How long....is too long....to season?

[tpcolson]

I'm a real bad firewood hoarder. I mean bad. Few storms recently, and I just hauled home what is likely year 4 or 5 wood. I got it stacked all over the place. Under cover, sides open, 1-2 feet between rows, 5 feet high, off the ground. Which got me to thinking, what if I store it too long? Does it get punky at a certain points? In particular, what is the max time you can store: Oak, hard maple, soft maple, cherry, walnut, beech, ash with the storage conditions I describe?

I got so pissed off at the so-called firewood delivery "guys" that would tell you wood with green leaves and squirrels still in it was "seasoned" and a short bed ford ranger full is a "cord", I took matters into my own hands. I probably got 20 cords of hardwood hoarded.......

 

[joop]

i wood assume ,pun intended softer wood will go first. time depends on how protected it is from elements.to many variables i think lots of rain, snow etc etc hard to estimate

 

[bholler]

I'm a real bad firewood hoarder. I mean bad. Few storms recently, and I just hauled home what is likely year 4 or 5 wood. I got it stacked all over the place. Under cover, sides open, 1-2 feet between rows, 5 feet high, off the ground. Which got me to thinking, what if I store it too long? Does it get punky at a certain points? In particular, what is the max time you can store: Oak, hard maple, soft maple, cherry, walnut, beech, ash with the storage conditions I describe?

I got so pissed off at the so-called firewood delivery "guys" that would tell you wood with green leaves and squirrels still in it was "seasoned" and a short bed ford ranger full is a "cord", I took matters into my own hands. I probably got 20 cords of hardwood hoarded.......

If it's off the ground and top covered it will last many years

 

[brenndatomu]

The wood you list will be fine if stored the way you described for a VERY long time, as long as its basically kept dry.
Cherry is the only one I've had any issues with, but that is only small unsplit rounds though too. (with the "papery" type bark)

 

[johneh]

Firewood covered or preferably in a shed kept out of the water and off the ground
in most cases will last forever. This also goes for softwood. In the back corner of my shed,
we use the maple and oak that were put there the first year we bought this farm.
We are now in our 45 years here so that light match wood is 45 years old and still
as good as it was fresh cut only thing is the MC is only 11% now

 

[Eman85]

Old barns burn just fine after 50 or more years in the dry why wouldn't firewood?

 

[RockyMtnGriz]

I read something somewhere about hog fuel losing some of its BTUs after a time. The folks who make a business out of turning that into electricity, etc. are deadly serious about their BTUs. I do suspect that with some wood, particularly resinous species, that there is such a break-even point where dry turns to too much hydrocarbon loss. That nice pine-sol smell is I believe evaporating hydrocarbons that could otherwise be fuel.
Point being, I think there is some info in the white papers from the hog fuel industries, if you want to go down that rabbit hole. If you do, please report back on what you learn!
Regardless, stacked wood is money in the bank!

 

[Wildflush]

Burning 7 year old cherry. Still excellent.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

I have some wood sitting in a barn that has been there for about 30 years. A little dusty, but still mighty fine firewood.

 

[peakbagger]

One exception is white birch that has not been split. No matter how well covered it will rot quick, Split it and it like any other wood.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

With approximately 20 cords you'll probably be better off storing in a shed.. no babysitting.. no tarps

 

[fvhowler]

If you've not done so, come with a method age (date)your stacks so you know what stacks will be burned and when. Species like oak and be stacked for many years as long as top covered while maples and cherry can rot much faster.

 

[Itslay90]

If you've not done so, come with a method age (date)your stacks so you know what stacks will be burned and when. Species like oak and be stacked for many years as long as top covered while maples and cherry can rot much faster.

Much faster like, 2 years ?

 

[Wildflush]

Much faster like, 2 years ?

No cherry and maple don’t rot quickly as long as top covered. I have cherry from my folks house split over 7 years ago and it is still solid and burned great this season. I do date my stacks.

 

[bholler]

Much faster like, 2 years ?

Nope top covered and off the ground it will last decades

 

[Stinkpickle]

Off the ground is key.

 

[fvhowler]

I've found that most oaks have a much longer shelf life that red maple and cherry. IMO, maple and cherry lose their BTU value much quicker. The point was to burn maple/cherry sooner. No matter the species, keep it off the ground and top covered.