on how long the wood was down. Depends on whether the wood is on the ground or up off the ground. Depends on whether the wood came down in a storm . . . or whether it came down because it was rotten at the core. In my first year of burning I was semi-successful burning wood cut off tree tops left behind from a wood cutting operation a few months before. To see if the wood is any good you will need to see if it is punky/rotten or solid . . . and as for when to burn it if it is solid -- you can either go with time or use a moisture meter. I don't worry too much about bugs though unless the piece of wood I'm sawing has a nest of ants . . . in which case I might toss it to the side for the birds to feast on. By the time I stack the wood in my drying stacks, move it to the woodshed and then burn it the ants (and most other bugs) are long gone. One word when it comes to using a chainsaw: Safety. If you haven't used the saw take the time to read the warnings, use the safety gear and be very careful. It's a tool and like most tools is only dangerous when proper safety protocols are not followed.

4) Related to all of this, I'm thinking about storage and starting to worry about how to best do this. As mentioned, I'm planning on building a deck, and building a wood storage area on that that should be able to fit 2 to 3 cords. I planning this, I hadn't thought about just how much all this wood weighs and now I'm wondering if a deck can handle it. The part of the deck that the wood would be on is mostly ground level and then the ground slopes down so the rest of the deck will be above ground up to about 4-5 feet. Thoughts on wood weight on a deck? I have another deck already that is attached to the house (the new deck won't be) and could get a cord or a bit more there without hampering use of the deck for enjoyment) but it's about ten feet above ground, and I worry about the weight. I have a concrete storage are that's below that deck that I think might have been built for wood storage, where I can get about a cord and a half - it's outdoors but gets no sun, and is right up against the house so not great wind flow. I also have some other spots where I can get some wood, but all up against the house so not great wind flow and I've heard you should not store wood up against the house due to bugs. Is that true? Finally, I have a good amount of land behind my house, all of which gets some sun and great wind, however it's all a fairly steep hill. There is one flat section, but it means hauling up and down the hill to get to that area (ugh!). I know there's a lot here, but any thoughts or suggestions are very helpful. Thanks! Sounds like a lot of weight on a deck. It would have to be a really rugged deck to handle the weight. I might consider an alternative location. I'm fortunate with plenty of space for seasoning stacks . . . and the ground is level. I know however that other folks have had to contend with uneven terrain . . . perhaps someone will chime in on how they stack wood on uneven ground. Also, I personally keep seasoning wood away from the house on the off chance that bugs might find my home to be a more hospitable place to live.

 

[begreen]

I'd go for the pine if it's still available. It's a low btu wood, but will be fine for shoulder season burning. If it's not punky and that well seasoned then it may also be useful to mix with less seasoned wood. Keep on looking!

 

[blacktail]

I'd go for the pine. Doesn't matter what kind or how long it's been stacked.
At 2400+ pounds per cord for the lightest of wood, I wouldn't store much on my deck. Put some lumber or pallets down to keep your firewood off the ground and stack on that.

 

[Simonkenton]

Build a woodshed like mine. It dries wood in 7 months.

 

[begreen]

Looks like there isn't a lot of ventilation there. Ours lets the winds blow right through it.

 

[Durantefarm]

how about tarp color ? I'm keeping all my newly split wood uncovered at this time but i was wondering if i did cover it in summer with a black tarp will his dry out the wood faster ? i know if i do tarp to not cover all the way down so it can vent . i also know that some pl don't tarp and some do but IF i do end up covering it will the black tarp dry faster ?

 

[begreen]

I don't think the tarp cover color would matter too much except the top row. Orienting the stacks so that the prevailing winds can blow through then seems much more effective.

 

[Simonkenton]

No, my woodshed has no ventilation. It works because water vapor will pass right through the wooden walls and floor.
On sunny days my woodshed gets real warm.
On rainy days, and on foggy nights, my wood is not exposed to moisture-laded air.

 

[Poindexter]

How many acres have you got?

Besides wood handling, what other needs have you got.

You might think about a tractor if you have a lot of mowing to do, or a skid steer if you have a lot of snow to handle, or an atv if you have a lot of hunting to do.

What i am getting at is with adequate acreage you can season your wood away from the house...and bring seasoned wood in on a trailer from the south 40 acres with any of the foregoing.

 

[Durantefarm]

the most frustrating part about cutting down trees is taking the branches off anyone one have a good system you use? or do you cut tree down and just cut and flip the tree and cut again ?

 

[KennyK]

At 2400+ pounds per cord for the lightest of wood, I wouldn't store much on my deck. Put some lumber or pallets down to keep your firewood off the ground and stack on that.

View attachment 224197

Build a woodshed like mine. It dries wood in 7 months.

Looks like there isn't a lot of ventilation there. Ours lets the winds blow right through it.
View attachment 224201

@Simonkenton and @begreen those are some beautiful wood sheds!

@Simonkenton, what is it about your shed that makes it dry wood so quickly? How many cords does your shed hold?

@begreen, how do you feel about his with closed sides versus yours that lets more wind flow? How many cords does your shed hold? Looks big!

This is all helpful and I'm thinking that my new plan is to build a woodshed on the level part of the ground, which is only about 3' x 8' or so, but maybe with a sting foundation I can get that a bit bigger and then have that open up to a deck where the ground slopes down. I've got a good carpenter whose going to take a look as soon as we get past the upcoming blizzard (two Nor'easters and now a blizzard expected within a few weeks over here in Beantown!). I have some carpentry skills, but I'm not a pro, so my original plan was to have him build the foundation for the deck and I'd do the decking to have it done right but also keep labor costs down a bit. Maybe he'll have some ideas for creating a solid foundation for a woodshed that will help me get it a little bigger than the 3'x8'.

 

[begreen]

On rainy days, and on foggy nights, my wood is not exposed to moisture-laded air.

Of course it is. The humidity in the shed is most likely going to be the same or higher than ambient. If the wood walls let the humidity out they are not going to do a lot to stop it from coming it. I'm sticking with the best wood shed design is open and oriented so that the prevailing wind can blow thru the stacks.

kennyk. our wood shed holds 3 cords per bay.

 

[KennyK]

How many acres have you got?

Besides wood handling, what other needs have you got.

You might think about a tractor if you have a lot of mowing to do, or a skid steer if you have a lot of snow to handle, or an atv if you have a lot of hunting to do.

What i am getting at is with adequate acreage you can season your wood away from the house...and bring seasoned wood in on a trailer from the south 40 acres with any of the foregoing.

Acres?!?! I'm a city slicker! I've got a surprisingly large lot for Boston, and I'm in a neighborhood of the city that is a bit more suburban with more houses than apartments (though that seems to be evolving as there's a new construction every time you turn around), but I am actually in the city, and while I'm not totally sure, I've probably got less than a quarter acre! And, most of that is a big hill with a dozen or so Norway Maples and a few other smaller fruit trees. I'm trying to work what I've got 'cause this city slicker's got a little country in him! (Some of my fondest times were living in the Hudson Valley for five years and since I was born I've spent parts of every summer in the Catskills).

 

[Poindexter]

the most frustrating part about cutting down trees is taking the branches off anyone one have a good system you use? or do you cut tree down and just cut and flip the tree and cut again ?

What i used to do before i put down my chain saw was cut the branches off where they were about 1.5 to 2 inches thick. That little stuff is slash for the chipper.

From there i would run the tip of my sawblade down the branch, through the bark, sort of unzipping, till i got to wood 4 or 5 inches in diameter, big enough to split.

The cut all those 2 to 5 inch diameter pieces off at stove length and throw them in the truck. They wont season as fast as splits, but they will season and they got btus in them.

You want to do all that while the branches are still attached to something heavy, like the rest of the tree. If you try this stunt with the branch disconnected from the rest of the tree it's a lot of trouble to make it hold still.

 

[blacktail]

Looks like there isn't a lot of ventilation there. Ours lets the winds blow right through it.
View attachment 224201

One thing I like about this design, and I incorporated into my shed, is the pallets for the floor. That way the shed doesn't have to support the weight of the wood. If/when the pallets go bad it's quick and easy to replace them.

 

[Montanalocal]

the most frustrating part about cutting down trees is taking the branches off anyone one have a good system you use? or do you cut tree down and just cut and flip the tree and cut again ?

What I do with a down tree with a lot of branches is to go up one side and down the other and cut off all the non-weight-bearing branches. The weight bearing branches hold the trunk up off the ground. Then, starting from the top, I work my way down the trunk, cutting the trunk into my preferred lengths, and trimming the weight bearing branches as I go. I can usually get quite close to the butt before I have to let the trunk fall on the ground, and by that time I can cut part way through and roll it to finish.