Time required to season wood

[coachgrd]

Hey guys...I just dropped, cut, split, and stacked some cherry. What is the prevailing opinion about when this wood is dry enough to burn in a wood stove?
-Gary

 

[L3650]

Was it green when cut & split? Is it stacked in the sun & wind?

Unless it was a standing dead tree with loose bark, I would not burn it until the winter of 09-10.

 

[randy41]

i would 08-09.

 

[Pushing_Tin]

Was it green when cut & split? Is it stacked in the sun & wind?

Unless it was a standing dead tree with loose bark, I would not burn it until the winter of 09-10.

Is this your thought on any green hardwood? What about fir?

 

[Egon]

around here the consensus seems to be two years for fresh cut trees. Most trees are cut in the winter.

 

[Skyco]

I've always heard a year around here but then is is much warmer all year round so moisture in the wood evaporates faster.....

 

[coachgrd]

Was it green when cut & split? Is it stacked in the sun & wind?

Unless it was a standing dead tree with loose bark, I would not burn it until the winter of 09-10.

Sorry about that, I should have been more specific. The trees were very much alive. They are stacked in an area that receives a good breeze but little sun.

Thanks everyone...
Gary

 

[ToadHill]

Some wood drys faster than other. I'd get a inexpensive moisture meter and test it. I burn mine when it gets down to under 10% moisture.

 

[dmccarty]

The best answer I read was that it depends on the length of the split wood. Wood dries mainly from the end grain, so the short the piece the faster it dries. The longer the piece the longer to dry.

A short 12 inch piece is supposed to dry in 3ish months. 18 inches was 4-6ish months. I thought I read this on a US Forest service or wood products website. I have looked for that info again and can't find it anymore.

I think it also depends on how well you keep water off the wood. I tarp my wood so that the water runs off the wood pile. It would be better if I had a wood shed that would keep the water off and allow better airflow. We have burned 16-18 inch wood that was seasoned for 3-4 months and it was fine. No water in it. I'm sure we would have gotten more heat in the house if it had seasoned for more time. Our first year heating with wood the wood was not seasoned well at all. You could see water steaming out of some of the wood. Not good. But it heated the house. Chimney sweep said the chimney was clean.

Certainly if you let the wood season for 1-2 years it will be good to go.

Later,
Dan

 

[Highbeam]

Two years on the cherry as it is a dense hardwood and was quite alive. That's two years cut, split, stacked with the top covered in the winter. Evergreens such as fir and other less dense hardwoods such as alder, willow, cottonwood, can season in one year.

I will agree with the moisture meter suggestion. Harbor Freight sells one for small money which I own. Firewood is "ready" when the middle of a freshly split piece reads less than 20% according to the literature of firewood documents. I find that 15% is far superior to 20% but that 20% will provide a good burn. Green firewood measures out above the 36% top limit of the meter.