If your wood isn't well seasoned, you'll go through it faster. Well seasoned wood is inherently more efficient, but the ease with which the heat output of seasoned wood can be controlled also contributes to using less.
There's almost no chance unsplit logs sitting on the ground are seasoned. I've just cleared some hickory that was on the ground for two years, it was all over 35%. Limbs from the same storm that were snagged above ground were 23%, and even those I won't use for at least another year. If you have wood at 25%, it's not seasoned enough, something magical happens about 22%, the difference between wood at 25% and wood at 20% is astounding.
TE
I have three stacks of 15' logs right now, from 2019/20, 2021, and 2022, which I've been itching to split, but waiting for some shed space to open up. Now that we're into the burn season, it won't be long until said space is available.I've just cleared some hickory that was on the ground for two years, it was all over 35%.
I am puzzled. You had stated that 4 months ago you did not have wood.agreed. i use my moisture meter to check and currently burning wood that are only under 19%. Not touching the wood whose MC is higher.
I am puzzled. You had stated that 4 months ago you did not have wood.
How did you get to 19 pct already now?
No need for pics. You're lucky. Get going on wood for next season and the one after that.
you just reminded me to order crawlspace vent covers.Every 5-6 hrs in this weather is short for a 2.6 cu ft firebox. 20 ft is a bit tall, but not crazily so.
Maybe you need a lot of heat because of a leaky home indeed. I'd spend time.and a little bit of dollars to air seal, and possibly insulate the attic.
I guess I haven't taken specific notice of chainsaws, but in general, our deer seem to pay no mind to engine noises. My zero turn is loud as hell, and I still have to yell at the stupid beasts to get them to move out of my way while mowing. I've almost been hit a few times over the years, when I'm mowing where they want to be eating.Planning to restart my firewood collection activities in a week or so once the muzzleloader season (Hunting) is done. i didnt want to fire up chainsaw and start kicking up the deer when my neighbors are hunting.
I definitely knew that the wood that I had delivered recently was MUCH better seasoned that all the years prior. The clunk, the weight of certain wood types that I know about what they should weigh when seasoned. I was SHOCKED when I split a piece and it came up at 19%. I said, no way... So I grabbed about 10 pieces of different wood and it was ALL under 20%, except the mighty oak of course which turned up around 22-23%.Lucky indeed to be able to get seasoned wood so easily. Glad to hear that you've got a meter and are using it too, there's no way that weight or sound or smell or taste can tell the difference between 23% and 20%, and that's where it matters. I'm a couple of years ahead, so I don't necessarily need to measure, but sometimes I want to see how different storage locations compare, or take some lesser species from a newer pile during shoulder season, or to sort new scrounges.
So that's the seasoned wood issue resolved, soon you'll be on to the "how do I move heat?" stage of wood burning.
TE
Fireplaces can be very good heaters, I actually heated my parents relatively large house with a fleet of them one winter in my late teens. They're great for heating the room they're in, to the point where I can understand why the many one- or two-room cabins of our forefathers were kept perfectly comfortable with a fireplace. Unfortunately, in a larger house, they draw massive amounts of cold make-up air thru every crevice around every window and door. This makes it difficult to heat the rooms not actually containing fireplaces, as all air flow is coming from them, with little warm air making it back that way.It's AMAZING how well my fireplace will heat our living room with good wood.
Yup. It usually only mostly radiant heat right? Mine is lined in some sort of metal that does seem to reflect heat back. I also have two cold air ducts inside the stone to the sides of the fireplace and then at the middle of the fireplace there are two vents that exit warm air. So that helps a lot. This cabin is very leaky. I have crawlspace vents that are stuck open so I'm covering those. It's also very poorly insulated. Where we have a wood stove it's very well insulated however I have about 15 , 6' windows. While they are effecient windows they still let cold air inFireplaces can be very good heaters, I actually heated my parents relatively large house with a fleet of them one winter in my late teens. They're great for heating the room they're in, to the point where I can understand why the many one- or two-room cabins of our forefathers were kept perfectly comfortable with a fireplace. Unfortunately, in a larger house, they draw massive amounts of cold make-up air thru every crevice around every window and door. This makes it difficult to heat the rooms not actually containing fireplaces, as all air flow is coming from them, with little warm air making it back that way.
Yeah, I guess it would have to be radiant, you're certainly not getting much convection out of a passive fireplace, or conduction into a wood structure around it.Yup. It usually only mostly radiant heat right? Mine is lined in some sort of metal that does seem to reflect heat back. I also have two cold air ducts inside the stone to the sides of the fireplace and then at the middle of the fireplace there are two vents that exit warm air. So that helps a lot. This cabin is very leaky. I have crawlspace vents that are stuck open so I'm covering those. It's also very poorly insulated. Where we have a wood stove it's very well insulated however I have about 15 , 6' windows. While they are effecient windows they still let cold air in
The first fireplace I ever owned, I had a 20' chimney and it drafted horribly unless I cracked a window. I never understood that concept. I loved that fireplace though but we didnt really use it for heat. It was more 'to have a fire'. Wife would say "make a fire" and I would complain because the wood was downstairs, outside. But once it was on I loved it. I only used about a face cord per year, and I would pay $90 for fully seasoned from a local landscape supply place. It was a townhouse, and hauling the wood to the back was fun. I would put the wood in a garbage can with wheels, wheel it through the entrance to the back patio door then stack it on the cement patio floor.Yeah, I guess it would have to be radiant, you're certainly not getting much convection out of a passive fireplace, or conduction into a wood structure around it.
But your fireplace sounds very similar to one my father built in an addition to our house in the 1980's, which added some forced convection. Metal firebox with brick floor, in a stone chase. He had some sort of blower setup, which would draw cool air into the sides of the stone chase, and blow it out thru other vents. I'm not sure if this is some custom thing he thought up on his own, or spec'd in by the makers of the metal firebox, I was just a kid helping dad lay up stone and do some of the surrounding carpentry.
He also put a fresh air intake into the floor of that fireplace, which dramatically improved the scenario I described in post #90 above.
I'm trying to get down to 8 cords per season! Managed to stay under 8 for the first time last year, all prior years were closer to 10.When I came into these forums and saw people burning 3, 4, 8 cords of wood per season, I couldnt believe it. But I can see how if they use it as a primary source of heat for a larger home and multiple wood burning appliances AND have access to cheap wood. But all of that work, geesh.
I envision you live in a 150 year old mansion then. You really need to consider hiring staffI'm trying to get down to 8 cords per season! Managed to stay under 8 for the first time last year, all prior years were closer to 10.
But the poplar dries 2-3times faster than oak. It has its place and if in position to choose wet oak or dry poplar I’ll pick the poplar every time..The honest answer is .. I don't know.. I dont know your house, and heat requirements.. I can say this for sure.. I go through the most wood come January, you may be loading everything 4/5 vs 5/6 hours. How windy will it be, how fast will you louse heat.. You really cant split enough wood at this point, you cant be sitting on enough. Youll learn over time what your average is and then make plans from there.. I burn anywhere from 3 to 4 cords per year.. im sitting on 14 cords CSS and about 4/5 cords in log length ready to be processed.. This process of being ahead is not an overnight journey.. keep plugging away and you'll get there.. ask questions and take the advice.. some people here really have alot of knowledge to share and pass on..
Your in PA harwoods are your friend like oak, hickory ,beach this stuff packs alot of BTUs.. the denser woods are higher BTUs per cord.. oak like 25 million, beach like 27 million BTUs per cord.. vs cherry at 20 million and popular at 14 million.. the better the wood the less reloading.. the better the wood the less processing.. I burn probably 80% oak.. the rest cherry.. less processing ... If you look at the above you would need almost 2 cords of poplar to equal 1 cord of oak..Youll have to load popular twice as often to get the same amount of heat.. so lear your woods.. that's a big start.. purchase log lenth and process your wood so you know what you have and you also know its seasoned properly..
But the poplar dries 2-3times faster than oak. It has its place and if in position to choose wet oak or dry poplar I’ll pick the poplar every time.
I have staff, but they don’t split wood.I envision you live in a 150 year old mansion then. You really need to consider hiring staff
I have staff, but they don’t split wood.
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