Is it really dry?

[KateC]

Called a tree company about getting cordwood---''guaranteed all hardwood, guaranteed 'super-seasoned' ''. Inquiring further, I'm told all the trees were cut last year, bucked to 16'' or less and left uncovered, to be split before delivery. She says from hundreds of cords sold they've never received a single complaint. Would it be a good idea to request smaller splits in this case and/or should it be seasoned awhile longer after splitting? Is this wood likely dry enough or should I look elsewhere? Thanks.

 

[tradergordo]

A lot of people don't count drying time until it is split. But if it was bucked a year ago, I'm sure it has a decent head start.

 

[wg_bent]

16" lengths that were cut last year and not split will sizzle like a burger on a grill if you try to burn them this year.

Probably species dependent. I've had 4" rounds of Maple that I cut and they were a year old. Bark still clinging to them like it was cut yesterday and sizzled like mad when burned. I've learned that unless the bark is falling off (at least for all the wood I've collected) it ain't reddy to burn.

This is true for: Oak, Maple, Apple, cherry, ash (although ash burns o.k. when pretty green), mulberry, sumac, etc... I do believe some pine varieties will hang onto their bark even when dry, but I may be wrong about it.

I'll tell you also, if you put a good size round of wet wood in your Osburn...you'll almost kill the fire. That firebox isn't big enough to handle a wet split. Maybe if you had a big firebox like in a PE Summit, you'd be able to get enough heat to overcome a wet log (although I'd still avoid it if possible)

 

[KateC]

We've got alot of stupid popple with the bark falling off and even that isn't dry enough---also have a 3ft. pile of cherry 'twiglets' up to 1" diameter been stored well over a year and still hiss at me. Learning real quick just how frustrating a tiny firebox can be, but I wouldn't intentionally put anything either damp or too big in it anyway.

 

[wg_bent]

We've got alot of stupid popple with the bark falling off and even that isn't dry enough---also have a 3ft. pile of cherry 'twiglets' up to 1" diameter been stored well over a year and still hiss at me. Learning real quick just how frustrating a tiny firebox can be, but I wouldn't intentionally put anything either damp or too big in it anyway.

Well, I wouldn't go as far as to say the 1800 is tiny...smallish maybe, but some time look at the firbox on the Morso 1410 or 2ub...Now those are tiny!

It will take you a while to learn your stove. I can easily get a heck of a lot of wood into my stove and that bay window really helps.

Go find some seriously dry wood, and you'll find that your stove can put out some serious house heating BTU's. It's a nice stove!

 

[wahoowad]

I year old logs recently split would not be considered dry by most here.

Of course, you can ask the guy to bring it, then you inspect it for dryness before he dumps it and send him packing if he's brought you unseasoned wood.

 

[Roospike]

Called a tree company about getting cordwood---''guaranteed all hardwood, guaranteed 'super-seasoned' ''. Inquiring further, I'm told all the trees were cut last year, bucked to 16'' or less and left uncovered, to be split before delivery. She says from hundreds of cords sold they've never received a single complaint. Would it be a good idea to request smaller splits in this case and/or should it be seasoned awhile longer after splitting? Is this wood likely dry enough or should I look elsewhere? Thanks.

Sounds like a good deal ........... If you order the wood in Jan - Feb for the following winter.

Please note ! Its up to the home owner / wood burner to "make sure" the wood is seasoned and dont count on the wood dealers idea of seasoned to be your idea of seasoned.

When cutting your own wood you have to make sure its all done well in advance and seasoned.
When you burn pellets is in your best interest to make sure you have stock in advance before prices go way up.
Buying seasoned wood is the same way.
Not that this is going to hep you out too much this year but its something one needs to think about if the future.

 

[KateC]

We've got plenty already for later winter and next season and plan to buy green in the spring to stay ahead by 2 years but this being the first winter with the stove we have to buy some already seasoned for now. Unfortunately we had such a wet season this year and too many people check dryness by checking their watches. Even my Boyscout boyfriend thinks ''it HAS to be dry by now'' and tries throwing wet clunkers in---might be the furnace after all >:-(

 

[Roospike]

We've got plenty already for later winter and next season and plan to buy green in the spring to stay ahead by 2 years but this being the first winter with the stove we have to buy some already seasoned for now. Unfortunately we had such a wet season this year and too many people check dryness by checking their watches. Even my Boyscout boyfriend thinks ''it HAS to be dry by now'' and tries throwing wet clunkers in---might be the furnace after all >:-(

Sounds like your on the right track , very true just "time" dont make it dry and is more of a guide line to get you were you need to be.

I would make as many phone calls on seasoned wood as you can and come up with the best from there. Anybody local you can "ask" about a good dealer with real seasoned wood ......... good word of mouth is normally 90% true assumings the people you talk to even know them selves what seasoned wood is.

 

[KateC]

Hah---good time to mention my neighbor, who's back-woodsy advice is pretty dubious more often than not. My boyfriend's heading for the stove with a big chunk of still wet cherry, meaning to put it on meager coals, and I say ''Dude, you can't do that---it won't burn". He replies "BOB says it's okay" ----to which I have to remind him once again that "BOB fired off his eyebrows"---using kerosene trying to get 'okay' stuff lit.

I'm making more phone calls in the morning.

 

[Marcus]

I live in Cleveland and have not yet found a single person selling "seasoned" firewood that has wood that is actually ready to burn. Some is from someone who claims the wood has been split and laying out for a year, but I assume it was just piled in a heap because some has been bleached by the sun and is dry and some looks quite fresh. I bought some split and "seasoned wood" in March and it is just burnable.

 

[BrotherBart]

Yeah these guys sound as screwy as the only load I ever bought, twenty years ago. The second year with this stove I was on the road every week and couldn't get wood put up. I called a guy recommended by a co-worker and ordered four cords. He gave me noise about me not really needing that much blah, blah, blah. They showed up with a truck that held two cords so I figured out quickly why the down selling.

When they dumped the wood I took a look at it and asked "When was this cut and spilt, yesterday?" His reply "Yeah but the Gypsy Moths killed the trees over a year ago. It's ready to burn."

Groan. I had to hussle for a couple of cords of really, really seasoned wood and burned a mix that year.

 

[hardwood715]

Last November my neighbor had a Norwegian Maple cut down. The tree guy doubles as an electrician, tree service. Has one of those huge dump bodies and a bucket truck. Takes the tree from her yard, dumps it it mine. Big 3 foot in diameter rounds and all. I split it all during the winter except those big bones from the trunk. Whacked at them, dulled my chain on em all year.
the smaller rounds that are 3 inches, etc, still sizzle like hell. I break chunks off that big stuff, and some burns fine- some sizzles. Thats almost a year old! It sure likes to hold on that moisture, stacked since at least January!

 

[nshif]

You guys back east have it bad, must be the humidity. Out here in the west I can fall A 3' at the butt oak or cedar in Apr and have it ready to burn in Nov. I split it, loose stack it till Sept/Oct, then move it to the the shed. Must be a factor of our humidity of 3-10% and very little rain. Usually by winter I have a moisture content below 25%.

 

[Sandor]

You guys back east have it bad, must be the humidity. Out here in the west I can fall A 3' at the butt oak or cedar in Apr and have it ready to burn in Nov. I split it, loose stack it till Sept/Oct, then move it to the the shed. Must be a factor of our humidity of 3-10% and very little rain. Usually by winter I have a moisture content below 25%.

We do have it bad in the east. Summertime humidity levels are tropical.

The ONLY way to guarantee dry wood around here is to be one year ahead on the wood cutting. I'm splitting wood now for the 07/08 season.

Dead standing trees around here are not dry by any measure. And, if they are left dead in the woods for more than 2 years, its already punky.

 

[DavidV]

I have found that you have to cover your wood. Black 6 mil plastic sheet does a great job. during the summer you still get lichen growing on t he wood but by this time of year that has dried and died off and my wood is ready to burn.. of course I does help that I"m burning stuff I split 3 years ago. I remember my first winter with the stove, 2003-2004. Had lots of wood given to me that had been cut and stacked for a very long time. but i9t still wasn't dry because it had absorbed rain water, etc. I had a ton of storm wood from Isabel in sept. Some of it was from oaks that had been standing dead for years. That stuff burned well and the stuff that had been stacked for a long time burned ok by january. the window of my stove was a lot more dirty that winter. You live and learn. This year you make do and next winter will be better.