humidity, type of wood, size it is split, when it was cut all have bearing on the time it takes to dry. I like 2 year old wood but if the choice of being cold or burning less dried wood I choose burning less dried wood. I heat 100% with wood not just for cozy evenings.
Holz Hausen-Dry Wood In Three Months?
- Thread starter ctpres
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tcreeley
Elite Member
I agree, heat is heat. Two year wood is nice. We've heated with just wood since 1976. Sizzling 1 year wood just doesn't keep the house as warm as 2yr wood- the stove doesn't burn as hot, no matter the draft or how much wood is packed in. Best thing I did was to get a year ahead in wood. After that- we'll always have 2 year wood to burn. It is also lighter to handle and easier to get a fire going. My motto is to handle it as little as possible- too many other chores to do!
An old neighbor told me once that he only burned green wood to heat his house (home welded stove in basement) because it lasted. He said dried wood just burnt too fast. He swore green was the best and showed me his set up with a brick chimney through the center of his house. Wood was their only heat.
An old neighbor told me once that he only burned green wood to heat his house (home welded stove in basement) because it lasted. He said dried wood just burnt too fast. He swore green was the best and showed me his set up with a brick chimney through the center of his house. Wood was their only heat.
Fiziksgeek
Platinum Member
Agree, burn what you got! A tree cut in the morning will burn the evening! Properly seasoning wood will make your fire more efficient and safer. Wet wood does not burn as well as dry wood, therefor you'll have to keep the damper open further, meaning more heat going up the flue instead of into your house! On top of that, as the flue gasses rise and cool, that moisture will cause creosote to form, putting you at risk on a chimney fire.
Logs, even rounds will not dry in any reasonable time. It needs to be split and stacked, loosely, in the sunniest/windiest spot you can. To bring it back to the original post, the Holz Hausen helps maintain air flow, while maintaining a "small" footprint. I prefer single rows. One of the best method of drying here in the north east is to stack wood on top of the old rock walls!
Logs, even rounds will not dry in any reasonable time. It needs to be split and stacked, loosely, in the sunniest/windiest spot you can. To bring it back to the original post, the Holz Hausen helps maintain air flow, while maintaining a "small" footprint. I prefer single rows. One of the best method of drying here in the north east is to stack wood on top of the old rock walls!
I have been trying to find if anyone has ever done a study about the actual difference if any in drying time. All I have found so far is people saying they are starting a study but never any final results. I did find that there is an argument about should the bark face up or down again no facts just opinion. The bark thing does not figure for me because most of my logs are big and most of the splits are have no bark to argue about.
I did find a chart about the different species and their moisture content which I think helps to explain the difference in what people consider the amount of drying time necessary.
Firewood Ratings
I did find a chart about the different species and their moisture content which I think helps to explain the difference in what people consider the amount of drying time necessary.
Firewood Ratings
oldpilgrim
Elite Member
I have found that putting up wood in this manner does dry it considerably quicker, but not in 3 months as is the subject of this posst.
I've stacked it several ways....conventional 4x4x8 stacks, just left it in big piles, and this way and it dries like this, from slowest to fastest:
thrown in a pile
4x4x8 stack
holz hausen stack
thrown in a pile takes a long long time.
4x4x8 stacks, I cut it in the early spring, and I didn't really want to use it that winter, it needs a year of drying time.
holz hausen, I cut it in the early spring and use it in the Fall, with no problem.
I never considered bark, up or down.
I've stacked it several ways....conventional 4x4x8 stacks, just left it in big piles, and this way and it dries like this, from slowest to fastest:
thrown in a pile
4x4x8 stack
holz hausen stack
thrown in a pile takes a long long time.
4x4x8 stacks, I cut it in the early spring, and I didn't really want to use it that winter, it needs a year of drying time.
holz hausen, I cut it in the early spring and use it in the Fall, with no problem.
I never considered bark, up or down.
CobyRupert
Super Member
There's so many factors:
All things being equal (humidity, exterior wind speed, sun, absence of rain) the drying is a combination function of the air flow through and around the stack/pile (including chimney effect). This is effected by the surface area of the stack (i.e. exposure of exterior pieces to moving air and sunlight). This is effected by the geometry of the pile. Yes , the chimney effect maybe better than a 4x4x8 stack, but perhaps not if the 4x4x8 stack has 10" space between the rows and the rows are oriented to take advantage of the primary wind & sun directions. You'll also trade off "pile foot print" with drying. I'd bet a 4'H x1' D x 32' long (i.e. single row cord) stacked south facing would dry fastest. But the big factor is it does rain! So while maybe a single row would dry faster, the H-H pile is easy to cover for rain, or perhaps sheds the most "interior pieces" from the rain.
Best thing to do is cover it in a way air flow (and maybe some sun) can reach it, but rain stays off!
All things being equal (humidity, exterior wind speed, sun, absence of rain) the drying is a combination function of the air flow through and around the stack/pile (including chimney effect). This is effected by the surface area of the stack (i.e. exposure of exterior pieces to moving air and sunlight). This is effected by the geometry of the pile. Yes , the chimney effect maybe better than a 4x4x8 stack, but perhaps not if the 4x4x8 stack has 10" space between the rows and the rows are oriented to take advantage of the primary wind & sun directions. You'll also trade off "pile foot print" with drying. I'd bet a 4'H x1' D x 32' long (i.e. single row cord) stacked south facing would dry fastest. But the big factor is it does rain! So while maybe a single row would dry faster, the H-H pile is easy to cover for rain, or perhaps sheds the most "interior pieces" from the rain.
Best thing to do is cover it in a way air flow (and maybe some sun) can reach it, but rain stays off!
oosik
Epic Contributor
When I burned wood it was stacked, in rows, up off the ground on pallets, in a wood shed. I was always two years ahead - between felling & burning. The seasoned wood burned better & was much lighter to handle. The only wood here is Ponderosa pine. I think the round stacks look nice and will probably dry the wood quicker.
Walkin Horse
Platinum Member
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Does stacking green wood in a shed slow down the drying a lot? I have cleaned out an old shed that is on my property. It's 14' deep and open on the front. I have it about 1/3 full. I have about 5 cords stacked outside and tarped for this year and next.
When you stack wood inside a good shelter does it keep indefinitely. I spray my wood stack in the spring and summer to keep down on bugs and ants. I kinda think if you keep it dry it would last like furniture.
When you stack wood inside a good shelter does it keep indefinitely. I spray my wood stack in the spring and summer to keep down on bugs and ants. I kinda think if you keep it dry it would last like furniture.
oosik
Epic Contributor
Walking Horse, I don't know about faster/slower drying inside a shed. Its so dry in this part of the world that any seasoned wood left outside absorbs any rain and you can hear the cracking/splitting sound as it absorbs the water & swells. I put mine in a shed because I had the shed, it kept it out of the wx and it was an easy place to get to in the winter. One of the major reasons we quit burning wood was all the stink bugs, bark, dirt etc that came in with the seasoned wood. Plus I'm past the time I want to be farting around with the enormous pine trees that are available here. Its just SOOO much easier to turn on the electric heat.
