Maples

[iod0816]

Are maples pretty quick to season? I read somewhere that they are. I've got some Red Maple and lots of Sugar Maple off a couple good scores!

Useless without pics so will add soon!

Thanks,

Ian

 

[thewoodlands]

Are maples pretty quick to season? I read somewhere that they are. I've got some Red Maple and lots of Sugar Maple off a couple good scores!

Useless without pics so will add soon!

Thanks,

Ian

Ian I'm not sure on the red maple but the sugar maple we go one year with the seasoning.





zap

 

[Backwoods Savage]

The red maple will dry the soonest. If you cut and split it during the winter it will be ready to burn the next fall.

 

[Singed Eyebrows]

I burn a lot of sugar maple as the carpenter ants are eating the daylights out of it around here. It seasons in about 8 months where I am. Randy

 

[iod0816]

Ya I've got some pavement ants I'm battling in my yard and they seem to be having a field day. Or at least until I get them split and on the pallets. Thanks for the responses.

 

[CTYank]

Are maples pretty quick to season? I read somewhere that they are. I've got some Red Maple and lots of Sugar Maple off a couple good scores!

Useless without pics so will add soon!

Thanks,

Ian

Your biggest variable for drying rate is the site: S-facing, elevated, open to summer southwesterlies, loosely covered from rain, will dry wood much faster than alternatives. Smaller splits notably faster than larger. IOW, it depends.

You might know already, but what-the-hey:
red maple makes VG kindling or shoulder-season fires;
sugar maple is extra-primo-good stuff- don't rush to burn it- if you can wait, it'll get better for a couple of years.

 

[ikessky]

Always try to let your wood season at least a year. Even white ash. You'll be happier with your stove performance in the long run. I try to let my white ash go for 1 year, sugar maple 1+, oak 2+. I do have some red maple in my stack for this year. I let it go a little over a year also.

 

[iod0816]

Ya its tough the whole year to two year thing with me for wood with the space as I have 5200 sq ft city lot (and availablility of wood). I stack as much as I can to promote airflow but retain space in my yard for kiddos and wife. I stack on pallets on the sunniest spots in the yard with 1.5 feet of clearance between the stacks and anything. The windflow in the location is pretty good IMHO as I've always been able to S/S in Feb/March/Apr and its ready for the winter. Most have been down well before the sap hits and I've had no issues of burning them. Nice hollow noise when hit, light weight, nice grey-ish color and all the other signs without a MM.

I try to burn hickories, black/white birch and maples or whatever I can scrounge. In the MA though that's usually what you find. I have about a cord of red oak but that's for next year but I try to avoid that because it takes so long. This year's the first where I'll be 6 cords ahead.

I've got to add some pictures for the setup...

 

[ikessky]

I live in town also, but I am fortunate that my in-laws are only a few minutes away in the country. I cut out there and can leave my wood split and stacked on one of the hills. I could probably put 6 years worth of wood there and it would still not be in the way.