Now what to do ? GOT Stuck with BAD wood

[kwikrp]

Purchased 2 cords of wood this fall. I was told that it was seasoned and was refered by someone to this co. I have been having problems with heating, lighting, burn times etc. So I went and bought some known seasoned wood from home depot and all my problems have been corrected with the well seasoned wood. So I call the guy who sold me the 2 cords and told him the wood he sold me that was seasoned was not !! He said he uses it the same stuff to heat his house and does not have a problem. I asked what he considers "SEASONED" he explains to me that the trees were taken down about a year ago. My response well when did you cut and split them he said a least 4 months before I purchased it.
I think he splits when he gets an order.
Now what should I do.... and some pine, timber framing scraps, or pallet pieces and burn what I have left or unstack it all and move it away from the house and wait till next year...I really dont want to do that !! Any suggestions

 

[Dustin]

If you use your stove just for fun, like a few people do..don't burn it. IMO.

But, if it's your only source of heat, you have to do what you can to keep your house warm. I would split it up into smaller pieces, and stack it in the stove room, a few pieces at least to dry it a little. Not sure how much that will do for you.


If you HAVE, and I say again HAVE to burn it. Burn it as hot as you can, don't choke your air back and CLEAN THE CHIMNEY often.


Sometimes we have to do what we can to stay warm.

 

[gzecc]

Put an add on CL for a swap. Your unseasoned 2 cords for 1 cord of seasoned wood. This time see the wood before it gets delivered.

 

[savageactor7]

If you have to buy wood I would advise getting wood a year in advance...you have to buy it anyway so why not now? Did you know you can usually get a better deal buying green wood?

 

[Eric Johnson]

"Seasoned" is a meaningless term designed to hoodwink unsuspecting wood buyers.

However, it pays to remember that every woodburning situation is different. There are stoves, furnaces and boilers that can handle semi-dry or even green wood with no problem, while others require very dry wood to work properly. So I'd take him at his word that he burns the same stuff he's selling you, but probably doing it in a different kind of appliance. Benefit of the doubt, and all that.

But again, "seasoned" means whatever the seller wants it to mean. "Cut, split, covered and dried for one year," on the other hand, is a pretty specific condition. That's what you should be looking for if you're trying to buy "dry" wood.

 

[Highbeam]

The few times that I've had to buy wood I of course ask if it is dry, seasoned, ready to burn. The classic and typical answer is, "I'm burning it right now" as if that somehow is all that I need to know. I've gotten green wood and decently seasoned wood but never sopping wet or rotten wood. Just split it small and expect to burn through it quickly.

 

[mskif]

Similar thing happened to me, and it is frustrating. I have 2 cords of very well seasoned cherry, ash and maple but needed more. I ordered 2 cords from a a different source that guaranteed me it was seasoned over a year. Before he even dropped it off the truck I saw that it was wet. He stated it is from the recent rain and this is what he burns. Turns out most if it needs another year as it is mostly red oak. It was standing dead for year, cut and sat in field with several hundred cords for at least 6 months. Mine must have been on the bottom. It hurt handing him over the cash.

Anyway, I have it stacked and it will be next years supply but I will need more wood for this year. I have gone through 3/4 cord of my 2 cords thus far.

What do you think about this Craigs List post (broken link removed to http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/grd/960787441.html)

$200 a cord is the going rate around here. What should I ask and be concerned about?

 

[JerseyWreckDiver]

If you knew it was wet, why did you hand over your money? Tell him you asked for dry wood and you don't want it.

Next time, be explicit. -- I want DRY wood. To me DRY means 20% or so moisture content, all the way through. I will be waiting when you deliver it with a hatchet to split a piece in half and a moisture meter to check the moisture content. If it is more than 22% I will not accept it, period, the end, no exceptions, & you are taking it back. If he agrees then the rest is simple. You can get a cheasy moisture meter that will be good enough for 30 or 40 bucks.

Even if it's got some moisture in it, so long as you start your fire and get it going with good dry stuff and let it coal up nice, you can throw in practically anything, it should be hot enough to blow off the moisture and start it burning. My first year, moved in in Sept. had no wood stored at all, I was standing wood on end all around the stove while it was going to dry it as much as possible, hell I even had some pieces on top of it, baking them dry and turning them every 15 minutes.

 

[Cluttermagnet]

I even had some pieces on top of it, baking them dry and turning them every 15 minutes.

Bingo! Almost any wood can be helped by this technique. It would be a waste on anything that's already nearing 20 percent moisture, however. On my stove, I have a couple of firebricks holding up an iron griddle insert from an old electric stove (shaped like a rectangular fire grate). I can and occasionally do put medium splits on there to dry further. It's very fast and very effective. I believe it's safe so long as you are always there to keep an eye on the wood. As a side benefit, you are humidifying your house; further, since it's going on outside the stove, there are no negative effects on inside combustion temperature, moisture content of the exhaust gasses, etc.

Yes, splitting real small also helps immensely to speed up drying.

 

[awoodman]

I can burn fresh mapel if the fire is going good and just ad 2 dry splits to 1 green works fore me............

 

[raybonz]

Purchased 2 cords of wood this fall. I was told that it was seasoned and was refered by someone to this co. I have been having problems with heating, lighting, burn times etc. So I went and bought some known seasoned wood from home depot and all my problems have been corrected with the well seasoned wood. So I call the guy who sold me the 2 cords and told him the wood he sold me that was seasoned was not !! He said he uses it the same stuff to heat his house and does not have a problem. I asked what he considers "SEASONED" he explains to me that the trees were taken down about a year ago. My response well when did you cut and split them he said a least 4 months before I purchased it.
I think he splits when he gets an order.
Now what should I do.... and some pine, timber framing scraps, or pallet pieces and burn what I have left or unstack it all and move it away from the house and wait till next year...I really dont want to do that !! Any suggestions

Check out Craigs list for our area... Prices have been pretty good on there lately.. Where are you in Mass.?

Ray

 

[wellbuilt home]

You could split it smaller and stack it loosely and it will dry up once it get cold in a few weeks or a month . Try to get some dry wood to mix in . Next year have your wood cut and split by may and cover the top of the stack.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

It could be mixed with those dry pallet peices, etc, give it more heat-up time, and just watch the chimney buildup.

 

[Slow1]

I've been mixing in a few BioBricks with my "semi seasoned" wood. It seems to help quite a bit and my temps have been easier to maintain. I get nice coal beds and good temps (both stove top and on the pipe). I avoid burning the more expensive bricks full time and am making it through this first year... I too need to get a meter though to find out just how bad some of this wood is... I have heard sizzles and this morning one that I THOUGHT was good (seemed nice and light and had a nice sound to it) actually was dripping out the end! Shows just how poor a judge I am of which pieces are better than others.. ug. I'm running hot - 500+ is my goal.