Howl long to season wood.

[karl]

I have a quick question. I know of all the reccomendations on seasoning cut and split fresh wood, but what about standing and leaning dead wood? There are two oak trees nearby that are dead and standing. One of them still has the leaves on it. I'm thinking one of them died last winter and the other one has been dead for two years. They are too big for me to try to cut down my self but since one is on my property it needs to come out anyway. Both are in open enough areas that they probably could be dropped before delimbing them. I thought about seeing how much it would cost to get them cut down. Also I have a dead tree leaning up against another tree. It's not hung up badly and I think I can pull it down with a come along. How dry would these trees be? They two big ones are oak and the leaner I'm not sure about. I thought I read somewhere that a dead standing tree could be consider 2/3 dry. Is that just a rule of thumb?

Thanks

Karl

 

[laynes69]

Nope. Oak can be down and dead for 5 years and still be very wet inside. I would get it split and stacked. I would have it seasoning for a season at least. Other wood can be somewhat ready to burn, but all standing trees still have some moisture in them. At least get it cut and split. I have cut some oak that has been pretty much ready, but for the most part it will have to season. You would be suprised the amount of moisture in a standning dead oak.

 

[Todd]

I had a 1 year dead White Oak in my yard I had cut down a couple years ago. I remember the limbs were mostly dry and burned well that winter, but the trunk splits were still a little too wet and I had to wait another season to burn them.

It could depend on how it died also. I read that Oak Wilt causes blockages in the cells that transfer the water up the tree into the branches and leaves, so maybe Oak Wilt dead trees could be dryer?

 

[jpl1nh]

If you can get it cut, split and stacked in singles rows with good sun and wind exposure and just a top cover, (no side obstructuion) in the next couple of weeks, I think it woud be good burning this year. It could be even better burning next year.

 

[karl]

I know downed and dead wood stays wet, but I thought that might just be from sitting on the ground.

 

[11 Bravo]

I got burned once by "seasoned" wood Karl. I found out the hard way that it does not matter how long the tree has been dead or down. It is NOT dry or seasoned unless it has been split and stacked. Everybody has there opinoin on how long this takes, but in some tests i have personnally conducted, if it is SPLIT and STACKED for at least the hottest part of the summer, i.e. May-August, it will be dry enough to burn in the fall/winter. I have my rows, uncovered, set up for the next burn season prior to April 1st if not sooner. I screwed up bad a few years back with less than 100 days in the hot summer sun and wind, and it showed with my fires.
******Off topic: please include in your prayers the family of a neighboring co-worker and aquaintance killed this morning:
(broken link removed to http://www.odmp.org/officer.php?oid=18950) ... "We fight what you fear"

 

[hardwood715]

Off topic: please include in your prayers the family of a neighboring co-worker and aquaintance killed this morning:

Prayers are with family, sorry for your loss of co worker and friend, its a capital offense right?
if so more POWER to him!