I have a England 28- 3500 add on furnace. No way I am going to stack wood and leave it for 5 years, 4 years, 3 years or 2 years unless it is left over from this year. Good way to way to collect vermin way I see it. I have seen people who had maybe a face cord left over and a ground hog made a home under the stack. I halve also seen mouse nest in my left overs too. Nope cut it this winter, split it then if i feel like it or in the spring haul it to the house in the fall and just throw it in a pile. As far as the neighbours they have a summer burn pit, don't burn fire wood other wise. They burn some GAWD AWFUL crap, smokes and stinks bad. If they had young kids i would think they burn dapers in it. So I could car less if my smoke made their house invisiable but any smoke I get rarely goes north. Al
I can respect your opinion Al but I can't like it. If you lived where I do, you would be "FORCED" to remove your stove and for the record, "it has happened here"! Some of the folks on here will remember the woman "Free to burn" who lived next to a lawyer and she was taken to court because he complained of her smoke. She was Forced to stop burning by the court. Now, not to mention she was a single Mother with a young son trying to save a buck. Anyway, good luck on you're burning technique.
Al, I stack wood out back for couple 3 years before I burn it. Yes the stacks have a few mouse nests and snake skins in them. Basically in piles between splits, a quick smack together usually removes debris. Then I take wood and put on wood deck for burning season. I do this cause out back is 250 yards from house and when snows deep and its cold its harder to get then 3 steps out door from stove room..
Yep, I've found snakes (garter), mice, chippies, and bats in the wood stacks. Not to mention all the bugs. I've not died yet.
It depends on the species, no question. I won't ridicule anyone for what works for them. I dont burn wood as a hobby, I do it because it saves me an enormous amount of money in electric bills. I base my opinions, and how I do things... from years of figuring out what doesnt. The way that I do things has defenitely evolved over the past decade or so, I find that the changes I make now are pretty small. I have it down to my own "science." 90% of what I burn (probably more) is EAB ash, I can cut in the spring and have dry wood by the time I need it. I have a meter, and I do use it once in a great while. For all of you guys on the 3+ year plan, glad it works for ya. I have done it, and havent noticed a difference in burn (ash and locust) other than more space being occupied by stacked wood. The way I do things, DOES NOT and WILL NOT work for oak. Oak is generally a 3+ year wood, and as nice as it burns- it isnt generally worth it for me.
Funny you brought that up. For some reason that situation popped in my head the other night. IIRC she switched to a gas stove. This state sucks.
Sure helps when you live next door to a freaking lawyer future politician. Each and every one suck. al
The only thing I've found on EAB killed Ash that is ready to burn the same year is the upper branches/limbs. Once you get into the trunk it needs to sit at least 1 year CSS in my experience. And I agree on Oak...3 years CSS...heck, I had some white Oak the was 3 years CSS and still sizzled/bubbled out!
I agree the dead standing Ash I got 2 years ago is still reading in the mid 20's on my moisture meter. This humid summer sure didn't help anything in these parts. I bought a soot eater in case we get alot of snow and I can't get on the roof to clean the chimney. My wife will probably shoot me the first time I clean from the bottom up. She's a clean freak,but loves the heat.
Mine came with a piece of plastic to tape over the stove opening so you can poke a hole through for the Sooteater pole to go through, and then a lil bigger hole for the shopvac...no mess!
I don't think it dries out unless it is split and stacked properly for drying. Even standing dead several years, it is too wet. It will rot first. I seldom ever had oak that was really dried to way it should be. I prefered my beech, maple, and ash which seemed to dry at the same pace.
This is interesting...I try to always let things set for as long as possible. But quite honestly, I don't have much space so it typically doesn't sit for more than a year. I have 2.3 acres, but the half acre that isn't wooded is used for growing sweet corn and pumpkins. Trying to expand my wood storage area now though. I do have a moisture meter. I've burned some questionably wet wood in a modern stove. I still go by the see no smoke out your chimney is good. Wood a bit wetter, run the air a bit higher. Had a professional clean my chimney this year after some "wettish" wood...said it was damm near spotless. Could have gone two years or more. I think sometimes people freak out a bit too much about things. Don't get me wrong, I always try my best to get things the dryest, burn the oldest, etc. but I also have to do what I gotta do with what I have.
For me I burn 3 years out but I have burned 2 years out in the past and my sweep tells me whatever I'm doing just keep on doing it. I've had red oak pizzing in my stove after 3 years in the stacks before. I just give her some more air and don't try to choke her down and all is good. I'm swimming in oak for the upcoming years and it will all be 3-5 years in the stacks and I would bet some of them will still pizz when I stick them in there. I split most of it pretty big seeing it would sit for so long but to tell you the truth I wish I didnt.
I just cut down two EAB Ash trees earlier this week. Both 60-75ft trees, 16-20" dbh. I started to cut up one, and remembered this thread.... grabbed my moisture meter and took 6-8 readings or so on the larger tree. 16-18%, no reading over 18%. All readings were taken on fresh cuts or splits.
How about lower in the trunk? I often find dead standing with the limbs and upper parts dry, but seldom in the lower trunk...
I haven't finished cutting it, but I don't expect much difference, as I wasn't in the top of the tree when I took the other readings. If I had to guess, I might get up to 19 or 20 which is plenty acceptable for me. A few of the readings were on 10" rounds (maybe a touch bigger). I have a pretty good feel for ash, as that's most of what I cut. When I'm tossing rounds, I can tell by weight whether it is ready to burn or not (or close to). I have more than enough wood to get me through this year, but I won't bother stacking this wood for next year... I'll save a few steps and send it straight to the furnace lol.
