Got some white mold.
- Thread starter StevenearBoone
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
![[Hearth.com] Got some white mold.](/talk/data/attachments/341/341876-6bd1eae3063abf09b576d341ca344497.jpg?hash=YdqV4hjVPm)
I doubt it's near ready. It should have been split. Rounds hold moisture much longer to dry out in the center. I strongly reccommend getting a decent, but inexpensive moisture meter to take the guesswork out.
It depends if it’s dry.
Mold doesn’t grow where water isn’t present. You may need a bit of time for it to dry further.
Mold doesn’t grow where water isn’t present. You may need a bit of time for it to dry further.
Harbor Freight has a meter for $14 or so. Your biggest rounds will probably have the most moisture. Get a round up to room temp for a couple of days, then split it and check in the center of the freshly exposed wood.
Some of those rounds have quite a bit of checking on the ends, but that doesn't mean a lot with Oak, or with unsplit rounds as a rule. I have some rounds of Red Oak from a dead tree that was too close to the house, maybe 2' or so diameter with bark and sapwood fallen off while it was still standing. The rounds have been lying on the ground for a couple of years. There's a lot of checking on the ends. I recently split one open...still 30%, way too wet.
Tarp is OK but only for covering the top. You want air moving through the stack to carry moisture away.
Some of those rounds have quite a bit of checking on the ends, but that doesn't mean a lot with Oak, or with unsplit rounds as a rule. I have some rounds of Red Oak from a dead tree that was too close to the house, maybe 2' or so diameter with bark and sapwood fallen off while it was still standing. The rounds have been lying on the ground for a couple of years. There's a lot of checking on the ends. I recently split one open...still 30%, way too wet.
Tarp is OK but only for covering the top. You want air moving through the stack to carry moisture away.
To test for moisture, the round will need to be brought up to room temp around 70º. Then it will need to be split in half and tested in the middle of the freshly exposed face of wood with the prongs parallel to the grain.
Harbor Freight apparently doesn't have that cheap meter any more, but it looks like Menards has the same one.
Burnin Since 1989
Member
I got mine on amazon for under $17 and it works great. Broke my original meter but the new one is way better. Link if you're interested in checking it out.
Highly doubt it will be ready to burn even after months of drying after being split and stacked. The bark looks to be still tight which often means not even near dry.
But the meter will tell for sure when used correctly.
But the meter will tell for sure when used correctly.
