Seasoning Firewood

[WinterDeere]

Mine are in a long row,

I can easily pick up a box of the oldest splits.

SR

Ditto. I put mine in a long row. Four sheds of 4 cords each, with each cord being a separately accessible "bin". Two front, two back. This way, I just pull my wagon up to the bin that's next in the queue, and load into it:



As soon as a bin is empty, I start splitting fresh wood back into it, to start the seasoning the next batch ASAP. If I get my wood usage down to my target 6-7 cords, this will give me 3 summers drying after splitting.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I sometimes split and let the splitter push the splits right off the end into my "self unloading" trailer,

It saves handling the splits even one more time, and that's what it's all about, handling them the least amount of times.

SR

 

[Oaktree]

My wood sits out for 1 summer. Not covered or in a shed. It is split and stacked by May to be started burning by mid October. It is pine and I do about 10-12 cords a year.

Pine (and most other conifers) pitch is flammable and will burn even if it's relatively green. Hardwoods, not so much.

One thing I dislike about my wood storage shed is that it is "last in, first out" rather than "first in, first out". In my perfect world I would have a storage shed that had roll up doors on opposite sides so I can keep putting wood in without covering up last year's carry over wood.

Mine too. I'll use ~90% of what's in it on a given winter so it's easy enough to rotate the unused wood forward in the fall when I refill it. I also try to sort the wood so the smaller pieces or less dense wood (birch, etc.) are in the front and back where they'll be used in the spring and fall and put the larger stuff in the middle so they'll be easily accessible in the really cold months. No sense "wasting" that big piece of oak or beech on a night that only gets into the 20s.

 

[WVH1977]

Free vs bound water. Free water in the pores can evaporate out in weeks. The water bound within the fibers can take years. Most of the free water is gone by the time around 30% moisture is reached. Guys running outside boilers seem to like it at that - slows the burn, steady heat. If the chimney catchs fire, it would go off like a roman candle, outside. Inside epa stoves do better with dryer, 20% wood. I like sitting by a nice cozy fire, so mine is inside.

Great minds think alike! Love my Jotul

 

[BnRidge]

Great minds think alike! Love my JotulView attachment 776878

I put a gauge on the smoke pipe. Tel-tru 200-1000. I try to keep it above 300.

 

[BnRidge]

Ditto. I put mine in a long row. Four sheds of 4 cords each, with each cord being a separately accessible "bin". Two front, two back. This way, I just pull my wagon up to the bin that's next in the queue, and load into it:

View attachment 776876

As soon as a bin is empty, I start splitting fresh wood back into it, to start the seasoning the next batch ASAP. If I get my wood usage down to my target 6-7 cords, this will give me 3 summers drying after splitting.

Here in WI I've been able to get away with uncovered stacks outside, then after a midsummer drought bring in the years supply, half in the garage, half in a leanto just outside the backdoor. 2-1/2 cord each. I remember a few years ago when the east coast was wet - stuff wouldn't dry without covering.

 

[Jstpssng]

I haven't gotten my wood under cover yet this year, seems like it's one thing after another getting in the way. I had about 1/4 cord left over from last year and about that much from this year in the shed but those are almost gone. The rest is stove length out in the field, but I know where there's some yellow birch I had cut off a road R/W last year which has been setting tops on for a year and should be perfect to burn.

 

[Thomas]

I rather stack in the open so breeze/wind can dry wood.

 

[gsganzer]

I'm lucky, I get to cut for free all the standing dead trees I want on my 2700 acre deer lease. No need to season, they've seasoned in the standing position. With many of them, all the bark has fallen off too, making it cleaner burning.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I'm lucky, I get to cut for free all the standing dead trees I want on my 2700 acre deer lease. No need to season, they've seasoned in the standing position. With many of them, all the bark has fallen off too, making it cleaner burning.

Most species won't dry all the way down standing dead, they still need to be split and have some drying time.

They are just dryer than live. (green)

SR