moisture %

  • 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.
  • Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
Status
Not open for further replies.

bruce56bb

Feeling the Heat
Hearth Supporter
Nov 18, 2005
336
Flint Hills of Kansas
receieved my new moisture meter from harbor freight(thanks msg and bb)today, now a question. what is considered wet firewood?and do you take the wettest readings from a split or avg them out? i resplit a piece of oak and have readings from 6-35%.
thanks in advance
bruce
 
I go with the inside reading. 35% is the max reading on the meter so moisture is going to be hissing and boiling water out of the ends real fast.
 
When I stab mine with the moisture meter, I can get readings all over the map. The only reliable way I have found is to take a piece of your seasoned wood, split it freshly, then take a reading at the center (length and width) of the fresh split face. That will show you the wettest part of the wood. I have never seen it below about 15-20% Even in wood that has been cut and stacked for years. The very outside ends and faces will show a drier reading and it will show up fairly quickly after the wood is cut, but is not a true representation of the moisture locked inside.

Corey
 
oops......looks like i don't have as much wood to burn this winter. the oak split i was measuring was from a tree that had been down for about 2 years and was split and stacked last fall. the coffee bean and locust that were cut and split at about the same time have readings in the low 20s. i guess spike was right that white oak needs 2 years to season:)
 
I saw a piece in half and take a reading. My red oak and maple went from pegged at 35% when first split this spring to 15-20% now. Some of my white oak is still a little wet and is a little over a year old.
 
I just helped my next door neighbor cut some wood . He up brought about 25 OAK logs 12'-14' long and around 2-3' wide from his lower 40 , the oak logs had no bark and looked a little rotten on the out side. Went to cut them and they were SOLID hard and heavy! No cracks on the inside of the logs so i asked hom how old the logs were sitting down there and said "o' bout 15 years" Holy he(( ! i said . Just unreal the shape they were in and after splitting that still didnt look seasoned. Dat oak B sum tuff stuff.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.