# Neighbors don't like the stink of Red Oak



## Flatbedford (Apr 5, 2012)

I cut and split about 2 cords of Red Oak in January and February this year. It is all stacked on my wood wall along the property line. It's about 30' from my house and 15' from the neighbor's. My wife was talking to one of them and she mentioned that the smell of the Oak was pretty bad. I guess that with the warmer weather, they are already opening windows. I know that the stink gets stronger in the warmer weather too. I know the sting goes away as the wood dries, but what I don't know is how long it will take for the stink to go away. Is there anything other than time that will make the stink go away? The wood is in full sun, uncovered, and stacked three rows deep on pallets. The Oak is to  the left in the image. Oh the fun of suburban living...


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## etiger2007 (Apr 5, 2012)

They must not burn wood,  I split a few cords of red oak about the same split size as yours and I would walk out there just to smell it.   My friends as funny as it is would pick up a piece and smell it and love the smell.  It does get less and less as it dries.


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## ScotO (Apr 5, 2012)

Nothing will take that smell away but time.  Explain to them it won't smell like that for long, have the wife make them an apple pie for consolation.   And don't forget to mention when the chit hits the fan during a power outage in the middle of winter or WORSE that you will have a warm place for them to stay until the power is restored...


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## Flatbedford (Apr 5, 2012)

They have a furnace that will burn either wood or oil and they have always known that I have wood for them. They are an older couple and I help them out all the time. In fact, I was over there yesterday when his lawn tractor wouldn't start. Neither of them said a word to me, it their adult daughter who also lives with them that said something to my wife today. Maybe I can find some fresh cut Cherry to throw on top of the pile to sweeten things up a bit.


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## richg (Apr 5, 2012)

If it were me, I'd say something like, "If you think this stuff stinks now, wait until I burn it."


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## tfdchief (Apr 5, 2012)

That is really to bad.  There are so many worse things than the smell of Red Oak seasoning......like a back yard full of dog manure.  Shoot, I go out and walk through my stacks just to smell the wood


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## ColdNH (Apr 5, 2012)

etiger2007 said:


> They must not burn wood, I split a few cords of red oak about the same split size as yours and I would walk out there just to smell it. My friends as funny as it is would pick up a piece and smell it and love the smell. It does get less and less as it dries.


 
If with you, i love the smell of split red oak!


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## Delta-T (Apr 5, 2012)

do you have room for a bison? they wouldn't notice the smell of wood then.


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## Woody Stover (Apr 5, 2012)

White Oak, Pignut, Cherry....yummm!  Red Oak...eeewww!  It has an acrid, sour smell IMO. I don't like hoppy beers either. 


The stench will lessen quickly, especially with the warm, windy Spring weather. A month and it should be pretty good.




Scotty Overkill said:


> you will have a warm place for them to stay until the power is restored...





Flatbedford said:


> they have always known that I have wood for them


If I had a 6000 sq. ft. house, maybe they could stay. With my house, I'm tossing some splits out the door so they can build a fire to huddle around. 

Agreed, split some Cherry after the smell of the Red subsides and they will love it.


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## Backwoods Savage (Apr 5, 2012)

That smell should go away within a month from splitting unless you are really close to it. Even then, the smell will not be as strong but some smell will always be with wood until it is burned. Sounds like it is just one, the daughter who dislikes it. But then, I dislike most perfume that women wear too.....


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## gregbesia (Apr 5, 2012)

All I could say is Wow. You help them all the time, and she has the balls to say anything to You. Yep , stupidity cant be cured. I myself love the smell of red oak, but even if I did not ,I would keep my mouth shut if I had a neighbor like You.


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## fishingpol (Apr 5, 2012)

Feed the neighborhood skunks and let them fight over the food.  The windows will stay closed for a while...


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## 'bert (Apr 5, 2012)

Have your neighbors considered moving? (or at least the daughter).


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## Ratherbfishin (Apr 5, 2012)

donnest said:


> Have your neighbors considered moving? (or at least the daughter).


 
LOL I actually like the smell myself. Wood potpori...


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## timusp40 (Apr 5, 2012)

No one wants to have a fued going with the neighbors, but you can assure them that the odor is temporary, but the heat you will be getting from that OAK will last a lot longer.
Tim


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## qualityleashdog (Apr 5, 2012)

I can't imagine thinking oak would be anything to mention.  I've been working on three different oaks the past month, and not noticed a thing.  Are you sure the neighbor isn't just a little bit negative and looking to make conversation with a comment?  Does it really bother her, or was it just a comment that she didn't care for the smell of oak?  It sounds like the comment was made off handedly to your wife, so it is hard for me to understand how distressed the neighbor was about the smell when I'm lacking the your wife's account of how bad the neighbor carried on, the tone, etc. 
I doubt your neighbor expects anything to be done about it, and was just making a passing comment that she prefers the smell of other woods compared to oak.  I wouldn't think twice about it, especially if you've not noticed a change in them with your interactions with them.


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## Flatbedford (Apr 5, 2012)

I told my wife about this thread and the various responses. She said that I shouldn't worry about it and that she wasn't making such a big deal about it. I still like the bison or skunk idea.


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## weatherguy (Apr 5, 2012)

It was probably an innocuous comment made to start conversation, red oak does have a distinct smell, to us woorburners its a good smell, maybe to a non wood burner, not so nice.


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## StihlHead (Apr 6, 2012)

Well, red oak seasoning has got to be better than cottonwood burning.

I have cut and burned a lot of California Black Oak, which is actually a species of red oak. I do not get the issue with a bad smell from that stuff at all, seasoning or burning. Maybe different species of red oak smell different? I love the smell of any of the western oaks, doug fir, alder, cherry, apple, and cedar, all fresh or burning, and burning just about anything except cottonwood (also poplar, and maybe birch). I am burning black locust now, and that stuff is fairly frangrance free compared to other woods that I typically roast here. It tends to spark some, but it has great heat value.


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## MasterMech (Apr 6, 2012)

Staple a couple pine tree air fresheners to their side of the pile.


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## 3fordasho (Apr 6, 2012)

gregbesia said:


> All I could say is Wow. You help them all the time, and she has the balls to say anything to You. Yep , stupidity cant be cured. I myself love the smell of red oak, but even if I did not ,I would keep my mouth shut if I had a neighbor like You.


 
I have a neighbor like that, Actually complained to me to knock of the noise when I was doing them a favor by triming a dead tree branch that hangs over their property. (tree on property line)  That ugly branch is still there and I'm done doing any favors for them.


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## Flatbedford (Apr 6, 2012)

These people are not complainers. I am blessed with some of the best neighbors anybody could have. When we lost power for 5 days last October, I had an extension cord from his genny the whole time. I just feel bad that the stink might bother them.


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## 3fordasho (Apr 6, 2012)

Flatbedford said:


> These people are not complainers. I am blessed with some of the best neighbors anybody could have. When we lost power for 5 days last October, I had an extension cord from his genny the whole time. I just feel bad that the stink might bother them.


 
If you were close I'd trade that green red oak for some seasoned (or green if you want the perfume)black cherry ;-)   I don't mind offending my neighbors with a little red oak smell,  It would be 5% of what we put up with from them.


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## Adios Pantalones (Apr 6, 2012)

Crap in a bucket. leave the bucket on the woodpile, rain or shine. Oak smell problem solved.


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## Flatbedford (Apr 6, 2012)

Probably couldn't smell the crap over the Oak!


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## Jags (Apr 6, 2012)

Flatbedford said:


> Probably couldn't smell the crap over the Oak!


Eat middle eastern food the night before.


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## Adios Pantalones (Apr 6, 2012)

If that's a challenge- start piling oak outside your windah my friend.


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## Woody Stover (Apr 6, 2012)

Flatbedford said:


> I just feel bad that the stink might bother them.


Is the wind mostly blowing away, or toward them? In any event, the odor will lessen at a rapid rate.


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## Thistle (Apr 7, 2012)

Eat a few bowls of chile con carne,drink 6+ bottles of Bud Light or Old Milwaukee,stand by an open window & turn on kitchen exhaust fan.


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## Realstone (Apr 7, 2012)

MasterMech said:


> Staple a couple pine tree air fresheners to their side of the pile.


I had the same thought but my idea includes hanging a couple of skunks instead


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## coaly (Apr 7, 2012)

Perhaps a tarp or plastic over the top and down their side for a month? At least the wind wouldn't take the stink through the pile their way??

The SIGHT of something over the pile making an attempt to lessen the problem may be the best cure even if it doesn't stop the smell.


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## toonces (Apr 8, 2012)

i wonder if oak -- or any split wood for that matter -- will repel insects. sounds like it might repel neighbors!


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## NH_Wood (Apr 8, 2012)

That's too bad - I love the smell of fresh split red oak. I stacked about 2 cord in December, the smell is already gone. Cheers!


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