Seasoned but not split

[Stelcom66]

I tried searching the forum for a similar topic before posting, sorry if there is one already. I recently bought unsplit seasoned wood thinking I could use it now, as you who have been doing this for many years know - not a good idea. The wood didn't burn well, when I heard the hissing I knew it was wet. What I had stacked in the garage I brought back outside. After splitting seasoned wood, what's a typical time to let it dry before burning?

It was so nice putting decent wood back into the stove which I fortunately still had. The Vermont Castings stove is new to me. For the first time ever this morning I put kindling/small scraps of wood in, opened the door for the ash tray for a few minutes, and was able to start a fire without a match or newspaper

 

[maple1]

If it's not split, it's not seasoned. Unless it's real small to start with, and has been stacked in an open place for a year or two. So 'unsplit seasoned wood' is kind of a misnomer. Lots of variables at play, like species, how big it is, how long since it's been cut, and the conditions it's been in since it was cut. You might be able to get a better idea by splitting it & checking with a moisture meter to see how wet/dry it really is now.

 

[Stelcom66]

I should then consider that to be next year's wood. I have a volt/ohm meter, I saw somewhere how it can be used as a moisture meter.

 

[Fred Wright]

It's a common mistake... rounds left to set long enough will lose bark, lose weight and become dark in appearance, leading folks to presume the wood is seasoned.

In your case, I'd suggest a year split and stacked before burning. Place a top cover over it.

 

[OhioBurner©]

The only wood I've burned that was somewhat dry without being split was some standing dead black locust and ash. But still benefited from a month or two of being split. But if it was cut into log length (presumably from green?) and left on the ground I don't think its going to be seasoned at all.

 

[GibsonJ45]

If you are cutting and splitting your own wood, then you need a 3 year cycle going on... 1)seasoned wood you burn now, 2) wood cut/split that's seasoning and getting ready to burn next year, 3) and thinking about where you're going to get more wood to split and season.

like i tell folks, you got to like working with wood if you want to heat with it. That is, unless one has lots of $$$ to have someone else cut, split, season and haul it.

 

[maple1]

I don't think I would stack anything before splitting it. I hate stacking wood - don't want to do it more than necessary.

 

[Stelcom66]

Thanks for the tips. I do enjoy the work involved, but unfortunately I'll need to buy some more split wood this winter. Even if it doesn't end up being a big money saver, that's ok. In the long run less oil used. Then there's the ambiance of the wood stove, don't get that with a radiator.

 

[GibsonJ45]

I've got a green wood pile, a stacked split pile, and a seasoned wood pile. Not that I like stacking wood more than is needed, but this gets me out of the house and provides a ready excuse to avoid certain "honey do"s from the wife.

 

[BobUrban]

generally most species take a year or more after being split and stacked to burn - OAK takes 2-3 years.

Try not to use the ash pan door to get fires going. It is really not safe.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Yeah huh, keep reading and learning.....in the mean time split small ASAP, stack it in a single row that gets lots of sun and wind , it may be ready for next year but probably the year after that is most likely.... Get er done......now....

 

[maple1]

Thanks for the tips. I do enjoy the work involved, but unfortunately I'll need to buy some more split wood this winter. Even if it doesn't end up being a big money saver, that's ok. In the long run less oil used. Then there's the ambiance of the wood stove, don't get that with a radiator.

Keep in mind that split wood you buy likely isn't seasoned either, especially this time of year. Unless you get really lucky with a really good seller.

 

[Poindexter]

The only wood I can season without splitting, in one year, is rounds 1" and less in diameter. At 1.5" and up I have to at least cut a slit in the bark down the length of the round with the tip of my chainsaw. Above 3" I split everything, and then seasoning clock starts.

You might call around looking for standing dead or fire killed. We had a big fire about three years ago that is road accessible and open to cutting now, but its 120 miles down the road. The wood is free if you go cut it, delivery is steep.

 

[Firefighter938]

Like previously mentioned, standing dead locust and ash would be your best bet for this year. I am always on the lookout for dead trees when I'm driving. I stop and ask the homeowners if they would like me to cut it up. Most are happy to get rid of the trees. When you do this the top half of the tree seems to be good, the bottom half needs time.

For next year I would try to gather species that season quickly. Soft Maple, hackberry, pine, locust, ash. Get them cut and split ASAP.

 

[Jags]

Try not to use the ash pan door to get fires going. It is really not safe.

To the OP - please don't gloss over this. Using the ash pan door for startup air is a very unsafe practice. There is potential for several things to go wrong doing this. I know first hand.....

 

[Applesister]

Why is it unsafe?
I don't have a separate ash pan door but just curious.

 

[tsquini]

A better title for the thread would be: "not seasoned and not split".

From my experience, why not use the ash pan door to let air in. I placed some splits in the stove. The opened the ash pan to get the flames going. The splits blocked the air and the smoke came out the ash pan door and once it mixed with oxygen the hot wood gas ignited and exploded in ball of flames. For 5 weeks I looked like whoopie goldberg with no eyebrows.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

Why is it unsafe?
I don't have a separate ash pan door but just curious.

The main reason is if you do happen to have some dry wood and you load up your stove with wood the uncontrolled air entering the ash pan door can lead to an uncontrolled over fire situation, meaning the stove can reach temperatures well above what it is designed to run at which could lead to damaging the stove and flue, or worse.

 

[Jags]

And to add to that....You stand the chance of a backdraft when you shut the ash pan down if you really allow a vigorous fire to establish. It was my fault. I did it. But it was an honest mistake that should have /would have never happened if the ash pan door wasn't into play. It was virtually "explosive" in nature.

 

[Kenster]

As others have said, It doesn't start to season until it's split. TOO many vendors claim that wood they cut down last month, and split last weekend, is seasoned. Well, it ain't.
You can go into the woods and scrounge up some limb wood that might be burnable right away. If it's dead enough to fall off the tree, it's probably dry enough to burn well. But don't necessarily count on standing dead trunk wood being burnable right away. Especially oak. The core wood in an oak can still need a good two years after it's cut and split. I once brought down a Water Oak that was so dead it had NO limbs still attached. As I bucked that trunk, water still flowed out of the wood. Two years later it was still only about 20% MC.

The lesson here is GET AHEAD AND STAY AHEAD! At least three years ahead. It's hard getting there at first but once you have three years stashed, you only need to do one year's worth from then on.

 

[TreePointer]

I recall a discussion from a good while ago about legal definitions of the word "seasoned" and how it varies in different states. In some states, sellers may use the term for any wood that's cut and allowed to air dry for as little as six months. Notice that the definition says nothing about splitting, stacking, covering, or keeping the wood off the ground. It says nothing about species, log length, or diameter, either.

The bottom line is that the word "seasoned" is meaningless from the perspective of the firewood buyer. The buyer needs to ask when it was cut, split, stacked, for how long, whether the tops were covered, etc. Then the buyer makes a determination if it's seasoned. Buy it a year or two ahead of time, and you can know the answers yourself with certainty.