Newbie question: if it is not split..does that make it unseasoned?

[imalovesmax]

Hi!
We got our wood insert installed today! Inspection is tomorrow and then we would like to make a fire in it tomorrow night. We have about 8 cords of wood on our property. We made a last minute decision to buy the insert and most of the wood was not split until 6 weeks ago. However, the wood was cut into 'smaller' pieces with a chain saw 1 year ago and has been stacked on pallets in our back yard, with a tarp over it last winter and then tarp on and off over the very wet summer.

Our new insert can take up to a 22 inch piece of wood, so here are my questions:

1. If the wood was cut w/ a chainsaw to 22 or smaller last year, can we burn this wood?

2. What about the big pieces that were but 6 weeks ago with a splitter?

3. Some of the wood from #1 look like small logs - they were mostly from tree limbs, do those have to be split to burn?

4. Should we split everything else before it snows and then wait until next Winter or can we split the rest in the Spring?

5. Would it be worth it to buy a cord of 'seasoned' wood even though it was so wet in Central Mass this year?

Thanks in advance for the advice!

Max's Mom
Virgin Clydesdale I Installed Today!

 

[imalovesmax]

Sorry, forgot to mention the wood is Norway Maple.

 

[gzecc]

Unfortunately norway takes at least 9mos in perfect conditions to dry. Small spits in wind and sun, single rows.

 

[michaelryba]

Thoughts: 1) chances are, any wood you buy now would be no better than what you already have--despite a seller's insistence that his wood is "seasoned"
2) Buy yourself an inexpensive wood moisture meter--I got one for about $20, not sure how precise it is, but it at least gives you an idea. Fresh cut maples in Ohio start at 33-36% moisture content. Your goal is get it down to about 20% moisture. Wood in the 20-30% range will burn, but with increased smoke (creosote) and less heat.
3) Think of wood like blocks of ice--the smaller they are cut, more sun, more wind,--the faster they will dry. I put some of the not-quite-seasoned- peices of wood that are about to be put in the stove near the stove to pick up radiant heat. Don't do this if your not at home for obvious reasons.

 

[CarbonNeutral]

I have some 4 month split maple that was in rounds at someone else's house for at least 2 years. Most of it is still off the top end of 35% MC..

 

[Wood Duck]

I think the answers are 1. yes, you can burn the wood. It won't be perfect, maybe not even close, but it'll burn if it gets hot enough. Watch for creosote int he chimney and expect to burn more wood for less heat. Mext year with well seasoned wood you'll notice a huge difference, I think. 2. Wood split 6 weeks ago is on its way to being seasoned, but still probably not as dry as you'd like for a good burn, definitely not as dry as needed for a really good burn. 3. Small limbs are probably better, I think, than larger pieces, but I don't know how good they'll be. 4. Split now. Wood will start to season as soon as it is split. The stuff split six weeks ago might be getting good by mid winter if it is split small. 5. No, I wouldn't buy seasoned wood unless you are sure it is really seasoned. Plenty of sellers will claim seasoned wood, but few actually have it. Also, I would not cover wood that isn't seasoned. THe tarp is going to hold in more moisture than it keeps out, I think. Yes, a tarp keep rain off, but it can't keep humidity from the air out, and it traps moisture from the ground, while stopping sun and wind from doing their thing and drying out the wood. Think of a rail fence - it gets all the rain that falls, yet the wood is very dry.

 

[Tony H]

If you happen to know someone that's years ahead in seasoning maybe you can trade some of your unseasoned stuff in on some seasoned stuff.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Hi!
We got our wood insert installed today! Inspection is tomorrow and then we would like to make a fire in it tomorrow night. We have about 8 cords of wood on our property. We made a last minute decision to buy the insert and most of the wood was not split until 6 weeks ago. However, the wood was cut into 'smaller' pieces with a chain saw 1 year ago and has been stacked on pallets in our back yard, with a tarp over it last winter and then tarp on and off over the very wet summer.

Our new insert can take up to a 22 inch piece of wood, so here are my questions:

1. If the wood was cut w/ a chainsaw to 22 or smaller last year, can we burn this wood?

2. What about the big pieces that were but 6 weeks ago with a splitter?

3. Some of the wood from #1 look like small logs - they were mostly from tree limbs, do those have to be split to burn?

4. Should we split everything else before it snows and then wait until next Winter or can we split the rest in the Spring?

5. Would it be worth it to buy a cord of 'seasoned' wood even though it was so wet in Central Mass this year?

Thanks in advance for the advice!

Max's Mom
Virgin Clydesdale I Installed Today!

Welcome to the forum.

Methinks you will do better with the wood you have on hand than you would if you bought some wood now.

For splitting, lots of limb wood will not get split but we usually split anything 5-6" or larger. Anything under that does not get split. I like those 5" unsplit logs for holding fires overnight.

I'd say get anything split that needs splitting as soon as possible. Get it stacked so the wind (and maybe sunshine) will hit the sides of the pile. Cover the top of the pile only; do not cover the sides or ends. Remember, wind is your friend when it comes to drying wood, especially split wood.

I would also highly advise you check your chimney at least once per month for creosote. If it needs cleaning, do it; don't put it off. You may only need to clean once per year but you may need to clean monthly this first year. After you get enough wood on hand for a couple years (3 is best) then your wood will be dry and you will not have to clean the chimney as often; maybe once per year or less.

Good luck to you.

 

[firefighterjake]

Hi!
We got our wood insert installed today! Inspection is tomorrow and then we would like to make a fire in it tomorrow night. We have about 8 cords of wood on our property. We made a last minute decision to buy the insert and most of the wood was not split until 6 weeks ago. However, the wood was cut into 'smaller' pieces with a chain saw 1 year ago and has been stacked on pallets in our back yard, with a tarp over it last winter and then tarp on and off over the very wet summer.

Our new insert can take up to a 22 inch piece of wood, so here are my questions:

1. If the wood was cut w/ a chainsaw to 22 or smaller last year, can we burn this wood? Answer: In my opinion, any wood can be burned if you get a fire hot enough. Is it wise to burn this wood and is it safe to burn this wood is a better question. You could technically burn this wood, but I would guess that with only 6 weeks of splitting that the wood (even if bucked up a year ago) will still not be very seasoned. I had wood that I bucked up last Fall, but didn't split until Spring (due to snowfall) and I tried burning a piece this Fall before I organized my wood pile . . . the result . . . the wood (mostly ash and maple) which was cut over a year ago and split for 5 months spluttered and spit and just didn't burn very well. Could I burn all that wood? Sure . . . but I would not have got a lot of BTUs from the wood, the fire would not have burned very well and I would have had to keep a closer eye on my chimney. As a result, this wood was relegated to being the wood I will burn last -- if at all -- as this will give it several more MONTHS of seasoning.

2. What about the big pieces that were but 6 weeks ago with a splitter? Answer: Again, see the answer above . . . not the best news I know . . . again, all wood can be burned . . . but burning efficiently and safely are other matters. You truly would be better off waiting to burn this wood next year.

3. Some of the wood from #1 look like small logs - they were mostly from tree limbs, do those have to be split to burn? Answer: Depends . . . depends on the size of your firebox and how small you want to go. Me, once the rounds get to the point where I can easily pick them up in the palm of my hand (3-4 inches) I leave them in the round . . . otherwise I'll tend to split them since a) I figure splitting helps the drying process, b) I like some smaller splits for re-starts and c) I have a hydraulic splitter so I can easily split these up.
4. Should we split everything else before it snows and then wait until next Winter or can we split the rest in the Spring?

5. Would it be worth it to buy a cord of 'seasoned' wood even though it was so wet in Central Mass this year? Answer: Truthfully, at this point finding truly seasoned wood from a wood dealer may be a challenge. You can try . . . but I would be pretty specific about what your definition of seasoned is, I would check out the wood that they are selling and I would be prepared to pay a hefty price for wood if it really is seasoned.
Thanks in advance for the advice!

Max's Mom
Virgin Clydesdale I Installed Today!

 

[firefighterjake]

Hi!
We got our wood insert installed today! Inspection is tomorrow and then we would like to make a fire in it tomorrow night. We have about 8 cords of wood on our property. We made a last minute decision to buy the insert and most of the wood was not split until 6 weeks ago. However, the wood was cut into 'smaller' pieces with a chain saw 1 year ago and has been stacked on pallets in our back yard, with a tarp over it last winter and then tarp on and off over the very wet summer.

Our new insert can take up to a 22 inch piece of wood, so here are my questions:

1. If the wood was cut w/ a chainsaw to 22 or smaller last year, can we burn this wood?

2. What about the big pieces that were but 6 weeks ago with a splitter?

3. Some of the wood from #1 look like small logs - they were mostly from tree limbs, do those have to be split to burn?

4. Should we split everything else before it snows and then wait until next Winter or can we split the rest in the Spring?

5. Would it be worth it to buy a cord of 'seasoned' wood even though it was so wet in Central Mass this year?

Thanks in advance for the advice!

Max's Mom
Virgin Clydesdale I Installed Today!