Wood question
- Thread starter Creekheat
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil. -
Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
- Status
Charles1981
Minister of Fire
There is a sticky at the top of the forums with a number of previous discussions regarding this topic:
Start HERE if you are New to Burning / have a draft problem / stove's air is restricted / FAQ about
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...lem-stoves-air-is-restricted-faq-about.59225/
In general it can depend on the wood, but for the more common wood types ash can be as soon as 1 year, oak and locust can be 2-3 years. And this is only for wood that is cut up, split up, and stacked up (aka CSS or C/S/S)
Start HERE if you are New to Burning / have a draft problem / stove's air is restricted / FAQ about
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...lem-stoves-air-is-restricted-faq-about.59225/
In general it can depend on the wood, but for the more common wood types ash can be as soon as 1 year, oak and locust can be 2-3 years. And this is only for wood that is cut up, split up, and stacked up (aka CSS or C/S/S)
Thanks Charles, appreciate the response. I didnt know at what point the moisture level dropped to a level at which the stoves wouldnt choke....my stove wont go in until late may or early june, this gives me a good idea for wood accumulation my first year....
Stella
Burning Hunk
I have mentioned the words moisture meter to my fellow woodburners here in Greece and have been responded to with blank stares. Also you can only burn what is available to you which here may be less than desirable. The importance of dry wood was illustrated the other day when a very kind friend who had been cutting down some old olive trees insisted on carrying logs up to my living room and putting some in my stove. They were wet as in very and left little puddles of water across my living room. Some even had leaves attached! Needless to say I had to relight my stove three times. If this had been my first experience with the whole business I should have been bitterly disappointed in the stove's performance; as it is I know what the stove can do when it is fed right! I took all the logs which had been given to me down to my wood yard and left them with the others designated for burning in two year's time.
No, it never does stop. We're talking about the seasoning of Red Oak, right?
Olive is a fairly dense wood, correct? Nevertheless, if you have a lot of hot, dry weather (which I think you do there,) two years should do the trick on any stack of splits. [Hmmm, my sister lived there for a while....you would think I would at least know what the weather was like.]
Last edited:
Stella
Burning Hunk
Yes, summers are very hot and usually very dry. Olive is a hard wood and gives out great heat. Fortunately winter is short here and already spring flowers are carpeting the olive groves with a lovely show of colour. Heat is needed really only for the evenings now but it is so nice to watch the stove that I have lit mine today even though without heat the temp inside the house was 19 degrees celsius. Now 22 celsius now the stove has been lit for around an hour.No, it never does stop. We're talking about the seasoning of Red Oak, right?
Olive is a fairly dense wood, correct? Nevertheless, if you have a lot of hot, dry weather (which I think you do there,) two years should do the trick on any stack of splits. [Hmmm, my sister lived there for a while....you would think I would at least know what the weather was like.]
Attachments
![[Hearth.com] Wood question](/talk/data/attachments/128/128582-ccd0545ca90b82543dd1cac0a7c72041.jpg?hash=ijwdbjNhJH)
smokedragon
Minister of Fire
All wood stoves require seasoned wood. I have an old stove from the 70's and buying a moisture meter this year was the best thing I ever did. I grew up hearing that one year was plenty, but that depends on the species and the condition the tree was in when felled (green or standing dead). There is no magic number.
Ram 1500 with an axe...
Minister of Fire
The good thing is there are new wood burners popping up every day.....
If experience burners don't want to help the new burners out they should stay off the forum or be put on a shelf....
Now I know you were just kidding.......
get a moisture meter that is the only way you will know for sure. I generally get most of my wood to 20% or less in a year but not always and I know allot of people here say it takes them much longer. There are to many variables to give you a set time. I stack single thick stacks covered only on top and with good airflow and a year works petty good for me though.
It really depends on your specific location. No two piles of wood will dry the same. By giving it the best possible chance with the most sun exposure and wind exposure it will dry faster. Single rows will also help. I stack mine in single rows with about a foot space between them.
What species of wood are you attempting to season? It really does depend on species. Softwoods like pine and what not season quickest. If cut early in the spring they will be ready by fall if given optimal conditions. Softer hard woods like maple will dry quicker than the harder hard woods like oak. Maple/Cherry take about a year and a half. Split and stack this spring and they will be ready to burn the winter of 2015-2016.
Oak is the longest. Split it now and it will be ready for 2016-2017. Of course it will burn before then but if you want it to be dry you will have to wait about 3 years.
Generally speaking the denser the wood the longer it takes to dry. The best way to determine if wood is dry is to buy a moisture meter. They run about $30 for a descent one at your local Home Depot / Lowes.
What species of wood are you attempting to season? It really does depend on species. Softwoods like pine and what not season quickest. If cut early in the spring they will be ready by fall if given optimal conditions. Softer hard woods like maple will dry quicker than the harder hard woods like oak. Maple/Cherry take about a year and a half. Split and stack this spring and they will be ready to burn the winter of 2015-2016.
Oak is the longest. Split it now and it will be ready for 2016-2017. Of course it will burn before then but if you want it to be dry you will have to wait about 3 years.
Generally speaking the denser the wood the longer it takes to dry. The best way to determine if wood is dry is to buy a moisture meter. They run about $30 for a descent one at your local Home Depot / Lowes.
I'm burning some white oak now from a tree that was downed from a storm in the spring 2013. I cut it, split it small, and stacked it and kept it covered from last July on anticipating I was going to get a wood stove. Burns fine Could it be better?? probably, but passes the 90 second test. The reality is I have young teens who do sports, moto-x and time is at a premium. I can't cut 3 years of wood so I pick and choose what I can do for fire wood, and do the best I can.
If you get three years ahead, you never have to worry about dry wood or moisture readers. If you are new to woodburning or don't have the space to store 3 years of wood, focus on wood species that are not oak or hickory. If I was just starting out, I would want ash, birch, soft maple, popple, All of those woods season relatively quickly. Although BTU's may be less, your stove will be much happier.
I agree with all of this, except that locust does not take as long to season as oak. I have found one year is generally all that is needed for locust.
nrford
Minister of Fire
Black locust will season in a year. Honey locust takes at least 2 years and 3 would be better.
jatoxico
Minister of Fire
I'm surprised to hear you had good luck with Long Island locust after a year. I recently learned the LI locust is a variety known as Ship Mast which grows straighter and is supposed to a little more dense than regular BL.
My first go round with locust was 18 mo CSS and was marginal. Maybe my splits were all too big or something. I split about 2.5 cords last Oct/Nov and intentionally split some on the smaller side and left some a little (not much) bigger. I didn't intend to use it for 3 yrs but maybe I will test a few sticks next year and see how it goes since I may be short next year especially if it's another winter like this one..
How long depends upon what type of wood you have along with how and where you stack it. Most need a year but most will burn even better if given 2 years. Some require 3 years. Remember that there is nothing that says you can not dry your wood for longer than is necessary and we have found that in most cases, longer is better.
Not sure about percentages but it appears on this forum most get hung up on the MM. Overall with most wood burners, very few have them. We have never owned one nor seen a need for one.
Still, as someone else stated, the best MM is a multi-year calendar.
Ram 1500 with an axe...
Minister of Fire
Moisture meters are an important tool for the new burner that is not 3 years ahead in their wood supply....
Once you achieve that and have gained experience in the knowledge of the practice of drying wood correctly, you can then throw that meter out the window or give it to a new burner in need.......
All the burners that say you don't need one are either way ahead on their wood supply or just being stubborn......
The day will come when you no longer need one but till that happens, it's an intelligent tool every new wood burner should have in their box......IMHO
Once you achieve that and have gained experience in the knowledge of the practice of drying wood correctly, you can then throw that meter out the window or give it to a new burner in need.......
All the burners that say you don't need one are either way ahead on their wood supply or just being stubborn......
The day will come when you no longer need one but till that happens, it's an intelligent tool every new wood burner should have in their box......IMHO
Pennsyltucky Chris
Minister of Fire
There are many factors to seasoning firewood. You must first understand wood density and how the density of the wood effects the release of water. Then you have to study weather, and the relationship between dew point and humidity. The final factor is wind. Once you have mastered these three factors then we can begin to look at how they work together to season firewood. Experimentation is part of this too. How you place your stacks in relationship to the wind and the space between your stacks. Your next and obvious question will be can my wood season during the winter months. My answer to you is yes. That question will be followed by should I cover or not cover my stacks. My answer to you is cover them. The finial and usually the most overlooked question wood identification. When all else fails it is usually ash or maple. There will be bugs in the wood but don't worry they burn fine.
- Status
