# Wetting wood for faster seasoning?



## Adabiviak (Apr 23, 2011)

If, during a hot, otherwise dry day, one was to spray their stack of seasoning firewood with a garden hose, would that somehow speed up the seasoning process? My father-in-law said that he heard this somewhere, and I told him I'd see if anyone here could confirm or deny this. I haven't heard this before, and it doesn't seem like it would work, but the hypothesis is that the water would get on the wood ends, and as it evaporates, would pull out more of the water/sap out of the wood.


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## Bigg_Redd (Apr 23, 2011)

Adabiviak said:
			
		

> If, during a hot, otherwise dry day, one was to spray their stack of seasoning firewood with a garden hose, would that somehow speed up the seasoning process? My father-in-law said that he heard this somewhere, and I told him I'd see if anyone here could confirm or deny this. I haven't heard this before, and it doesn't seem like it would work, but the hypothesis is that the water would get on the wood ends, and as it evaporates, would pull out more of the water/sap out of the wood.



Ridiculous ideas like that stem partly from the word "seasoning" itself.  Replace the word "seasoning" with the word "drying" then re-ask yourself this question.


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## SolarAndWood (Apr 23, 2011)

Probably came from a response a guy with a pile o wood made to his wife that said he should stack it in the shed instead of doing whatever he was doing.


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## snowleopard (Apr 23, 2011)

. . . unless the dilution of the sap allows it to run more freely.  If sap is starting to congeal on the cut ends, there *might* be some rationale for this theory.  Sounds like another fine candidate for the semi-grown-up-informal science fair reported on sporadically on this site.


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## Backwoods Savage (Apr 23, 2011)

And diluting your gas with water will also make it go further.


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## firefighterjake (Apr 25, 2011)

. . . and when it's really hot hot outside I turn on the heat inside the house because it actually makes things cooler . . . or maybe it just feels cooler when I finally stumble out of my house, a sweat-drenched mess . . . or maybe this is just something I heard from a friend of a friend . . . or heard on the internet.  

Short answer . . . your father in law is wrong.


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## fireview2788 (Apr 25, 2011)

I'll let you know, with all the freaking rain we are getting my stacks are soaked.  Yes, they are covered at the top but we have had over a week of flood warnings and my yard looks like a wetland.


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## Got Wood (Apr 25, 2011)

I think getting the splits wet will contribute to the grey color, wont help seasoning but could help the visual effect?


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## lukem (Apr 25, 2011)

The sawmills around here will often set up a sprinkler system on top of the piles waiting to be milled.  I'm not 100% sure, but I expect they do this to keep the wood from drying and checking.  Someone may have used some other logic, decided it was to get the wood dryer, and started spreading false information as truth (perhaps a politician).  Or maybe it was not meant to be a factual statement?


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## cptoneleg (Apr 25, 2011)

Adabiviak said:
			
		

> If, during a hot, otherwise dry day, one was to spray their stack of seasoning firewood with a garden hose, would that somehow speed up the seasoning process? My father-in-law said that he heard this somewhere, and I told him I'd see if anyone here could confirm or deny this. I haven't heard this before, and it doesn't seem like it would work, but the hypothesis is that the water would get on the wood ends, and as it evaporates, would pull out more of the water/sap out of the wood.






Think then speak


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## billb3 (Apr 25, 2011)

washing off a waxy substance  from the  split ends  ?


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## Jags (Apr 25, 2011)

Wow fellas - easy on the OP.  Its just a question.

Short answer - no.  Adding water will not help in reducing water.  If you are trying to condense (evaporate) a sauce, you don't add more liquid.


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## shawneyboy (Apr 25, 2011)

Hearth.com has an attitude today !!  Maybe hearth.com needs to refill its prozac meds ???

Shawn


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## nrford (Apr 25, 2011)

lukem said:
			
		

> The sawmills around here will often set up a sprinkler system on top of the piles waiting to be milled.  I'm not 100% sure, but I expect they do this to keep the wood from drying and checking.  Someone may have used some other logic, decided it was to get the wood dryer, and started spreading false information as truth (perhaps a politician).  Or maybe it was not meant to be a factual statement?



 Yes the moisture helps prevent checking. But from the years I did it, I believe it was the effect of evaporation that helped to keep the logs alittle cooler, and the water helps prevent air from contacting the wood. These two things help to prevent staining.


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## oldspark (Apr 25, 2011)

Please excuse the clowns on here, there are no silly questions just silly answers. :lol:


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## ruserious2008 (Apr 26, 2011)

Hear hear on the Prozac needs of forum members! 
But I don't think this is a bad question either. The more I read about "seasoning" the less any of it makes sense short of time. You'll find people that swear covering is needed (you would think it would be based upon some of the flippant comments here (couple were pretty funny too since if the point is to dry it out then one would thunk covering to keep it from getting wetter would be logical oh fellow Vulcan's but then there's the leave it exposed and just give it time crowd with some pretty good data showing that covering doesn't speed the process up...so.....some have claimed uncovered seasons faster and that would lead you to wonder if getting wet periodically does something to help the seasoning??? hence I think this is a good question. My guess is the uncovered does better due to better air circulation and the rain water only wets the surface and it evaporates quickly. I'm still trying to get my scientific head around the subject but I think that while yes its the release of water from the wood having that happen needs some decay at the cellular level for that water to be released and that is more dependent on time than anything else. Now if that theory holds true one would think temperature would speed up the decay hence my plans to make a solar seasoning shed to experiment with but that's another thread already here and one I'll report back on in a couple of years 
Anyway poster...don't let the "flames" (hehe flames on a wood burning forum! Man what next!) deter you from more questions. 2 thumbs up from me for thinking out of the box!


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## firefighterjake (Apr 26, 2011)

I took my medicine and things are now coming up all sunshine and roses . . . although I do have a hankering for Twinkies and Doritoes for some reason. 

Incidentally . . . I am just kidding . . . I have never inhaled . . . seriously . . . actually never tried any mind altering substances . . . other than an occasional Woodchuck hard cider, cough syrup for sleeping at night when I have a bad cold and Moxie . . . but Moxie is non-alcoholic . . . just puts me in a different frame of mind.

Adabivak . . . are you still here? We didn't frighten you too badly did we . . .


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## fireview2788 (Apr 26, 2011)

FFJ, who are you trying to kid?  Everyone on here has their favorite smoke they hit.  Some like hickory, some ash, some oak, maybe even there's a pine lover out there.  It's clear that this stuff alters one's mind and is very addicting or you guys wouldn't still be here, heck I'd have left a long time ago. :coolsmirk:


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## firefighterjake (Apr 26, 2011)

fireview2788 said:
			
		

> FFY, who are you trying to kid?  Everyone on here has their favorite smoke they hit.  Some like hickory, some ash, some oak, maybe even there's a pine lover out there.  It's clear that this stuff alters ones mind and is very addicting or you guys wouldn't still be here, heck I'd have left a long time ago. :coolsmirk:



Busted . . . in fact just the other night I lit off the fire and while my wife watched it I went outside to get some more wood . . . smelled the pine smoke since I'm burning some of my "junk" pine . . . reminded me of camping.


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## Adios Pantalones (Apr 26, 2011)

My first guess was also that this was a misconception from seeing lumber mill logs being sprayed down.


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## madrone (Apr 27, 2011)

I like to add a few ice cubes to the pot to make the water boil faster.


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## BrotherBart (Apr 27, 2011)

My outdoor cat sprays the wood pile. I will report back on if the bottom row is better seasoned.


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## okotoks guy (Apr 27, 2011)

I think from the first few replies given,the OP now understands that wetting the wood stacks
will not speed up the drying process.

What I don't understand, is why people seem to enjoy knocking the guy even more. A couple
of smart posts gets a chuckle and the point across. After that, it's almost bullying and some of
you should feel a little ashamed. 

The guy was just asking a question. I'm sure he won't make that mistake again thanks to some
of you.


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## Squiner (Apr 27, 2011)

I think there are a lot of quick responses without much thought.  

Sometimes, the answer to a problem is counter intuitive.  For instance, sometimes you need to add water to move water.  I can quickly think of three instances.  Priming an old manual well or lake pump.  Gravity siphoning water and a "Shammy" used to dry your car.

I don't think it's too far fetched to say that wetting the end of wood coupled with intense solar loading, which will quickly pull the applied water out, could create a slight vacuum.  This vacuum would then pull the woods internal moisture in that direction.  After all, wood is designed to move water.

Maybe I'm talking out of my ***, but maybe we shouldn't discount this theory so quickly.


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## cptoneleg (Apr 27, 2011)

Must be really bored, I will start diving for my wood in the rivers like on the Ax men, really cool how they find real expencive wood stored under water.  O.K. grandkids sorry PA PA has filled the Pool with firewood so it will "Dry" faster,   :zip:


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## Creekyphil (Apr 28, 2011)

Easy on the OP guys.  If everybody had all the answers there would be no need for this forum.  

I agree that, ceretis paribus, wet wood would dry slower. But there could be something here that nobody understands. Maybe the water causes the pores in the wood to open up and allows moisture deep in the split to take advantage of capillary action and move out. Do I think this is the case? No, I don't. Point being, its still possible that we could all be wrong. Stranger things have happened.

The wetting down of logs at sawmills sounds like a totally reasonable explanation for the origin of this.


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## Jags (Apr 28, 2011)

All that is really needed to debunk this theory is to compare the rate of drying from the pacific north west folks to the people in Texas.  There is your answer.


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## Bigg_Redd (Apr 28, 2011)

okotoks guy said:
			
		

> I think from the first few replies given,the OP now understands that wetting the wood stacks
> will not speed up the drying process.
> 
> *What I don't understand, is why people seem to enjoy knocking the guy even more. A couple
> ...




Well, that certainly is one way to think about it


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## flyingcow (Apr 28, 2011)

firefighterjake said:
			
		

> I took my medicine and things are now coming up all sunshine and roses . . . although I do have a hankering for Twinkies and Doritoes for some reason.
> 
> Incidentally . . . I am just kidding . . . I have never inhaled . . . seriously . . . actually never tried any mind altering substances . . . other than an occasional Woodchuck hard cider, cough syrup for sleeping at night when I have a bad cold and Moxie . . . but Moxie is non-alcoholic . . . just puts me in a different frame of mind.
> 
> Adabivak . . . are you still here? We didn't frighten you too badly did we . . .




Moxie?? Right frame of mind? Anyone who drinks that stuff ain't right. But you are FFJ.... nuff' said. :coolsmile: 
Once you mentioned Moxie, you scared the OP off.


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## flyingcow (Apr 28, 2011)

BrotherBart said:
			
		

> My outdoor cat sprays the wood pile. I will report back on if the bottom row is better seasoned.



Must make a nice "scent" for a fire.


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## mecreature (Apr 28, 2011)

I wonder why when my lips are chapped if I keep licking them it gets worse.


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## Delta-T (Apr 28, 2011)

mecreature said:
			
		

> I wonder why when my lips are chapped if I keep licking them it gets worse.



once the lips are chapped you need to add oils to help the skin actually hold the moisture, and saliva is not just water, it has enzymes that assist in digestion of food and dead skin cells.


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## jdemaris (Apr 28, 2011)

ruserious2008 said:
			
		

> . . .one would thunk covering to keep it from getting wetter would be logical oh fellow Vulcan's but then there's the leave it exposed and just give it time crowd with some pretty good data showing that covering doesn't speed the process up...



I kind of got lost in all the meandering comments.

I've been cutting and heating with hardwood for 40 years.   Covered wood for me absolutely dries the fastest as long as there is air-circulation.  Wrapping a wood-pile completely with a tarp doesn't help the drying process at all.  It just traps the moisture in and makes things worse.  Same thing happens if you try to cover a car or truck.  I ruined a nice 60s sports-car that way.

From best to worst with red oak, hard maple, red maple, pignut hickory, white ash, etc.

Wood under a roof with no walls and stacked dries faster then any other method I've ever tried (not counting ovens).

Wood stacked outiside but not covered dries near as well in the summer. 

Wood stacked and completey covered with tarps does not dry near at all.  In fact, even wood that is first dried and then covered - gets pretty much ruined if it's sitting on bare ground and not sealed concrete. 

As to the mills watering their logs? They have to, especially with certain hardwoods that will crack something awful if the sun hits them, before they get sawed.  They have to keep the sprinklers going until they get them sawed out - and then either kiln dry at a controlled rate - or slowly air-dry in a dark covered shed.

By the way  - the following is NOT in regard to the original question asked here, but . . . to say there is "no such thing as a stupid question" is ridiculous. I've heard many over the years.   Especially from people who already thought they knew the answer but were asking as a sort of "test."  Also applies to answers that are innately obvious if the asker actually gave the subject some thought before asking.


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## Adios Pantalones (Apr 28, 2011)

Uncovered means exposure to sun and wind.  Covering just the top works as well.

There are some technically interesting points about water that was in the cells when the tree was alive, vs. other water introduced from rain etc, but suffice to say that the drying rate for dry wood that gets re-wetted (rained on) is a lot faster than just-cut wet wood.  Anyone with just a pile of oak has probably experienced that.


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## oldspark (Apr 28, 2011)

jdemaris said:
			
		

> ruserious2008 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 What does that mean with the Red Maple stuck in some woods that are much better.


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## WoodPyro (Apr 28, 2011)

Whoever said it helps gray the wood I think hit it on the head.  I have a stack with some loose plastic on the top, it is all red oak.  Where the plastic is sort of limp and the rainwater dribbles down on the wood all the wood is much more grayish and "looks" more seasoned.  Whether it is or not I really do not care as I didn't split it too big and I am 2-3 years ahead and have better things to worry about than whether it will be 16 or 14% MC.


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## trailmaker (May 2, 2011)

Adabiviak said:
			
		

> If, during a hot, otherwise dry day, one was to spray their stack of seasoning firewood with a garden hose, would that somehow speed up the seasoning process? My father-in-law said that he heard this somewhere, and I told him I'd see if anyone here could confirm or deny this. I haven't heard this before, and it doesn't seem like it would work, but the hypothesis is that the water would get on the wood ends, and as it evaporates, would pull out more of the water/sap out of the wood.



  Periodic "wetting" can alleviate case hardening.  This could speed overall drying time,  especially if one had whole rounds seasoning.


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## benjamin (May 2, 2011)

mecreature said:
			
		

> I wonder why when my lips are chapped if I keep licking them it gets worse.



That's kind of what I was thinking.  I have no idea if the spraying method works but I sure wouldn't dismiss the idea.  OP wasn't talking about a sprinkler, there's no way you'd add any significant moisture by spraying a stack on a hot day, unless the wood was all punky. 

An older, illiterate, superstitious numbskull once told me that the mud left from the frost coming out of the ground needs a good rain to firm it up, and I thought that was about the dumbest thing I'd ever heard.  But a decade later it sure seems to hold true.


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## oldspark (May 2, 2011)

Reality check, this quote is from a mill process web site.

"Preparation is done while the wood is still wet, and water may be sprayed over the lumber to keep it from drying out and shrinking"


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