Seasoning wood question

[idget]

Since I am moving in my new home in july, I will be starting from scratch with buying a few cords of wood. While many of the firewood suppliers in area advertise seasoned wood, I am always sceptical on how seasoned the wood really is. My thought is that the wood really wouldn't be ready for this season's burning. Am I correct or could I season the wood by December.

Idget

 

[njtomatoguy]

Start grabbing wood as soon as you move in. I actually collected wood before I got my stove.
I would buy it in July. The price might be a little better than in the fall, also.
Try craigslist, freecycle, I even hit the town recycling facility.

Bob

 

[DeerMeadowFarm]

When I heated exclusively with wood, I used to cut my wood one year ahead so for example the wood I would have been cutting this past winter and spring (2007/2008) wouldn't be going into my stove until fall of 2009.

That being said and being in basically the same boat as you since I am now going to be starting over, I plan to buy this fall's wood ASAP and as "seasoned" as I can get for the money. We live on the south side of a mountain in the middle of a hay field so I plan to stack my wood on pallets in rows with space in-between each row. With the southern exposure and by placing my rows to take advantage of the wind I think I'll be in pretty good shape.

I don't know what your situation for storage is but if you can get it off the ground, allow plenty of air passage, and tarp it good, you should be OK in my opinion. If you can afford to buy twice as much as you think you'll need this year then you'll be in great shape for next year.

 

[idget]

Thanks for advice, I do plan on buying both for this year and next to get ahead.

 

[grizzly2]

Good idea idget, I agree with everything DMF said. I also think you are correct to be suspicious about "cured" wood being fully cured.
Good luck and happy burning, though I do hope we can go a few months before we need to! :coolgrin:

 

[Backwoods Savage]

idget, you didn't mention what this wood will be. If oak, then it needs more time, but lots of wood could be gotten now and if split small and stacked loosely out in the open where it will get wind and sun, I would not hesitate to heat with it next winter. I've done that many times even with elm, which is pretty wet stuff. I'd get it split and stack very loosely and leave it uncovered until the fall rains hit. No problem.

 

[sapratt]

Why not buy what you need for most of the winter. Then keep an eye out for wood. and start getting it for free. I have about 2 cord split and stacked. Maybe a face cord that still needs to be split. All of it was free, driving around looking for logs and word of mouth. I don't think 2yrs for seasoning wood is needed. Now I'm new at wood burning but the cherry tree I cut down in the fall is good and dry. All the wood I gathered during the winter seems to be drying pretty good and it's not in the sun all that much but does get alot of wind.

 

[Todd]

Buy a cheap $20 moisture meter on ebay and go around to the firewood suppliers, split a few, and take readings. Then you will see how "seasoned" it really is.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Why not buy what you need for most of the winter. Then keep an eye out for wood. and start getting it for free. I have about 2 cord split and stacked. Maybe a face cord that still needs to be split. All of it was free, driving around looking for logs and word of mouth. I don't think 2yrs for seasoning wood is needed. Now I'm new at wood burning but the cherry tree I cut down in the fall is good and dry. All the wood I gathered during the winter seems to be drying pretty good and it's not in the sun all that much but does get alot of wind.

No man, as you get more experienced you will find there can be a huge difference in seasoning wood. For example, that cherry you cut down in the fall could actually be burned green! So you should expect it to be drying nicely even out of the sun.

For example: There used to be a bunch of us wild men set up deer camp in the northern woods of Michigan every fall. We heated our tents only with wood...and we never took wood with us. We'd just cut down some cherry and use that to heat our tents. No problem at all with that either. But you would not want to try this with oak, or beech or many others.