Oak question

[USMC80]

I am overloaded with wood after this recent score. No more room for stacking. Is it alright to leave oak rounds on the ground until next spring?

 

[bogydave]

Yes
Won't season much, sap wood might get a little soft & the bark get loose.

Not sure what you are saying though , if you have room for rounds, why not the splits?
Oak takes the longest to season, why not split it ?

 

[USMC80]

your right, i should have said won't have the time. I do plan on splitting it late next winter/early spring, just want to make sure it won't get ruined. I've got enough oak/birch for 14-15 and most of 16-17 already split and stacked.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

No worry about it going bad in that time. I got some last winter that had sat on the ground for at least 10 years and most of it is good. But for sure I'd get them split as soon as possible just because of the length of time it takes to dry after it has been split.

 

[westkywood]

I've got some Oak rounds that I'll split next season when I have access to a splitter, but I stacked them on pallets to keep them off the ground.

 

[Paulywalnut]

I like to at least split big rounds in half then I look at it and say I might as well split it once more.
So quarter rounds stack at least with some air in between them.

 

[Cluttermagnet]

I'd say Oak lasts pretty well as rounds and logs- but it does start to form that soft outer layer of 'punky' wood under the bark. I've seen it go several years and still definitely be worth processing, but I did end up taking some time to chip off all that punky wood from my splits with a hatchet. That is a lot of extra work. Now, if you look at your wood processing time as a free gym membership, as I do, then no problem. Otherwise, better to split it all at least some (halves and quarters at least) within the first year. OTOH I have had Oak that was 5-10 years old still yield usable splits for burning- even one tree that was pulled with a tractor from a creek, soggy wet. Great stuff, Oak.

 

[TimJ]

I'm dealing with some oak rounds that have been down for a good while. I take a gloved hand and rub that outer layer off like the wool coming off a sheep. After it is rubbed off and stacked, the next day the split is dry as a bone.

 

[USMC80]

forgot to mention they are mostly halved and some quartered

 

[wesessiah]

i have a few big crotch pieces (pin oak or black oak, don't remember which) that i couldn't split about a year ago, and they are exactly the same now, as they were in a month of sitting. now that i have the 361, i may try to noodle them now that i think about it.

 

[captjack]

im with westkywood on this - go find some pallets and stack them off the ground on there sides with the bark on - it will keep them from soaking up rain water.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I'd say Oak lasts pretty well as rounds and logs- but it does start to form that soft outer layer of 'punky' wood under the bark. I've seen it go several years and still definitely be worth processing, but I did end up taking some time to chip off all that punky wood from my splits with a hatchet. That is a lot of extra work. Now, if you look at your wood processing time as a free gym membership, as I do, then no problem. Otherwise, better to split it all at least some (halves and quarters at least) within the first year. OTOH I have had Oak that was 5-10 years old still yield usable splits for burning- even one tree that was pulled with a tractor from a creek, soggy wet. Great stuff, Oak.

No way would I go to the trouble of chipping off that outer layer. It is very common on oak but harms nothing. Just throw it into the stove and burn it.