Going through my woodshed last week I was restocking the garage with some hardwoods. I came across some Black Cherry that I completely forgot I had tucked away. Got it the first season I burned 6yrs ago..Best burning wood yet....With that in mind...What is the oldest wood some of you guys have burned....5yrs old....10yrs old or beyond....
I just emptied my woodshed and that wood in the back was about 7 years old. That's the problem with having a wood shed with a small door on the front. You have to completely empty it and then refill it.
My neighbor had about a 1/2 cord of oak splits for his fireplace - he never used them and told me he stacked them at least 8 years before and then ignored them. He was going to sell his house (but didn't) and asked if I wanted the wood. That's probably the oldest wood I've burned and it burned......great! Cheers!
100 yr old slabwood I got from a tear down last summer..... not quite what you were asking. Well seasoned though
What I'm burning in the epa stoves now is all 5 years old. There is some that is 8 years old mixed in but probably less than 1/2 face cord of that. The OWB is getting nothing more recent than 2 years old with some of it being 3-4 years old.
Your post just reminded me of the same thing lol 150 year old hand hewn beams they were in very rough shape burned and smelled great!
I'll know more next year when I move into my new house. I do have some ash that I split 2 summers back when it was only 5 years old. No place to burn it where I live now.
I've burned some 20 year old pine from dads place, that me and my uncle cut down when I was barely bar age. Burns good, but some is punky. I recall the day because I had been out with friends the night before, and I was hung over in the worst way. Uncle ran me like a rented mule! Also burned some old dimensional lumber the neighbor dropped off, from when 2x4's and 2x6's were actually that dimension. Old, grey, and dry as a bone. Not sure on the age, but I'd guess pretty old.
When we moved in the old man that owned the place before us had about a cord of wood in the barn. He never burned any but was there just in case he needed some. I don't know how long it was there but 20 years wouldn't surprise me based on the amount of beetle dust and mouse nests.
Never thought to check. But I just counted the growth rings on this piece of ash. Looks to me like it is 26 years old. I'm sure I've burned older wood, though.
I just found almost a cord of 3"x 1/2" pine boards, 4' to 14' long, squirreled away in the rafters of our garage. The previous owners who built this house must have used it when they made a temporary apartment in the garage while they built this house. All of the nails were cleaned out prior to storing it 60 years ago in the rafters of the attic of this garage. It's bone dry and perfectly sized for the rocket stove I just built, Rocket mass heater build (time for a rocket stove subform?) Rocket mass heaters generally prefer smaller wood to burn fast and hot.
From trees I don't think we've burned any over 10 years old but don't remember for sure. I did burn some lumber from a building that I tore down a few years ago and that building was put up approximately 75-80 years ago. I once was cleaning up some property for a widow and found some white ash in a building. It looked as if it had been there only a few years, unsplit. It needed to be cleaned out of the shed but I did not need the wood so gave it to a brother-in-law. Come to find out that wood had been cut 18-20 years previous and he burned it the following winter.
Not sure if firewood can be too old, but I know that beer can. Found a can in my fridge, once, that was over three years past the date on the bottom of the can. All of the other fresher beers had met their demise. The only one that remained was the off brand expired beer, and I was still thirsty. It winked at me, and I knew I was a goner. I caressed the tab, and opened it slowly. First a slow sip, and then another. Next thing you know I was face deep into the can. Not long after finishing, I knew I had made a mistake. Let's just say the following day was not a pleasant one. My belly was making noises that I have never heard before or since. It was a classic case of gut rot, and I will not soon forget it.
This season will empty mine and the stuff at the back will have been there maybe 5 years. The wood i'am burning now is super dry. bob
The Oak that I'm burning as I type this was a HUGE tree...we couldn't count all the rings accurately but we figured 240-250 YO was close. I know that's not what you meant though... Probably 4-5 YO if you don't count the old barn siding from the chicken coop I tore down....
