woodpiles

[Egon]

Re: woodpiles/chimney cleaning

Cheap chimney cleaning:
Sounds like you can get up on your roof. If the chimney is straight a rope can be dropped down and then the brush pulled back and forth. If this can't be done get some more 10 ft. or so lenths of whatever and wire them together till you can reach the bottom with the brush. By the way a top off of a a green spruce that fits into the chimney works well as a brush.
Another much easier way is to burn some of that dreaded poplar [ dry of course ] every week at a real good rate and the chimney may stay clear of creosote. Note: a pound of poplar contains as many BTU's as a pound of good oak.
Egon

 

[PaulT]

Like some of the other posters here have said - if its really green (cut this summer) you probably shouldn't burn the oak this year. If its already a year old, split or not, you may still have time to cure it before you want to use it this winter. The key to aging this wood is air circulation. The rain won't bother it, as it is so dense that it won't soak in. Just make sure it has time to dry before you need to light the fire, just to make it easier. The guys that sell wood for a living here usually stack the green wood in a loose pile. This seems to create the most air gaps between the pieces. Sometimes they use more orderly teepee piles, with all of the split pieces oriented like a teepee toward the top. If your pile is laid out on a pallette or four (2x2 arrangement), you should be able to pile them loosely this way and get more air circulating around the wood. Then you can either restack it closer to the house when you get ready to burn, or just take them from this pile as you need.

When I heated my house with wood, one year my wood guy delivered a cord of green wood. I got him to deliver another face cord of cured wood for free. When I ran out of that wood, I tried to burn the green stuff (about 1 month later). I found that the stuff I had stacked as you have described was still green, while the balance of the cord that was still dumped in a pile from the truck cured at least to a usable amount. Of course that year I had a very intense (HOT) chimney fire that fortunately only cracked my inside chimney brick. It really should be sleeved now, but I switched to HWBB heat and don't use the wood stove anymore (little ones running around).

You said you are in southen CA. I'm assuming that you are not going to have a constant, hot fire like we would have here in the northeast throughout the winter. You may even have several days at a stretch that don't require heat at all - would that be correct? If so, then the creosote buildup concern is not such a problem, as you will probably not be burning anywhere near the rate, or heat intensity, that, say Pete in VT would.

Seems like all the agony of how to cure and store the wood til ready for use might be equal to the $20 you saved for buying green.

PaulT

 

[beenthere]

I've read so much misinformation in this thread, that I almost just left it alone (probably should still just delete this - but will see how carefully I can state what I have learned the hard way from burning red and white oak wood for the last 30 years). First, just cross every other layer at the ends of the pile as one person said to do. If the pile falls down, just stack it better the next time. Save the money and labor of end posts. Stack the wood on the ground - it won't dry as fast but if oak, it will not rot before you are ready to burn it in two to three years. THREE YEARS? Yes, the wood you have is likely CA white oak, which will not dry as fast as red oak (the pores are not open in white oak, as they are in red). Dry the split oak under a cover. Rain doesn't penetrate but neither does it help the drying process while the surface is wet. In CA, the covered, split white oak wood will likely be dry enough to burn well in two years. Wood dries at the ends, not the surface. Split wood will dry faster, but not appreciably. The wood will shrink when it dries, and the pile will shift some - more on the ends of the pieces facing the better drying conditions (sun). This shifting may require some restacking, but not likely a problem if the pile is only 4ft high. You should stack this wood for burning no less than a year from now, and better if two. If you can find wood cut and split two years ago to burn this year, that is your best bet. I burn six cords (full 8x4x4) every winter to heat my home. Feel free to take any short cuts you want to take, as it is your wood and your heat. Have fun.

 

[Egon]

Beenthere:
Them's that are into really burning wood have storage sheds for it. The drying time depends on the length of the wood, the time of year it was cut,the humidity of the area you live in and the type of wood. Stacking end walls just takes some knowledge.
Egon:
Been there and done it too!

 

[beenthere]

You are right on. My wood has always been in a drying shed. Although the last few years I have been converting it to a real shed, with floor and walls, and the future wood may be stacked outside with cover over the top. Wood has been a great heat source and I do not look forward to the day I cannot cut, split, and stack it for burning. What has been real interesting, is the few times I have brought wood in to burn that was stacked less than two years under cover, and noticed quickly how much less heat would come from the wood burner. Very dramatic and convincing. This is north central US, so we have high humidity in the winters and don't get a lot of air drying at that time of the year. CA is quite different, as you point out.

 

[banjobj]

I agree with what you say. There are no real shortcuts to wood burning, although I put about 5 full cords in my cellar near the old wood stove and it kiln drys whatever moisture there is left.

 

[jyoutz]

I have tried many ideas over the years. I heat mostly with wood and I go through lots of wood each year. The best solution I have found is to build a 3 sided chain link fence about 6 feet high. Then I put a sloping shed roof with metal sheeting on top of this. I use pallets on the ground and stack my wood in this enclosure. The open sides permit good air drying and containment, while the roof keeps it dry. Best of all this set-up is cheap to build and will not rot or deteriorate.

 

[jyoutz]

Re: woodpiles/chimney cleaning

There really is no good substitute for buying a chimney brush and a couple of fiberglass rod sections to reach the entire chimney. This stuff is really quite inexpensive and I've had my setup for years. Works fast and easy.

 

[fractal]

Re: chain link fence woodpiles

Now there's a thought. I was going to put the woodpile up against a 4 ft tall chain link fence.. Two more posts and some chain perpendicular to the existing fence would finish it off pretty cheap when topped with the old aluminum awning cover I have. Not quite as cheap as a couple of t-poles as I was going to try before I saw your suggestion, but certainly cheaper than buying a 4x4 pressure treated wood and will probably last longer.

It also got me looking at chain link web sites and I now have an idea how to patch that hole in the fence caused by the neighbors tree falling down that the chickens love to run through..

Thank you everyone for the great ideas.

 

[jyoutz]

Re: chain link fence woodpiles

I think you'll like this set-up. I've been using mine for 4 years now. Just a few suggestions: use the heavy duty chain link, it doesn't bend under the weight of the wood. And put a horizonal pipe section midway up (about 3' high) to make the sides more rigid. I did these things and even while supporting the wood, it has no sags or bends.