Storing indoors for seasoning?

[j7art2]

Hey guys, just purchased a house last year, and after getting smacked with $3000 worth of propane last winter, I decided to resurrect my Energy-Mate wood furnace that has not been used in at least 10 years.

Long story short, my dad gave me 2 face cords of seasoned Ash, but I know that isn't going to last me through the winter. My wife is picking up a fuelwood/firewood permit from the DNR tomorrow, and I can gather up 5 full cords of wood literally in my backyard provided it's already down and dead.

That being said, I know not all of the wood I get will be seasoned properly, but will hopefully be at least partially seasoned since it's already down.

My house has a 40x40 polebarn with attached closed in stables. Since I don't have horses, I've been throwing all of my wood in there in a mound, with the most seasoned closest to the door and the least seasoned farthest away. I realize now that I'm likely going to need to stack it if I want to get through the winter, but will keeping it indoors in a closed in stable area cause it to season faster than being out in the weather? It has been an EXTREMELY wet year this year.

I was thinking of putting a fan on the pile too to keep the air circulating. Thoughts?

Not really worried about bugs. I have chickens.

 

[Shane Collins]

I'm no expert but I would say at the very least stack it off the ground. I would think a fan would help. If you don't have one get a moisture meter. They are quite cheap and come in very handy. I just cut down a pretty big dead elm. All the bark was gone and the top branches were splitting apart lengthways. I thought the tops must be partially seasoned... The moisture meter read 50%. Won't be burning that for at least a year.

Last year I had to struggle with pretty nasty wood. I made it through but it really is no fun at all. One thing I've seen on here a few times is people using wooden pallets for firewood. They are free and seasoned already. Could be worth getting a few, even if you just mix it in with some of the not so seasoned wood it should help the fire along.

Good luck!

 

[j7art2]

Forgot to mention, the floor the wood is on is concrete, not dirt! Not sure if that matters. It probably does. Where do you get a moisture meter? Never heard of one until today. How does it work?

 

[Shane Collins]

This is the moisture meter I have :

http://www.amazon.com/General-Tools...qid=1413494671&sr=8-1&keywords=moisture+meter

Basically you stick the two prongs into the wood and it gives you a reading which is the moisture content of the wood. You should always split the piece of wood you're checking and take your reading from the fresh split face placing the prongs so they run with the grain. They are not 100% accurate but they work pretty well. I was linked a .pdf that talks in depth about how they work and how to get very good accuracy but I still haven't found time to read through it yet, I'll find it and link it here.

Concrete floor is good, I assumed it was dirt or something. I would still stack it on pallets or 2x4's or something though. But as it's under a roof it's probably fine.

If you can, get a moisture meter, they also sell them at lowes/home depot etc. The general rule is, under 20% is what you're looking for. My current wood which isn't ideal but is working fine ranges from 18-23%. Last year I would guess it was probably 23-30% and that wasn't very enjoyable. If you're burning wood that isn't seasoned well, make sure to check and clean your chimney more often. The extra moisture in wood will cause more buildup in the chimney.

If you're planning on sticking to wood try get a couple of years ahead so you have some good seasoned wood to burn.

 

[Sprinter]

It's great that you have an enclosed area for firewood. Be aware that you'll need to properly stack your wood to allow good airflow. I'm not sure what you meant by a "mound" but my idea of a mound won't allow proper drying which needs good air circulation (experience...).

Look for a two-pin type of moisture meter. You don't need to spent too much. Ebay is full of them for $10 or 15, or any Lowes or HD will have them in stock. They all are accurate enough. EPA stoves are designed around 20% MC and you can get away with less than 25%. More than that you need to take some steps.

Also be aware that wood that is down and dead may not necessarily be dry. I've cut long-dead snags that still had 35% MC. You're right to get a meter. I like Shane's idea of a fan since indoors you won't have the benefit of drying breeze.

 

[Soundchasm]

If you're resurrecting a stove, the only consideration is making sure it's good to go with gaskets, glass, connections, clean stack, clean cap, etc. Buy a Sooteater system and clean after a month of burning to vette your wood and techniques. It's totally worth the effort to avoid a chimney fire. With a MM and Sooteater, you can discover a lot about where you are and where you want to be. The journey can take a while.

 

[j7art2]

Whats an MM?

I'm considering calling an HVAC company to come out. I messed with the limit switch and stupidly did not take a picture of where the settings were from the previous owner before I did so. I've obviously got some issues here that I can't figure out.

I'm going to post a new thread in the wood furnace section complete with my setup and explain the issues I'm having.

 

[j7art2]

Back to the original topic, I split all of the wood I had and stacked it. I now have 2 box fans blowing on the stacks in the barn. Any breeze will help I imagine.

 

[Soundchasm]

Back to the original topic, I split all of the wood I had and stacked it. I now have 2 box fans blowing on the stacks in the barn. Any breeze will help I imagine.

Even as winter progresses, you'll probably begin to detect the wood getting lighter, and if you knock two pieces together you'll get a sharp report instead of a thud. A moisture meter (MM) will give more precise results.

I'd suggest starting a thread in the Hearth section with pics and specs of your setup to help insure your safety above all else. You can't go wrong getting many so sets of eyeballs on your gear.

 

[j7art2]

Oh, right. MM is moisture meter. Duh..

lol.

I have a pretty large harbor freight gift card and was thinking of getting one of their MM's. They have decent reviews. Another thing I need to get is a temperature gauge on the piping.

Here's a link by the way to my thread on the wood furnace. I agree that more eyes would be beneficial. I'm almost to the verge of calling an HVAC company.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/wood-furnace-issues-energy-mate.133189/#post-1789231

 

[Soundchasm]

Oh, the funnest tool in the toolkit is an infra-red (IR) temp gun. Use it on windows, engines, floors, ceilings, significant other, water temp out of the spigot, frying pans and maybe even point it at exact, precise points on your stove! Way, way, way, way, waaaaaaaaay better than any magnet.

I got the Kintrex and if it broke I'd order another immediately. They're gospel.

 

[j7art2]

Funny you mentioned that. I got the magnet one today and was debating getting an IR one instead.

They have those at Harbor Freight too. :D

Wife knows better than to get me gift cards, i spend it on stuff I don't need. Or maybe I do. LOL

 

[Woody Stover]

Any breeze will help I imagine.

I dried half a cord in the house, from 25 to 20% in a couple weeks. It was split small, though, and stacked in a row. I don't know if small would work well in a furnace, or burn up too fast. Not sure about blowing a fan on the heap; I don't think the breeze would penetrate very far.