I would think the number of seasoned cords would come into play. For example, if I burn three cords a year and last weekend I split and stacked nine cords of green wood I have not completed the three year plan. If I have six cords of seasoned wood and three cords of green wood that will be seasoned by the third year then I have completed the three year plan. Personally, I have about eight cords of wood stacked. but five cords is very wet red oak. I plan on splitting a bunch of ash and beech by the end of the year in hopes it is ready for next fall. I do have a small greenhouse that can season wood in a hurry.
All ready ran 1 1/2 gallons of gas through it and loving her. She does tend to be a little thirsty though, but is a wood eating sob. Log pile is on empty. I will either have to fell some of my trees or call "Wood Fairy" for more logs. Gotta keep the addiction fed.
If today you had no wood stacked but tomorrow you cut three years worth of wood, would you consider yourself to be on a three year plan? Or would you also need to ensure that each of those three years you had seasoned wood to burn? I think that's the crux of the issue here. Some woods takes longer to season than others and in some parts of the country (or world) wood dries faster than others.
Takes two years and the wood will burn ok in the epa stoves. After three years, wow, what a difference! So, after the wood is cut, the three year plan means to have the wood seasoned for three years, no? And, if at that point, you only have one years worth of firewood that has been seasoned three years, well, you can start all over! Clear as mud.
Excellently worded and believe you got the jest of my question. 90% of my wood is ash and ash does not take 3 years to season. My logs were probably cut the summer before I received them. This years and I will call it year 0 was split fall 2016 Next year (year 1 and mainly ash) done 2019 season, again mainly Ash. Done I have been stacking the oak, walnut, beech and honey locus separately in the barn. Most was split Jan of this year and is about a 1 1/2 cords worth. Plus the ash that I am presently splitting. It is slated for 2020 burning. If always having 3 year seasoned wood to burn, I would have to be working on 2020 season's wood now. which I am. If I keep on my present pace, I can safely say in 2020 I have achieved a 3 year plan no matter which way you count it. It feels good knowing, if I couldn't split another round, I have at least 3 seasons of wood split and ready to go.
I'm either going to add to the confusion or clear it up. I look at the "three year plan" as this: you have this current winter's wood, which has been stacked and seasoning for three full years, and you are now using it. You have next winter's wood stacked and it has been seasoning for two full years. You have a third winter's wood stacked and it has been seasoning for one full year. AND, you have just finished (or are about to finish) cutting, splitting and stacking a fourth year's firewood. So if you burn five cords a year - you have twenty cords of wood stacked up. In the spring you will have fifteen, but then you will be working on replacing that with another five cords. I have always imagined the plan as having your current winter's wood seasoned for three full years. So right now I'm on the "one year plan" - what I am burning right now was cut, split and stacked in November and December of 2016. I am not done with "year two" yet and haven't even started "year three". I anticipate burning 8 cords a year, so I should have 24 cords stacked right now (minus the cord I've burned since 01 October). I have about ten. I only have room for 20 under cover. I can't actually imagine having 24 full cords split and stacked. Also, I have found that most everything I burn is ready for the wood boiler (i.e. < 20% MC) after just one year in the wood shed. So I should probably just stick with the "two year plan" unless I get a lot of oak. See prior posts for THAT dilemma (coming soon to a woodlot near me).
I thought that if you were on the 3 year plan that any kind of wood that you have split and stacked would be dry enough to burn. Or else get your MM out and start testing.
Hmmm...yep.... Hmmm...yep....too. We average 3 cord a season, so if I cut 9 cord of (green) red or white oak (tomorrow?), Fire Flake and I would be up the creek w/out a “coals rake”....for 3 years. Consequently, we have a stack or several of cherry and maple CSS’d Summer/Fall 2016, and a goodly amount of white oak of the same time frame, and I believe it more than constitutes the 3 year plan, but in this climate, I’m always wondering about staying ahead on the oak.
I heard that. Now a days, I get about a face cord css on a very good day. Slow and steady gets it done. When the mid 20s grandsons are around, they are wood making fools and probably account for half of my stacks. Makes me tired watching them.
Back when I started promoting the 3 year plan (many moons ago) my thoughts were simple. People tend to put up a years' supply of wood. Okay, that would be a one year plan. Sometime after that they start putting up more than a year's supply and keep at it as long as it takes; even if it takes 3 years to be 2 full years ahead. That is the 2 year plan. Of course the ultimate is the 3 year plan and we've chatted about this over and over and that is good. The thought of the 3 year plan basically is that wood does dry at varying rates and around our place we hate to burn oak until it has been split and in the stack for 3 years. Man, it is fantastic wood then. But there is more. Let us take my present situation. I may not be able to put up wood this year and this has happened to others either from losing their wood supply or injury or sickness or whatever. If I cut wood just a year at a time, I'd be in a very sticky wicket for sure. However, If I'm 3 years ahead, I can continue to burn (without asking for help). Sure, I'll lose a year but then when I can get out again, I can gradually work back up to the 3 years ahead and all is well. Over time, as expected, many have misunderstood the 3 year plan and scoff because it does not take their wood 3 years to dry. But that is not the main point. Perhaps we should think more about this and once again start a thread just on the benefits of the 3 year plan?
No scoffing here, just stating that it does not take 3 years for wood to dry, the 2, 3, 4 year or more plan is still a good idea. I have yet to find any wood that takes 3 years to dry including Bur Oak which (as you say) is great wood for sure.
Not sure why you think we need a new thread, I think it's important people dont get the wrong idea on how long it takes for wood to dry, I have seen posts where they thought it took 3 years for all woods to dry. I think education goes a long ways in helping everyone burn safely.
It feels good knowing that, if I couldn't make one more split, My wife would have 3 years of burning ahead. Would she be burning 3 year seasoned? No not until 2020, but will have heat.
I’ve been meaning to comment on this. I’m confused at the confusion. 2 years of wood is fine, the 3rd is insurance. Real simple, if you’ve got next years wood css, your good. If you’ve got year after next css, you got insurance.
This a great conversation for sure. I am in the process of getting myself of some kind of plan as well
Off the rail? Not really. I see several ways to count the supply depending on your definition. I have this years supply mainly ash, that was split 2016, stacked up by the house. Next year and 2019 css and most of 2020 done. 70% of the 2020 burn is 2 year+ drying time wood. If I use "Always having 3 year seasoned wood to burn" as at least 1 poster's definition was, I could not possible be on a 3 year plan until 2020 no matter what type of wood I am stacking. If just being 3 years ahead, I am either there or real close.
