Good wood?

[SplitWright125]

Hey all, new to the forum because of a question I couldn't seem to find a great answer for. Anyhow, winters here and I've been lucky enough to score two full cords of oak and ash seasoned for 2 years, for $150. Starting to put a good dent in those, so i decided to gather some stuff around the farm. A huge burr oak fell down a few years back in a bad storm and has been just sitting there for quite some time. Yesterday I started bucking it up, and noticed how spongy the majority of the rounds were. I figured the sections on the forest floor would be pretty well rotted, and didn't do too much to those. I was trying to cut the sections propped up above the ground, all of which was at least elevated 2 feet. I can get some good looking hard wood out of the cores, but some of the rounds were 50% or more spongy. splitting them they just disintegrated more than anything. Haven't tried burning any yet, and don't have a moisture meter, but pulling the spongy fibers out and compressing them, they don't seem too wet... may as well try giving it a burn, but wan't to hear some other opinions before I put the rest of my time into that tree. I also don't have a ton of woods here, so I'm not super keen on taking down a live one, I like having the coverage. Anyhow, any help would be appreciated. Thanks much, - Hunter

 

[Grizzerbear]

I would say that tree is going to be pretty wet inside. I dont know what stove you have but i would try and find some standing dead ash if you have any on your property. At best the limb wood of say 6-8 inches in diameter and less of that bur oak will be dry enough to burn right away. Oak takes forever to dry. I would try and get as much ash or other faster drying firewood for next year cut, split, stacked and covered asap. Im not real familiar with the available tree species of your area. In general it takes 2-3 years to dry oak properly for a epa stove. When you cover the wood leave the sides open to wind. Just cover the top. Hopefully someone else will chime in from your neck of the woods for better advice on trees you could get right now.

 

[Simonkenton]

That wood is garbage. Half-rotten wood is not worth messing with.

 

[peakbagger]

I have mixed luck with downed trees that have been in ground contact. Depends on the ground and how the tree died. I expect live trees that got felled due to wind storm or icing event last a lot longer than a standing dead tree that died by disease and finally fell over which I expect is happening in EAB areas. Cherry is kind of rare around my place but on occasion I find them on the ground. The bark and the outer diameter will be wet and rotted but there is usually is good core inside the soggy stuff. As long as I cut it and get it under cover it dries out and as long as I keep it dry it burns fine but makes a mess when moving it around while the rotted sections falls off. On the other hand I do have lot of white birch around and if its on the ground, I just keep walking. Even if its standing dead I usually keep walking unless I need to drop it for safety reasons.

 

[Socratic Monologue]

A moisture meter is cheap, and you can order one online and have it in three days. It is a useful tool to have even if you figure out the current situation without it.

No, I wouldn't cut down a live tree for firewood unless the tree needed to come down for some other reason (invasive, or shading more desirable species), or was in the process of dying already (oak wilt).

We don't know how much you're burning, but you need to get three years ahead on it, so it may be that your time would be better used getting some better quality wood seasoning. I wouldn't mess with punky junk, but I'm not short on better wood to process. A rotten tree left in place is good for the forest and the critters that live in it, too.

We don't know what you're burning in, but some stoves are pretty fussy about what they burn. This might be a factor in your decision.

 

[SplitWright125]

I've got an old timberline that will burn pure trash if I wanted it to. Unfortunately my homes very inefficient, and even though its only around 1200ft^2, I'll easily burn 4-5 cords of hardwood this season. Also Everything I have is burr oak. Literally nothing but that, and one real nice maple in the front yard, and a big fir next to it. I think the tree was dead, or close to dead already and losing its integrity. Now that I've looked closer at it, I think the carpenter ants did a number in helping take it down. Like peakbagger said, There's some decent wood in the core yet, but man, what a waste. Will buy a mm just to have around for any other wood I may have to cut down, and more than likely have to end up trying to make a firewood deal off of craigslist again. I've already done a number on the tree, so I'll try and pull whatever good stuff I can out of it. leave the wet crap to dry for a few years and maybe have something half-ass then. Thanks for all the help guys.