white oak

[bruce56bb]

last winter i cut up some white oak that had been dead for several years. dead long enough that the bark had fallen off. bucked it up and split it in dec or jan.
fast forward to this morning.......
i was getting the fire started back from a decent bed of coals and put a couple of small splits and a medium sized oak split from the previously mentioned tree in the firebox with the door cracked. a few minutes later i check on the fire and open the door and i cannot believe what i see. the oak split is hissing,foaming and smoking!
just how long does it take to season oak?

 

[BigV]

last winter i cut up some white oak that had been dead for several years. dead long enough that the bark had fallen off. bucked it up and split it in dec or jan.
fast forward to this morning.......
i was getting the fire started back from a decent bed of coals and put a couple of small splits and a medium sized oak split from the previously mentioned tree in the firebox with the door cracked. a few minutes later i check on the fire and open the door and i cannot believe what i see. the oak split is hissing,foaming and smoking!
just how long does it take to season oak?

That would entirely depend on how the wood was stored and how much ventilation and airflow you have around your wood. I split lots of green white oak last January and kept it stored in my garage as soon as it’s split. I keep two large fans running 24 hours a day 7 days a week circulating the air above and around my wood.. I am currently burning this wood and it’s seasoned perfectly. With the right conditions, 6 to 8 months should season even green oak.

 

[Eric Johnson]

I think white oak takes longer to dry than some of its siblings. But it's worth it.

 

[babalu87]

Oak takes a long time to dry, optimal is a year or more.
I already have some for next season stacked and ideally I would like to be a full 18 months ahead of it.

We burn mostly red oak with the occasional white oak as well but I only cut whites down if I have to, they are the favorite among deer the acorn is sweeter.
Try it, though both taste nasty to us (raw anyway) the white oak is more palatable.

 

[Corey]

So far, for any wood I have cut (oak, elm, poplar, locust, hedge, pine and a few more) one year seems to be plenty for a good season. At least in this area and climate.

I am curious that you say the tree was completely dead when you cut it down. I would expect that when cutting a live tree, for some period of time after it's cut, (days...weeks...months? I don't know) the cells of the wood are still doing their thing - which is essentially pumping water up and down the log. Or effectively pumping water to the ends of the log if it has been bucked. This may get rid of a substantial amount of moisture.

If the tree was long dead, the cells are now dead and can't actively transport water so it may essentially be "locked" in the log and very slow to come out.

Just a thought - anybody have input on which dries faster - a live log or a dead one...assuming they both started with the same amount of moisture?

Corey

 

[quads]

Usually a year or so for Black Oak to season. White Oak does take a little longer, maybe two years. Of course, it all depends on how it's stacked and split too. Laying in a pile and unsplit, the rounds in the middle may rot before they ever season.

 

[Eric Johnson]

So far, for any wood I have cut (oak, elm, poplar, locust, hedge, pine and a few more) one year seems to be plenty for a good season. At least in this area and climate.

I am curious that you say the tree was completely dead when you cut it down. I would expect that when cutting a live tree, for some period of time after it's cut, (days...weeks...months? I don't know) the cells of the wood are still doing their thing - which is essentially pumping water up and down the log. Or effectively pumping water to the ends of the log if it has been bucked. This may get rid of a substantial amount of moisture.

If the tree was long dead, the cells are now dead and can't actively transport water so it may essentially be "locked" in the log and very slow to come out.

Just a thought - anybody have input on which dries faster - a live log or a dead one...assuming they both started with the same amount of moisture?

Corey

I think dead wood dries out quicker, Corey. Depending on the circumstances, standing deadwood can season out all by itself and be ready to burn when you cut it down. Under less optimal conditions, it will rot on the stump. Green wood, on the other hand, takes about a year to dry, no matter how you slice it. Most plants start drying out as soon as they die, especially if kept off the ground.

In short, solid deadwood is going to dry much more quickly than green, IME.

SAFETY NOTE: Standing deadwood is a lot more dangerous to cut than standing live trees.

 

[Roospike]

locust, hedge, white/red oak, always 2 years minimum for me. I dont even bother with it unless its had 2 years drying time.

Elm, hackberry, mulberry, maple you should be fine in 9 months.

 

[Henz]

yup, I agree, 12 solid months split/stacked and covered is needed. usually when I have white oak, which is not often, I will split it up alittle smaller than my regular hard maple and the like so that it dries the same as my maple etc

 

[Roospike]

Drying time start from being split as the normal rule of thumb.

 

[Henz]

yeah for the most part, but I like it stacked and covered. actually I ususally leave it uncovered for the first month and then cover it with metal

 

[ourhouse]

I say 1 year at least

 

[Sandor]

About 10 percent of my wood is white oak. It does take longer to dry then red or chestnut oak.

I noticed its difficult to split the rounds after bucking. Let it lay around for a few weeks, and it gets much easier. In the humid east where I live, white oak does seem to need at least a year, while I can dry red oak in about 8 months. (covered and facing south)

Next to Dogwood, this is my next favorite species for a long overnight burn.

 

[hardwood715]

Elm, hackberry, mulberry, maple you should be fine in 9 months

Last December, Norweigen Maple, cut, split , and stacked by January. I notice the same thing , mostly with the small rounds , the too small to split ones, boiling water or whatever out the checked ends!

 

[Roospike]

Elm, hackberry, mulberry, maple you should be fine in 9 months

Last December, Norweigen Maple, cut, split , and stacked by January. I notice the same thing , mostly with the small rounds , the too small to split ones, boiling water or whatever out the checked ends!

All my rounds get at least 2 years to season and i like to have rounds on hand.

 

[DavidV]

let's go back to your storage method. I have only been to Kansas once for a week but I recall it wasn't particularly humid. Am I correct? is the wood covered or exposed to rain? has it rained recently?
The wood I'm buring now is covered on the top and has been stacked for 2 years. a mix of hadwoods, mostly white and red oak. this morning one of the pieces I freshened my fire with was damp to the dtouch on one side. IT had been up near the plastic cover and I'm guessing that dew collected on it or there is a hole and rainwater went thru to it. IT went in the stove anyway....wasn't that wet.

 

[bruce56bb]

not covered but stacked in rows.
i'm starting to wonder if the humidity is the problem on the longer drying times. the humidity is brutal here in the summers.
ask pajerry, i think he moved his son to here in late august and was able to experience it firsthand.

 

[Henz]

I never have had a problem splitting wood. My 33ton splitter works jsut fine

 

[wg_bent]

I cut some white oak sept 05 thinking good spring 06...Nope...well it will be good fall 06...uhh nope. Towards the center of a 2 cord pile stacked on pallets..the wood is not seasoned enough. It will sizzle for about a minute when tossed into the stove. Sigh...I'll let that pile go another year I guess.

Steve and Kevin have seen this pile...Guys...You'd thing that stuff by the choping block would be good to go eh? Not quite.

 

[Henz]

yeah, I know what you mean..Thats why I always say 12 solid months, split, stacked and covered. I usually do a loose stack, longer rows and only two stackes deep per row. This allows for more air circulation around each piece..I also split my white oak in about half the size of my normal ash and hard maple.