When is it too punky?

[KpR]

I've got a good number of standing dead Red Oak, but am wondering at what point does the stuff become too punky to be good/efficient firewood?
As you can see in the pics, the sapwood is on the punkier side of things when compared to the heartwood.
On some loads, if I thought it was too degraded I was taking it off as I split, but are those extra strikes necessary? None of it is so soft that I could take a bite out of it, but it sure isn't as solid seeming as a log from a cut live oak.

 

[Wood Duck]

If your stacks are covered then it is all good enough to keep. If not, then don't keep wood that won't split, but rather crumbles or breaks when you try to split it.

 

[Toomb]

That still looks pretty solid to me....i would stack it.

 

[KpR]

Good to know. Thanks for the input. I'll be keeping it covered.

 

[Montanalocal]

As long as the heartwood is good enough to hold the split together when I split it, I throw it into the stack. This is Ponderosa pine many years dead. The heartwood stays remarkable solid long after the sap wood is very punky. Once it is CSS, the rot ceases. It all burns.

 

[warno]

I have some maple that looks like that. The stuff that fell off during splitting I left to burn with the brush. The rest is stacked up.

 

[Kenster]

I don't mind a little bit of punk. It's sort of like a built in fire starter. BUT, it's also like a sponge when it rains.

 

[CincyBurner]

KpR - I'd stack this as is, just make sure it stays dry. As Wood Duck stated, keep it covered, keep it dry, and it'll burn.
Species is a consideration too. If many of the rounds (e.g. hickory), and with mostly doty sapwood (4"-6"), I've split off the rotten sapwood and pitched it in the woods (a bit of a mess).
Depends how much time you want to spend removing it, or processing wood with less Btu's; OR how much stack space you're willing to sacrifice.
Doty wood will burn, but it also acts as a sponge wrapped around sound wood preventing it from seasoning well. But you're in MT with low relative humidity so perhaps not as critical.

 

[Kenster]

I've had stacked oak get really punky (thick and crumbly) but have great, hard, heartwood. I'll take my little Fiskars hatchet and knock off most of the punk. Worth the labor.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

I would burn it. It will light easily if kept dry, throw a lot of heat, but burn out quicker.

Remember, your hand of cards won't always be the same but knowing how to play each hand that your dealt is the key. Monitor your air supply and burn times, and enjoy.

 

[Paulywalnut]

Even punky oak is better than a lot of others. When it looks like sliced turkey it's probably better to leave it.

 

[heavy hammer]

I would keep it can always use on the days it's not really cold. If it burns and you get heat it can't be that bad, just try and keep it dry.

 

[Applesister]

I agree with Paulywalnut, punky oak is still way better than alot of other species.
Cover it well.

 

[Hasufel]

I've had stacked oak get really punky (thick and crumbly) but have great, hard, heartwood. I'll take my little Fiskars hatchet and knock off most of the punk. Worth the labor.

Same here. One of the oaks I'm working on now has a half-inch layer of soaking wet punk under the bark. When I split it I take the Fiskars and quickly shave off the punky part. I figure it helps the wood season more quickly, plus I don't want that stuff to take up space in my firewood racks when I have plenty of good heartwood that needs stacking.

 

[MaintenanceMan]

As long as it holds itself together in one piece I throw it on the stack. My stacks are all covered so it shouldn't get any worse.

 

[billb3]

Punk you can easily stick a screwdriver into generally isn't worth it unless there is some good solid heartwood there. I check/knock off thick sections from dead standing red oak cuz it often has small nest of carpenter ants in it. I'd rather leave that in the woods. For the birds, or whatever. They won't like the punk drying out either if you keep it as dry as possible if yu have a little on some splits.
It's just a little messy sometimes. It's just wood fibers.

 

[Pellet_Pete]

I burned a load of oak just like that last night. I've only tossed one punky split in the woods - picked it up and was as light as styrofoam. Must have been all water when I put it under cover 2 yrs ago.

 

[Jeffm1]

I've got a good number of standing dead Red Oak, but am wondering at what point does the stuff become too punky to be good/efficient firewood?
As you can see in the pics, the sapwood is on the punkier side of things when compared to the heartwood.
On some loads, if I thought it was too degraded I was taking it off as I split, but are those extra strikes necessary? None of it is so soft that I could take a bite out of it, but it sure isn't as solid seeming as a log from a cut live oak.

That still looks good to me.

 

[mecreature]

It is better then some of the red oak Im burning recently.

RedOak turns weird quick if its just sittin round.