I am new member. I have been burning wood for the last 4 years since buying a house with a wood stove and an expensive to operate heat pump. I originally built some firewood stands but have realized that I needed even more storage just for one year's supply of wood (I burn around 5 cords per year). I know have about 110 linear of feet of firewood storage with the wood stacked at 4 ft. and 1.5 ft. in length. This should provide a year's storage using the handy online calculator. I have found out the hard way to not believe when I purchase firewood that it is already dry. I am going to now at least purchase my firewood early spring to try and give it a season to dry. I know not ideal but better than buying firewood in the fall an immediately using it and seller's claiming the wood is dry. Maybe "dry" (under 20%) but not fully seasoned? One thing I find interesting is one person I buy wood from seems shocked at how much firewood storage I seem to have. Maybe it all being one row in an area it seems like more wood than it really is? Looks are deceptive as they say. Maybe this seller thinks it is OK to just buy and use firewood immediately since it isn't like just cut wood though most people I buy wood from indicated they split and deliver wood using wood that was cut down like a year earlier. I hope to increase my storage capacity so I can even a little further ahead as people seem to recommend here. I did find some long and narrow pallets that were at the back of a tire shop that I was able use for wood storage. Anyway I am looking forward to learning more here. I am glad I found this forum.
Welcome to the land of the Wooden Heads SteveWest, you're gonna love it here. There are a lot of great folks with volumes of information just looking to share it with someone. You are about get enough information to make your head explode! Happy hoarding! And try to get 3 years ahead on you wood supply! Remember, or it didn't happen!
Welcome aboard SteveWest Glad you found the forum too. Lots to learn. For instance did you know Black Locust looks like Sassafras on steroids? Learned that here last night. Any pics of the 110 foot wall?
Welcome! I'm probably not too far from you in Gettysburg Pa. There is a ton of great info on this forum. One thing I caught onto is the 3 year plan (and now beyond). Having properly seasoned wood makes a huge difference in the performance of your stove and how clean your flue will stay. We love pictures too so if you get a chance, post some up of your stacks.
Welcome aboard SteveWest . Here's a good starting point read from Dennis Backwoods Savage . Primer on Woodburning by Backwoods Savage Problem is that most don't realize the wood doesn't really dry much until it's been at least split.
Welcome aboard SteveWest You've found the right place to learn about and discuss firewood storage, drying, burning.. well, you get the point. Ya won't find a nicer group on the internet (in my opinion).
Hello and welcome steve! Here's a good read/refresher. It's found at the top of the page, under the "resources" link. Primer on Woodburning by Backwoods Savage Sooo... it sounds like you are not burning the driest of wood. Been there, done that. If you have the space and $'s to acquire more wood, do it. For the 3ry target, you need to store 15cords. I mean what my 12 cords of storage looks like. 15 is a big footprint. What kind of stove do you use, and size of house? I only ask because 5cord/yr, sounds a bit high to me. Maybe, it's because it's not as dry as it could be. I hope you've been keeping the chimney cleaned. Not dry wood = increased creosote. Again, welcome.
Welcome to FHC SteveWest ! Yeah, you'll like it here. Get ahead on your wood supply and it will do major rewards for you. Like you, I burn ~5 cords a year too. I hit up Craigslist, Facebook marketplace, and drive by roadside scrounges as much as possible to find and bring wood home. I also have a woodlot and a friend that has a 24 acre lot that we cut on. I bring home as many trailers full of wood as I can, and I really like to split wood in fall and winter. I do most of my tree cutting in winter, as I find that's a great way to stay active in the cold months. Do you buy your wood pre cut and split? If so, I think you'll find that it can be less expensive to process your own fire wood with tools you buy. It's also very rewarding knowing that you made the firewood and you know exactly how long it's been seasoning, and you'll know if wood is dry or not. One tool that will really help you to ensure that you burn only dry wood, is a moisture meter. They are inexpensive, but if used properly, they can help you heat your house efficiently and safely. Not only does dry wood heat better than wood that isn't properly dried, but it's safer because wet wood creates creosote, and creosote causes chimney fires.
Welcome to the FHC SteveWest Great to have you join us. Can you buy uncut green (fresh cut) logs in quantity? A lot cheaper. Even green cut unsplit rounds? Green wood is sold a lot cheaper. You can then process them to your specifications rather than being at the sellers mercy for size. Take delivery well ahead of time...even now fro next Winter. Storage is one of my dilemmas...but rumor has it i hoard more than the average FHC member...just a rumor though!
Welcome to the forum Steve. A couple questions for you: 1. What is the difference between dry and seasoned wood? 2. How do you measure a cord of wood? Okay, let's make it 3. 3. How do you determine the moisture content of wood? There is a right way and several wrong ways. You've been at this for 4 years now so no doubt you have learned much and of course, the biggest thing is to have dry wood; not seasoned wood. Seasoning is something you do with food. I hope you are like most good hoarders and learn much. I've been at this game for longer than most everyone on here and I still learn. Never stop. On the dry wood, rather than buying in spring for next winter, buy sooner! On the stacking of wood, I hate pallets, mainly because they tend to look terrible, especially after a year's worth of use. I like to use saplings I cut in the woods but something like landscape timbers also work great and they are easier to stack on than pallets. For the ends, simple cribbing works wonders and can look very nice too. Good luck.
Welcome to the FHC SteveWest Yup your calculations come up to a tad over 5 cord.. I think you will burn less wood and get more heat once woods dry.. for now stay away from oaks
Welcome to the club SteveWest . Glad to have you, bunchof great folks here sharing knowledge and humor. Have you any ideas on building a woodshed? Here is one we built from 4 pallets, a few boards and 2 metal roofing panels. Stacked to the top, it will hold 1.25 cords.
Welcome to FHC SteveWest ... you won't find a more family friendly, firewood knowledgable group of folks on-line... anywhere...
Welcome SteveWest . You'll like it here . We like dogs, beer and pics. Lots of pics. Great people here with a lot of knowledge to share.
Well, if you are buying incompletely seasoned wood, you're going to have to burn your unseasoned wood at a higher combustion rate to support the realease of the moisture content , which will serve to put more moolah in your wood supplier's pocket. It serves your wood suppliers financial situation to be burning high moisture content firewood. Most generally, if you burn properly seasoned wood, you'll use less and spew fewer unburned hydrocarbons into the atmosphere via your chimney whilst doing so. Seasoned firewood has both its bound and free water moisture content removed, ideally to approximately 12%, but few of us have an outdoor environment that will support much past 14 or 15%, especially coastal states. Wood, being a hygroscopic substance, tends to reabsorb and release moisture attempting to maintain equilibrium with the environment it is in The cellular structures in some heartwoods, like oaks, where they might release free water readily through vascular components , are highly resistant to cellular changes required to give up bound water, often taking years to compromise and weaken those cells. Once those cells are destroyed/compromise should the wood become saturated with high moisture content again you don't have to subject the wood to the same time consuming wait for cellular destruction, it is a one time deal. Which is why rain soaked dead standing oak can dry so quickly even when the moisture content is high. Resistance is futile. Once oak is seasoned there is very little resistance to moisture loss at all as the ability to retain bound water no longer exists. It's still hygroscopic but is no longer resistant to the loss of bound wtaer/moisture. SO yeah, you want very well and highly seasoned wood. Which for most/many of us that don't have kilns, solar ovens, steamers and what not, takes time.
