newb from CT questions re: gathering wood

[toonces]

planning on putting in a wood stove this coming spring or summer (whenever the deals are best) but i want to start some wood seasoning now. my friend has a 'neverending' supply of wood in the lot behind his house (or so he says) but i have no idea what type of wood is back there. in fact, i don't know much about wood and what's good to burn. i am gonna pick up a tree ID guide for my region and see what's plentiful. i wouldn't want to come across a big hunk of log and find out it's not worth burning after i've cut it up. if any of you are in the Connecticut area, how do you go about DIY'ing your wood pile? are the logs sitting on the side of the road up for grabs? what's the rules on that? i assume asking home/land owners would be one place to start. all guidance welcome. thanks!

 

[firefighterjake]

Not from CT . . . but I am in New England and we share many of the same species of wood.

Honestly, all wood is good wood in my book . . . just some times you want certain wood species for different purposes -- shoulder season wood vs. overnight wood for example.

I find it easier to ID trees by the leaf . . . which will not help you a whole lot right now with all the leafs on the ground. When I come across a tree I am not familiar with I generally use an on line resource . . . I forget the actual web address right now . . . I think it is put out by the Maine Cooperative Extension. It's pretty useful.

Logs beside the road . . . I would be careful in just grabbing wood beside the road. Up here people get a little touchy if you take wood on their property . . . whether they intend to cut and burn it themselves or not. Generally I would suggest the best approach is to go to the nearest neighbor and ask.

 

[bogydave]

Not from CT . . . but I am in New England and we share many of the same species of wood.

Honestly, all wood is good wood in my book . . . just some times you want certain wood species for different purposes -- shoulder season wood vs. overnight wood for example.

I find it easier to ID trees by the leaf . . . which will not help you a whole lot right now with all the leafs on the ground. When I come across a tree I am not familiar with I generally use an on line resource . . . I forget the actual web address right now . . . I think it is put out by the Maine Cooperative Extension. It's pretty useful.

Logs beside the road . . . I would be careful in just grabbing wood beside the road. Up here people get a little touchy if you take wood on their property . . . whether they intend to cut and burn it themselves or not. Generally I would suggest the best approach is to go to the nearest neighbor and ask.

+1 All wood burns , dry is key, Ask before taking
Maybe some state cutting areas, get a permit.

Get some pallets. Start getting some wood CSS (cut split & stacked) on pallets. Now is a good time to get your next years wood supply & allow it time to dry enough to burn without having the problems green or wet wood cause.
Dry wood is key in any stove & the new epa/catalytic stoves, even more so if you want to get good performance.

If you bud is wanting to get rid of some of his wood, go for it. Time is wasting. Most wood takes a year CSS to be ready
Good luck. Be safe Pictures can help ID the wood.

 

[Wood Duck]

I would take any wood that is in good condition - solid, not soft or rotten. The choice of what to collect will depend as much on the position of the wood as any other factor. Take the stuff that is easy and safe to collect, not too small or too large, not all branched and knotty, you don't have to lug too far to the truck, isn't downhill from where you need to take it, etc. If you knew what you were looking at and the supply really was endless, then you would want to collect some types more than others, but anything will burn nicely if you cut it while it is still solid (or living) and you split it and season it well. if you can get the wood stacked this winter it should be good next winter. Oak is the one wood you're likely to encounter that takes longer to season than most others, but even oak will be OK next year (much better the year after next).

 

[toonces]

thanks for all the advice. as far as coming across uncut downed trees, what's a good size to cut? i don't have a stove lined up but i need to get this wood going so i figure 16" is a good length? that should fit most stoves i figure? and what's a good width to split to that's not too big or small to burn? thanks again..

 

[bogydave]

thanks for all the advice. as far as coming across uncut downed trees, what's a good size to cut? i don't have a stove lined up but i need to get this wood going so i figure 16" is a good length? that should fit most stoves i figure? and what's a good width to split to that's not too big or small to burn? thanks again..

Answered one of the "which stove questions"
If you have 16" wood, you need a stove that will handle 16" wood.
6"+/- thick for the bigger ones. Split anything 4" or bigger diameter so it dries better. A mix of sizes is good.
You are on your way

 

[CTYank]

CT DEEP has annual lottery for individuals to cut two cords on state land in various state regions.
Gotta submit your entry form by early Feb. Eventual cost to you is $30/cord.
For specifics, GET http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/186806.htm
and research what's important to you.
(You will need to have, and use, full PPE as they specify, or be told to leave, not a bad thing.)

 

[weatherguy]

All wood is good wood, just separate the oak from whatever other wood you get because oak takes longer to season, I found that out my first year and had to pick all the oak out and put it aside fro the next year.

 

[Woody Stover]

planning on putting in a wood stove this coming spring or summer (whenever the deals are best) but i want to start some wood seasoning now. my friend has a 'neverending' supply of wood in the lot behind his house (or so he says) but i have no idea what type of wood is back there. in fact, i don't know much about wood and what's good to burn. i am gonna pick up a tree ID guide for my region and see what's plentiful. i wouldn't want to come across a big hunk of log and find out it's not worth burning after i've cut it up

What size home, layout, and insulation level etc. will help you determine how large a heater to get, which will give you a good idea of how long to cut your wood. You don't have to know the exact model yet, just the size. You want the wood cut close to the right size for your stove so you can fill the firebox efficiently for long burns. I take a hatchet and a cheap moisture meter with me when I scout wood. A few chops on a downed trunk will tell you if it's still pretty solid wood or if it's rotted. The moisture meter will tell you if it's already pretty dry. Very useful for separating Oak (the slowest-drying wood) into stacks that will be burnable next season or two seasons down the road. I'm not familiar with all the tree ID books out there but I have the Audubon Society Field guide and it's been very useful. The bark pics are from large trunks toward the base of the tree, so may not help to ID smaller trees or branches...

 

[Beer Belly]

My splits range from 17 inches to 12 inches, with some as small as 4 inches....the 4 inches are from cutting down a piece that was too long....they actually work well to boost the fire.....width, is anywhere from 4-7 inches. When splitting, don't ignore any Bark that falls off, makes great kindling. As far as wood gathering, I listen for Chainsaws running (Wife swears I hear them miles away, can't hear her sittin' next to me)....call, and sign up with local tree companies, sometimes they need a place to drop wood.....be specific if you want certain type of wood. Wood on the side of the road, I usually knock on the nearest door to make sure it's clear to take....just in case. You can't beat word of mouth....tell everyone you know you're looking for wood....I told a guy I work with, next thing I know, I got my truck loaded with a load of Maple from his house, and 3 truck loads of Cherry from his neighbor. What part of Connecticut are ya from ??

 

[Got Wood]

I posted this thread a few ago....may help you

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/83942/

 

[Beer Belly]

I posted this thread a few ago....may help you

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/83942/

Good reading

 

[StuckInTheMuck]

Here’s my take. If your friend has a “never ending supply†he may have enough of a woodlot that he can benefit from professional management of his timber resource. If he has over 10 acres, it would certainly be something to consider.

He can go here
http://www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/forestry/forest_practitioner_certification/directry.pdf
and find someone who will come out for free to walk the lot with him and let him know if his resource is worth being professionally managed.

Next he can go here

http://www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/forestry/forest_resource_plan/fplanall.pdf

And see if managing his land will save him on taxes in the long term. If he’s not planning to develop it, it might be worthwhile. In Massachusetts, Chapter 61 knocks the assessed value for the land down to less than $100 per acre. So on a 10 acre parcel, the assessed value would be under $1000 making the annual tax payment about $10.. You used to have to pay a portion of your harvest revenue to the town to make up some of the loss of taxes, but they got rid of that in 2008 to slow development by getting more participation in the program. I don’t know the rules in CT.

Even if it's professionally managed, if he has enough land, there will be more than enough for you to burn and he can save on taxes and make some money in the mean time. While the timber market sucks now, it will no doubt improve in the long term and its an investment that only bugs or drought can take away (giving you more wood to burn).

What you can do in the mean time is:

1. Take a walk through the woods and pick up every leaf that looks different. It’s better to do this in an area that doesn’t have a lot of underbrush to keep from picking up huckleberry, blueberry, mountain laurel and the like... Then take a pic of the leaves and post it here. Sometimes easier to ID species by leaves than bark…. Although there may be people on this site who would differ with that opinion.

2. Plan to take the dead and down, followed by the dead and standing followed by the live and crooked trees. If the place hasn’t been harvested in a long time, chances are the better trees could benefit from a thinning. Find the good straight ones and take down a crooked one next to them. Also, before taking dead and standing, ensure that there aren’t nests in the tops or woodpeckers living in the tree. It’s good to leave wildlife trees undisturbed. Additionally, be VERY careful taking down the dead ones as sometimes they’ll throw a limb down at you and cause an early payment of your life insurances.

How’s that for a first post on Hearth.Com?

 

[ecocavalier02]

planning on putting in a wood stove this coming spring or summer (whenever the deals are best) but i want to start some wood seasoning now. my friend has a 'neverending' supply of wood in the lot behind his house (or so he says) but i have no idea what type of wood is back there. in fact, i don't know much about wood and what's good to burn. i am gonna pick up a tree ID guide for my region and see what's plentiful. i wouldn't want to come across a big hunk of log and find out it's not worth burning after i've cut it up. if any of you are in the Connecticut area, how do you go about DIY'ing your wood pile? are the logs sitting on the side of the road up for grabs? what's the rules on that? i assume asking home/land owners would be one place to start. all guidance welcome. thanks!

Plenty of wood still out there from the october storm. getting wood in ct has not been a problem for me at all. iv managed to scrounge well over 15 cords just last year. theres plenty out there. check craigslist all the time and just look for wood all over. its everywhere.

 

[Kenster]

When you're just starting off, don't be too picky in your scrounges. Free wood is good wood, for the most part. You'll be able to tell wood that is obviously rotted through, but don't shy away from 'punky' wood, which is basically starting to rot a little from the outside. An inch or two of punk is no big deal. If it's out in the rain the punk acts like a sponge but when it's dry punk is like a built in fire starter! Also, contrary to what you might hear from "outsiders," most of us are not afraid of pine. If pine is really dry it makes a quick, very hot fire. I find it great for getting a cold stove going. It heats up the place quickly then I can add my oak on top of it. Pine is also good to rekindle a dying fire. Just make sure it is very dry. Green pine will coat your stove/flue with creosote.

Pick up anything two inches diameter or better. The small stuff will dry quickly without splitting and are great to help get a fire going. Split anything over five inches (but that's a personal preference.) I like to split a variety of thicknesses. For example, If I have a really thick round I'll split it in half, then split one half again. The other half I might split down to four pieces so I get two big splits and four medium size ones out of one round. Or, say I have a 12 inch round. I may split it in half, and split the other half into two smaller pieces. The really bigs ones are great to throw on top of the fire for a good overnight burn. Small ones are good to help get the fire going and to rekindle a warm fire in the morning.

Once you have a couple of years supply built up (cut/split/stacked) THEN you can afford to be a little bit picky if you still have good resources. As for size. Cut lengths into something you can safely use without having to recut once you get your stove. Do you have a short list of stoves you are already looking at? If you narrow down your wish list, that might help you some. Sixteen inches would really be on the small side, I would think. Eighteen inches ought to easily fit most stoves. Mine is 22 inches wide. I cut about 20 inch lengths.

You have yourself positioned well. We often hear from guys this time of year who just bought their first stove, don't really know how to use it yet, and are trying to find wood to burn NOW! That's a bad position to be in: learning how to burn and only having green wood to experiment with. Makes for a frustrating, messy, and productive learning curve. Get out there and start building your supply up now. Stack out in the sun and wind (especially the wind.) Don't cover it! Only when it's really dry ought you to bring some in under cover. Many of us never cover our wood. I just keep a few days supply on the front porch. If the outside stacks get wet with rain, that's just surface moisture that will easily dry in a couple of days on the porch!

Cheers! Welcome to the forum. Keep reading. You'll learn a lot here. I sure did!

Ken

 

[curber]

Not from your neck of the woods but, One of the best things that I ever did when begining scrounging. I went threw the phone book and called every tree service and talked to them about what they do with all the wood they take down. Some sell it, some have someone that already gets there wood, but what I've found is that there is so much wood that they will eventually call you. I also spent alot of time at the local dumps wood pile talking to tree service people and asking ?'s on wood. Now I've got 3 good tree guys that treat me good.. I take them a soda or drink everytime I see them just so they know they are appreciated. Pat