I have now gotten to be friends with my Hearthstone. I love sitting and looking at the fire when the flames are "rolling" above the wood. And as I sit questions come up. I have had a harder time lighting a fire after our record-setting December rainfall; humidity almost 100% all month. Does seasoned wood absorb moisture? All of my wood has been seasoned at least two years. I split wood in the fall to make sure my wood was below 20% moisture, checked with my moisture meter. Now, I often have wood between 20 and 22% moisture. Is it bad to use wood with 21% moisture with my cat stove? I know I should not, but I'm having a hard time with my Douglas fir. The arbutus does not seem to have the same problem. Is wood harder to light when it is cold? Also, I have roll ends from the local newspaper, no print. It is sometimes also very hard to get it to light. I tear off pieces the night before and crumple them on top of the kindling in the kindling box. Is it just relative humidity that is my problem?
random wood questions
- Thread starter polkadottie
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Firewood does stabilize at a point that does reflect ambient conditions but for us, not over 20%. We get a load of split, green Doug fir in April. This firewood in the Seattle area dries out nicely in the summer and stabilizes around 17% moisture content. It's stacked in the woodshed before the rains return in fall. The heavy rains of December haven't affected it too much. It's pretty easy to start.
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Yes, wood is harder to start when it (the wood) is cold.
I always have the next load in the stove room; put it there right after I reloaded, so I have something to do while dialing down.
In fact I have two loads there - they'll be nice and toasty when it's reloading time and the surface will be very dry due to the low humidity in the stove room.
Is your wood getting hit by rain?
Do you tarp it?
Can you post a pic of your wood where it dries?
I always have the next load in the stove room; put it there right after I reloaded, so I have something to do while dialing down.
In fact I have two loads there - they'll be nice and toasty when it's reloading time and the surface will be very dry due to the low humidity in the stove room.
Is your wood getting hit by rain?
Do you tarp it?
Can you post a pic of your wood where it dries?
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