Old Fallen Oak - Still Usable

[Rob From Wisconsin]

I'd been walking past a tree that must have been fallen for five years in our woods.
Last night I finally got up the gander (or should I say, my chainsaw) to cut it up & see
what its condition was. To my surprise, it was in really good shape & appears to be red oak!!
Got a healthy face cord out of it. What a find!!

Has anyone else out there also experienced the apparent rot resistance of this wood??

 

[savageactor7]

No not really...but I have no problem burning punky wood anyway. It's good for shoulder season and campfires. CNY is the cloud graveyard so when wood hits the ground it's got a shelf life like bread.

 

[Rob From Wisconsin]

No not really...but I have no problem burning punky wood anyway. It's good for shoulder season and campfires. CNY is the cloud graveyard so when wood hits the ground it's got a shelf life like bread.

Actually, the weird thing is that the wood wasn't punky at all - in really good shape!!
Not bad for being on the ground for perhaps 5 yrs.

 

[Got Wood]

I have seen the same with old fallen oak. What looks iffy on the outside can be real solid when you cut it up.

 

[Cluttermagnet]

I've seen Oak on the ground that was in surprisingly good shape. Occasionally, there was a little punk wood on the bottom. I prefer to trim this off with a hatchet after splitting. It dries a lot faster that way.

 

[Rob From Wisconsin]

I've seen Oak on the ground that was in surprisingly good shape. Occasionally, there was a little punk wood on the bottom. I prefer to trim this off with a hatchet after splitting. It dries a lot faster that way.

Curious.......because it's been "dead" for such a long time, does it dry faster than freshly-cut oak??

 

[Jags]

Yes it does, but it will more than likely still need additional seasoning.

 

[Rob From Wisconsin]

Yes it does, but it will more than likely still need additional seasoning.

Great!! Hopefully it can be ready for the upcoming winter.

 

[Jags]

Yes it does, but it will more than likely still need additional seasoning.

Great!! Hopefully it can be ready for the upcoming winter.

Very possible.

 

[gzecc]

I doubt it will be below 30%mc this season. I scored the nicest oak logs from a customer of mine that were down for years laying on rocks 6" off the ground. This wood looked petrified. It still had a 25-30% moisture. It looks so nice cut and split I don't want to burn it! This is in north central NJ.

 

[Flatbedford]

I cut and split an Oak that about a month ago that had fallen in a storm nearly 5 years ago. The splits looked and smelled like a green tree. There was a small amount of rot just under the bark. I hope to burn it next winter.

 

[Cluttermagnet]

I agree with the posts above. After splitting, the Oak needs at least some seasoning time. Some will still need a year or more. But OTOH I have been very successful burning Oak deadwood which did not have ground contact. I'm talking about stuff that has been dead 4+ years. I did season a few months, but was able to burn it the same year, with good, hot fires and no hissing wood. I also put many of my splits on a grille on top of my running stove for a final half hour or so of drying, then toss them in the firebox. Even that makes a difference. I do have a moisture meter and I use if pretty often. I'm finding my hands are quickly becoming 'educated' so I'm able to make some pretty good guesses about the state of dryness of a split. The moisture meter usually confirms my guesses.

The reason I take the trouble to trim off the punky wood is that it soaks up rain like a darned sponge. I get much better, faster drying after I trim it. I consider it well worth the extra effort.

 

[Cluttermagnet]

I've seen Oak on the ground that was in surprisingly good shape. Occasionally, there was a little punk wood on the bottom. I prefer to trim this off with a hatchet after splitting. It dries a lot faster that way.

Curious.......because it's been "dead" for such a long time, does it dry faster than freshly-cut oak??

I'd say definitely yes, but horizontal deadwood having no ground contact is way better in this regard.

 

[savageactor7]

No not really...but I have no problem burning punky wood anyway. It's good for shoulder season and campfires. CNY is the cloud graveyard so when wood hits the ground it's got a shelf life like bread.

Actually, the weird thing is that the wood wasn't punky at all - in really good shape!!
Not bad for being on the ground for perhaps 5 yrs.

Oh I absolutely positively believed you Rob...the English created an empire with oak ships. Oak is like the #1 wood burners preference. We just never had the opportunity to cut any up.