Question about wetness of pine

[wahoowad]

I picked up a few pine logs from a neighbors storm-damage deadfall. I have never split pine. I think the tree was dead before it fell cuz it has a good bit of bug trails throughout it. It was rather wet inside and I can't tell if it is from natural wetness of the wood or if it is moisture it has absorbed. if the whole log has absorbed moisture then I assume the wood is rotted and not worth burning once it dries out. How can I tell?

 

[Corey]

If the tree was down, but not cut into small logs, it is possible that it is still wet naturally. Logs dry out the ends quite a bit, not so much through the bark, so only once the wood is cut into firewood lengths can it start to really dry.

My rule of thumb for free wood that is close by is if you can pick it up in one piece, it's worth burning. If you pick it up and it falls to pieces or dust...not worth burning. Now if you have to pay for the wood, or go far out of your way to get it, the rules have to be adjusted!

Corey

 

[wahoowad]

the tree was bucked about 2 weeks ago. I grabbed 2 of the logs just to see how pine splits. there are more logs but I'm feeling uneasy about the wood. Maybe I'll get my woodburning to look at it. It certainly is not rotting away and in fact was harder to split than oak. Harder because it seemed moister and didn't have that hardness that oak has. maybe this is normal?

 

[precaud]

It certainly is not rotting away and in fact was harder to split than oak.

Sounds to me like it is not anywhere near burnable. Seasoned pine splits very easily.

 

[Sandor]

Seasoned pine sometimes splits easily.

IMHO, the only way to get pine or poplar to dry is leave it covered until it starts to check. It looks like it soaks up moisture otherwise.