Seasoning your firewood ??

[BigAl]

Ok... How long do you suggest you should season firewood before burning ? I can never seem to be able to keep enough under shelter to dry out for longer than a year . We use Pine up here in Idaho . If California it was Oak or Madrone and it was best to let age a couple years if your could . Lately I just have the boys cut standing dead pine trees , buck em up and split it . It heads to the wood pile and is burned that year . So far I only need to sweep the flue once a year but we do have Some folks who have a chimney fire every year . I try to get a hot fire going before closing down the damper . How do you all handle this ??

 

[bczoom]

I'm going to get a tester like one of these.
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-Instruments-MMD4E-Moisture/dp/B00275F5O2/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1397232073&sr=1-1&keywords=Firewood+Moisture+Meter"]Amazon.com: General Tools & Instruments MMD4E Digital Moisture Meter: Home Improvement[/ame]

I'd like to get it down to 10-12% but to do that in a single season may be hard.

What do you mean by this statement? "I can never seem to be able to keep enough under shelter to dry out for longer than a year"

Is it because you're out of space, burning it faster than you can replenish or ???

 

[BigAl]

We cover our wood for aging . I got too much crap already . Stacking it under a tree and coming back later will not work here as there will be 5 ' of snow on top of it . I have enough room for about 3 cords under shelter .

 

[bczoom]

I have enough room for about 3 cords under shelter .

Sounds like you could really use a larger wood shed.

My permanent shed is 12x24. This year I expect to cut/split/stack somewhere between 75 and 100 face cord (25-35 full cord). Once the permanent shed is filled, I'll buy one of those 10x20 canvas carports and fill. Once that's full, buy another and keep doing that.

 

[BigAl]

Sounds like you could really use a larger wood shed.

My permanent shed is 12x24. This year I expect to cut/split/stack somewhere between 75 and 100 face cord (25-35 full cord). Once the permanent shed is filled, I'll buy one of those 10x20 canvas carports and fill. Once that's full, buy another and keep doing that.

Good God Man !!!! I only use 3 cords a year and that is my main source of heat . That is for a 1300 square foot old ranch house . but I reworked it a little and it is insulated up the yazoo .

 

[mtntopper]

Ok... How long do you suggest you should season firewood before burning ? Lately I just have the boys cut standing dead pine trees , buck em up and split it . ??

Standing dead should be dried out well in a year. My standing dead will take about a year to lose all of their needles. I wait until the needles are gone and often burn it that winter without any problems. Standing dead does not pickup moisture from laying on the ground but the butt end may be a little damp for a few feet with the moisture from the ground wicking upward.

 

[loboloco]

I cut hardwoods here and usually burn it that winter. Maybe 6-8 months, but I do make sure the fire is hot before I damp it down.

 

[BigAl]

I cut hardwoods here and usually burn it that winter. Maybe 6-8 months, but I do make sure the fire is hot before I damp it down.

Just asking ? Do hard woods take longer to dry out for burning than a soft wood like pine ,for example ?

 

[bczoom]

Just asking ? Do hard woods take longer to dry out for burning than a soft wood like pine ,for example ?

Yep. I've had oak bucked and the chunks stacked under shelter for a couple years. I went to split it and it was as wet inside as a freshly cut log.

 

[loboloco]

Just asking ? Do hard woods take longer to dry out for burning than a soft wood like pine ,for example ?

Basically yes. But they are lower in resins even green than pine is dry. Makes it slightly safer to burn hardwoods.