# Seasoning Time Chart



## chris2879 (Jun 30, 2011)

Not sure if this is a good idea, but i am new to the wood burning arena.  Let alone trying to ID the wood, but the next question is how long it takes certain species to season.  I do not like to post every time get a new kind of wood how long it takes to season (since time is never on my side).  I was thinking if we can make a sticky that has a table in it.  The table would have columns for wood kind, seasoning time in sun / shade / windy area, min/max/ideal time.  I think if everyone fills in what the know, we can start a nice database of this information.  What do you all think?


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## muncybob (Jun 30, 2011)

I think this was brought up previously and the general response has been there are just too many variables. For me I go by green oak needs 2+ years, everything else green I can get around here is basically ready to burn in 10+ months but if I can go longer then all the better.


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## Adios Pantalones (Jun 30, 2011)

What muncybob said. The clock starts when it's split.


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## cptoneleg (Jun 30, 2011)

muncybob said:
			
		

> I think this was brought up previously and the general response has been there are just too many variables. For me I go by green oak needs 2+ years, everything else green I can get around here is basically ready to burn in 10+ months but if I can go longer then all the better.





   That is a  :zip: good answer


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## gzecc (Jun 30, 2011)

chris2879 said:
			
		

> Not sure if this is a good idea, but i am new to the wood burning arena.  Let alone trying to ID the wood, but the next question is how long it takes certain species to season.  I do not like to post every time get a new kind of wood how long it takes to season (since time is never on my side).  I was thinking if we can make a sticky that has a table in it.  The table would have columns for wood kind, seasoning time in sun / shade / windy area, min/max/ideal time.  I think if everyone fills in what the know, we can start a nice database of this information.  What do you all think?


 
Best graph is below.
The bottom most graph is the most useful.
Average hardwood is one year after split and stacked in single rows in the sun.
Oaks are 2 yrs.
Ash and locust are the best < one year.
http://mb-soft.com/juca/print/firewood.html


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## weatherguy (Jun 30, 2011)

How about branches 3-4 inches in diameter and smaller, do these season quicker because they contain less moisture or does the same rule apply for that species of wood, ie 2+ years for oak etc..


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## Battenkiller (Jun 30, 2011)

Last year I cut hundreds of lower branches from my maple trees and put them in a big pile destined for the outside fire pits.  I never got back to that pile until last week, when I was showing my wife how to buck them up with the saw.   Branches 8-10' long and 3-5" in diameter are now bone dry inside 12 months later.


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## Hiram Maxim (Jun 30, 2011)

My new rule is that wood does not get burned unless it has been cut/split/stacked for at least 3 years.

This may not be possible for you, but from what I have learned and experienced its my new rule. ;-) 

Red Oak needs 3-5 years to properly dry.


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## woodsmaster (Jul 1, 2011)

weatherguy said:
			
		

> How about branches 3-4 inches in diameter and smaller, do these season quicker because they contain less moisture or does the same rule apply for that species of wood, ie 2+ years for oak etc..



If the tree was dead often the outer branches dry first. On a live tree I've found the small unsplit rounds take longer to dry than the bigger split piecies. trh water can only get out the ends if it's not split.


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## NordicSplitter (Jul 1, 2011)

Don't be afraid to double or even triple split some of your wood. Of my 5 full cords.....1 is completey triple split by hand with a good variety of wood. Ash, apple, cheery,maple, black locust & red oak. It wil season that much faster. Due to get about 2-3 more full cords by Sept. Most I wil split regular but some I will methodically double and even triple split. Getting ready for 2012/2013 season.


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## rdust (Jul 1, 2011)

NordicSplitter said:
			
		

> Don't be afraid to double or even triple split some of your wood. Of my 5 full cords.....1 is completey triple split by hand with a good variety of wood. Ash, apple, cheery,maple, black locust & red oak. It wil season that much faster. Due to get about 2-3 more full cords by Sept. Most I wil split regular but some I will methodically double and even triple split. Getting ready for 2012/2013 season.



So you're making tooth picks?   

 The more wood I stock pile the bigger my splits get.  When I started out 3x4 rectangles were about as big as they got, now 5x6 is more the normal.  If I had a bigger stove the splits would be even bigger.  :lol:  Make em as big as I want and give them all the time that they need.


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## NordicSplitter (Jul 1, 2011)

Everyone has their preference as too their splits. Most of mine are 18-22"in length x 8-10" high. I just doube & triple split some that are very large. Part of the reason I get full cords for about $150 is because I order all the large stuff nobody else wants.  Most folks seem to have smaller stoves than mine. My wood supplier is grateful I take the larger stuff.


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## weatherguy (Jul 1, 2011)

rdust said:
			
		

> NordicSplitter said:
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Ive been doing the same, I like big splits, since they're going to sit out in the sun and wind for 2-3 years I figure Ill make some big long lasting splits.


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## Backwoods Savage (Jul 1, 2011)

Talk about variables! Let's look at elm, that nasty splitting stuff. 

Cut the elm green and split it right away and it dries relatively fast; over the summer. However, it ends up stringy and open so lights really fast which means it also burns fast. We wait until the tree has died and then wait for the bark to fall before cutting. Now most of the elm does not split stringy and will hold fire much longer. But what about drying? Just because the tree is dead does not mean that wood is dry and ready to burn. However, usually those top branches can be burned right away so no drying time is necessary but go down into the main trunk and the lower you go the more moisture will be in the wood. It still needs drying time but will dry fairly fast. 

Also drying time, as stated, is dependent upon the size of the splits. It is dependent upon the weather in your area. It is dependent upon how and where you stack the wood, etc., etc. So most times given on any chart are only guidelines; they are not absolutes.


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## CJRages (Jul 1, 2011)

I think its time for someone to build an elaborate spreadsheet where you can input all the variables and it spits out an answer "# of days to cure". It would be fun and entertaining to see everyone disagree on how much weight each variable should have. Lets see... would need this info for each quandry: 
beginning moisture content
tree species
spits or rounds
average size of splits/rounds
length of spits/rounds
average temperature for your location
average windspeed for your location
average relative humidity for your location
desired ending moisture content
average sunlight for your location
covered stack vs out in the open

Even if you had all correct information and weighted everything somehow into a declining moisture content curve, I would say give or take 50% of the results to find the answer.


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## cptoneleg (Jul 1, 2011)

We just need some of this


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## Woody Stover (Jul 1, 2011)

Hiram Maxim said:
			
		

> Red Oak needs 3-5 years to properly dry.


It's a _LIE_!! You're just saying that so you can make fun of me when I break down and cry like a school girl! You're mean. Sniff...sniff. 



			
				cptoneleg said:
			
		

> We just need some of this


Naw, we don't need any of that crap at all. There's no life there. I'll take the life-giving HEAT any day, bugs and all.  :cheese:


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## weatherguy (Jul 1, 2011)

cptoneleg said:
			
		

> We just need some of this



I cant wait, Im already looking forward to winter, I love winter.


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## NordicSplitter (Jul 2, 2011)

Europe just had its coldest winter in over 100yrs......We are next!  Get more wood


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## oldspark (Jul 2, 2011)

Hiram Maxim said:
			
		

> My new rule is that wood does not get burned unless it has been cut/split/stacked for at least 3 years.
> 
> This may not be possible for you, but from what I have learned and experienced its my new rule. ;-)
> 
> Red Oak needs 3-5 years to properly dry.


 Are you seasoning it in a root cellar?


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## Hiram Maxim (Jul 2, 2011)

oldspark said:
			
		

> Hiram Maxim said:
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No, but I split big and I also know how much better dry wood performs! :coolsmile: 

I recently opened up some red oak cut/split/stack 2 years ago......still lots of moisture. :grrr: 

No worries though, at this point......I'm years ahead of the game


To each their own but I'm a follower of the _"Backwoods Savage Method"_ (stock up and season long)

Cheers Hiram


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## Backwoods Savage (Jul 2, 2011)

:lol:  That's good Hiram. But I know too how much better results you are getting with the dry wood and we are too. Keep on cutting though.


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## Backwoods Savage (Jul 2, 2011)

NordicSplitter said:
			
		

> Europe just had its coldest winter in over 100yrs......We are next!  Get more wood




And today I find that June was the 4th hottest (globally) on record.


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## oldspark (Jul 2, 2011)

Hiram Maxim said:
			
		

> oldspark said:
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I just season till its 20% or less.


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## Backwoods Savage (Jul 2, 2011)

Hiram is doing the same thing.   ;-)


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## Woody Stover (Jul 4, 2011)

gzecc said:
			
		

> http://mb-soft.com/juca/print/firewood.html


I thought that BTU output corresponded to wood weight, however Black Birch is lighter than White Oak yet has more BTU. Same with Black Cherry and American Elm.

"Firewood is cut to length and then seasoned (dried) in a stack, with air being able to get to it, for at least 9 months before burning. The natural 60%-70% moisture content must be reduced to about 20% to burn well. The wood cells don't lose much moisture through the bark; the moisture is most effectively removed through the cut cells at the ends of each piece."
So we don't have to split it? Sweet! That is going to save me a lot of work! :lol:


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## Backwoods Savage (Jul 4, 2011)

Interesting observation there Woody!


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## cptoneleg (Jul 4, 2011)

Woody Stover said:
			
		

> gzecc said:
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And one more thing it doesn't start the process of losing moisture through the cut cells at the end until split. :zip:


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## Jutt77 (Jul 5, 2011)

CJRages said:
			
		

> I think its time for someone to build an elaborate spreadsheet where you can input all the variables and it spits out an answer "# of days to cure". It would be fun and entertaining to see everyone disagree on how much weight each variable should have. Lets see... would need this info for each quandry:
> beginning moisture content
> tree species
> spits or rounds
> ...




I think you're on to something here with being able to quantify some data and I'm glad someone mentioned climate as that is probably the most important variable in time to season CSS wood.  Denver is a semi-arid climate that gets 300+ days of sunshine and quite a bit of wind.  In a sunny spot, we can season pretty much any species to less than 20% MC, CSS in around 3 months.  No offense to anyone but the "it takes 1-2 years to season wood" blanket statements assume you live in a humid continental or subtropical climate, certainly not a semi-arid climate and even less so in a high desert climate.

I think this chart would play out to see very small differences in time to season if in the same climate (assuming CSS in an ideal seasoning location) and large differences in time to season when comparing climate to climate.


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## Backwoods Savage (Jul 5, 2011)

With all due respect, the amount of time to season or dry wood can vary a lot but most wood types will not be dry enough in 3 months to suit me; even in your climate. Some folks are willing to accept less and some folks burn a whole lot different wood which can make a huge difference. 

As for the humid continental or subtropical climate, that does sometimes cover our weather but mostly not. In fact the last 3 days our humidity has been below 30%. I do not think you can qualify that as humid. In the winter months we are also very, very dry. Sorry, but some of our wood will indeed be ready in a few months time but some will not. I'll still wait 3 years on the oak and I have no problem storing my wood for many years before burning it. The results we get by doing this speaks for itself. Results like not having to clean the chimney every year or several times per year. Results like never having black glass in the stove. 

Methinks we perhaps burn some different woods.


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## karl (Jul 5, 2011)

You could always get a 24 inch schedule 40 drain pipe 12 feet long.  Put Screw caps on the end of it.  Fill it full of wood and pull a vacuum on it with a vacuum pump.  Let it sit all day, unscrew the ends and let a fan blow through it for a half an hour. Then do it all over again.  Three or four days (maybe less) of that and your wood will be plenty dry to burn.  That would get you something less than 118 cubic feet of wood a pop.


I offer this up, only because people on here seem to try and over analyze simple things like watching wood dry.

Actually, I thought about this last winter when I didn't have enough dry wood and I already had the vacuum pump.  I didn't do it, though the science behind it is sound. If you get 29" of vacuum (any pump will pull that)  the water in the wood will boil at 76 degrees. at 29.8" (you need a good pump to do that) it will boil at 21 degrees.  It will be like putting a load of wood in your oven for a few days.


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## Jutt77 (Jul 5, 2011)

Backwoods Savage said:
			
		

> With all due respect, the amount of time to season or dry wood can vary a lot but most wood types will not be dry enough in 3 months to suit me; even in your climate. Some folks are willing to accept less and some folks burn a whole lot different wood which can make a huge difference.
> 
> As for the humid continental or subtropical climate, that does sometimes cover our weather but mostly not. In fact the last 3 days our humidity has been below 30%. I do not think you can qualify that as humid. In the winter months we are also very, very dry. Sorry, but some of our wood will indeed be ready in a few months time but some will not. I'll still wait 3 years on the oak and I have no problem storing my wood for many years before burning it. The results we get by doing this speaks for itself. Results like not having to clean the chimney every year or several times per year. Results like never having black glass in the stove.
> 
> Methinks we perhaps burn some different woods.



I've measured Ash, Silver Maple, Black Locust, Cottonwood and Pine so it does not account for all wood but I measured all at 20% MC or less in 3 months after CSS green wood.  In all due respect Dennis, considering that you do not live here and I do and have for the last 11 years I'm somewhat surprised to see you state that wood cannot be seasoned that quickly.  

Also Michigan is indeed classified as a humid climate (based on yearly averages, not 3 days streaks) which explains why our seasoning times are so different and why you have to season wood for such a long time.  We live in MUCH different climates with MUCH different weather and comparing time to season between the two is like comparing apples to oranges.

Here's a chart for your reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humid_subtropical_climate#North_America


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## Backwoods Savage (Jul 5, 2011)

Okay....


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