Storm Damage

[Northern NH Mike]

Hello All

This past Friday night we had 8-9 inches of wet snow in northern NH. It resulted in quite a bit of tree damage. At midnight I stood on the deck and listened to the limbs and trees coming down around the area. Mother nature is pretty powerful. We had one trunk of a multi-trunked 15-20' Sugar Maple come down. Missed the deck by 10 feet and landed on my woodpile; pretty ironic. Anyway, I cut the branches and cleaned it up, but am wondering about how to prep this for firewood. Shall I cut it into lengths and split and stack in the spring or leave it as is for a year or two? I've gotten all my wood cut and split in the past, so large scale green tree length is a new experience for me.

 

[Hurricane]

What luck trees falling in the firewood pile
I would get it cut and split whenever you have the time. The sooner the better. Most wood takes at least a year to season and wood seasons better in the cold winter months IMHO. Wood does not season in log form, seasons some in cut logs, but seasons for real once split. If you get it cut split now you will be burning it next winter. Maple seasons in a year or less.

 

[John the Painter]

That's funny as hell and quite convenient.I'd get it split as soon as you can.It will season faster and better in splits.Ha Ha HA that's awsome.

 

[fossil]

Leaving it as is buys you nothing except postponing the work. The wood will begin to season a bit when you buck it to length, but the real seasoning begins after the wood is split. Rick

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Wait until it stops coming down before walking in the woods though. Widowmakers and all that...


Matt

 

[billb3]

We got some of that wind down here, too.
I had a cord and a half of oak stacked 6 feet high (i know better but did it anyway).
1 broken pine branch and the whole thing toppled over like dominoes.


While restacking it was rather interesting how some splits were heavy and some were rather light. Didn't seem to make much difference size of split or where it had been (top / bottom) in the previous stack.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Sounds like you had a rough one! I hate that heavy wet snow and it is even worse if you get it before leaf drop.

Definitely get it cut to length and split. Stack it where wind will hit the side of the pile. Sun is great but if you have to choose, wind is more important than sun. I would not cover the stack but if you feel you must, then cover the top only. Leave the sides and ends open to the wind.

 

[firefighterjake]

Cut, split and stack sooner, rather than later. No real benefit to leaving the tree as it is . . . and in fact you will be much further ahead getting the wood processed now so a) the yard is nice and clean and b) the wood begins to season.

Sugar maple = good wood to have come down . . . as long as it a) doesn't crash on to the house or b) land on your woodpile and knock it over.

 

[Wood Duck]

Cut to length, split and stack asap. This sounds like the perfect way to get started with processing your own wood - it volunteered.

 

[Northern NH Mike]

Thanks for the advice. I'll get it bucked up and start splitting. It is likely that the ground will be bare by the end of the week. Love late fall, early winter schizophrenic weather. If I did this correctly, a picture of The Volunteer is attached.

 

[Northern NH Mike]

Well I took the collective advice. After giving the saw a little cleaning and sharpening I bucked it into 18" lengths. The tree was about 33' long. Some of the "rounds" were 13" and I figured there was no way I was splitting it with the maul. So far I have 2/3rd of it split. I was amazed at how easy most were to split; one or two smacks with the maul.

There is nothing like a sharp chain and all those little curls of wood piling up at your feet.

Keep warm gentlemen.