All these ads for seasoned firewood- my question is what kind of seasoning. salt and pepper/ A1 steak sauce ect. because they sure have not been sitting on it for 2 or more years.
I’ve found that most call seasoned wood at about a year of seasoning. I have one guy I stick with because he has wood that’s at least a year and a half out in the weather. The best way to check is to split a piece and check the fresh side with a moisture meter. 20% is fully seasoned. Many of these guys don’t even know it takes different times for each species.
That stuff they sell at the gas station has been kin dried to kill off the insects so it can be brought across state lines. I had a cord of kiln dried once and it burn hot and fast. Almost had an over fire the first time I burned it. I had the presence of mind to baby sit the first burn just to see what happened. Vey little moisture in that wood. Much happier with a known source of seasoned wood. I think you did good on the log loads. Your labor saved you about $1200 a load. Nothing to sneeze at.
Funny NortheastAl in the state to your east. The LIE (low income emergency) heat program to use firewood it has to de documented to less than 18% MC. They always use kiln dried. On really cold winters people run out of heat February about same time fund runs out of $$
I didn’t know a program like that even existed. Wish all my wood was close to 18Since the EAB has been killing ash trees there’s been a lot of kiln dried wood. I live near Connecticut and at the state line they have a sign That says not to transport firewood unless it is heat treated. I think the heat treat for insects is it has to be a certain amount of time and a specific temp. True kiln dried gets the heat for a longer time.
Nationwide can be used for any heat source BUT in VT if firewood it has to be dry! Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) - Cabinet for Health and Family Services
Here in Wisconsin, to be "certified" and to cross state lines, it has to be kiln dried so the internal temperature is over 140* F for 60 minutes, or stored on premises for at least 2 years. I am happy with he logs too. Very easily accessed. I do enjoy cutting in the woods, it is just so much more work then getting a log delivered.
black cherry : $300-350/cord "seasoned" hardwood: $250/cord <-- this can be a two cord price in the fine print eastern white pine: $100-150/cord. "seasoned" is sometimes a whopping 2.5 seasons seasoned
Last 2 customers we had paid $275/cord for oak, they loaded and hauled it 40+ miles back to their house, 1st guy had to make 4 trips in a mid size truck, 2nd guy made 3 trips in F150. Said they enjoyed the drive and were retired. I didn't argue with them.
Most pro firewood sellers don't bother with "seasoned". Sticking short pins in a split tells nothing except for that split and the few mm of the wood. And most serious burners buying CSD firewood know from experience to get it green early enough ( late winter/early spring) to stack and season it. All the sellers we know here sell only green CSD....selling ~ $260./cord. The sellers advertising for KD seasoned for + $300.'s a cord.
I just got a half cord of green oak rounds, getting oak is rare around here. Chopped and seasoned one year it'll sell quick at $300 plus $60 for delivery. Yes, I have found the pins on a moisture meter to be pretty unreliable. Pad mode on my moisture meter works pretty well though.
Prices more in my locale of PA. I'm east of York. I say $200 for mixed hardwood on avg. And $300.00+ for Oak. That's if you can find anyone who will sell full cords and not by the pickup truck bed.
They are only seasoned with minutes. Not much more than that. You can smell how freshly split they are driving by them. That's "seasoning" to me. If you use the past tense, "seasoned" that means it's done seasoning. Also, how can wood be considered seasoned, if a season of the year had not gone by with the wood being split? Wouldn't "seasoned" imply that more than 1 season has passed since the wood was processed?? Ok, I'm done.
No Horkn, you are not "done"; you are FINISHED. A fav of D.I.'s at Camp Elgin: " Turkeys are done. You sir, are finished." Grammar nazi out.
