How to get started with wood stash?

[mfglickman]

Hi all,

Another question for you wood burning experts.

We got into alternative fuels with our new old house (1758) and $1600 oil bills for 8 mild weeks. First started with a pellet stove, which is nice for what it is but it cannot cover all the space we have. So we closed up the wood burning FP in the family room and installed a used Fireview 201.

Because we had the FP, we had purchased a couple of cords of "seasoned" firewood this fall. One cord definitely was seasoned, it's dry, lightweight, sounds hollow, checks on end, faded grayish color...lovely. But it's almost all gone. Next is a cord of mostly oak, some maple and ash mixed in, and it's not really ready - maybe a year or so old and likely only split when we ordered it in November. It will burn but I know it's not the best thing to do.

I've ordered a cord from a bigger outfit - split stacked and top covered 12-14 months ago, so better than what I've got in stash but probably still not as good as the truly seasoned stuff that I'm running out of (wish I could find that guy's phone number).

So my questions are:

- What's my best bet to burn for the rest of the winter? Do I even try any of this wood that's not quite ready, or do I bite the bullet and buy a pallet of Bio Bricks or Envi Bricks or some such? I want to burn good stuff so I don't clog up my cat or coat up my chimney.
- In Spring, I can get green cords delivered for around $150 and "seasoned" (not really) for around $200. Figured I'd order 3 cords or so and set them aside for the next few years - but not sure any of that or what I have will be ready for next year.
- I have 4 wooded acres and there is some decent deadfall which I intend to take advantage of...but this won't be ready to burn for at least another year, either, correct?

So I guess the biggest question is what do you do for the first 1-2 years of heating with wood? How do you "catch up"?

Thanks so much!

Mary

 

[firefighterjake]

This year: I guess you really have a few choices. A) Burn the marginal wood (starting with the ash and perhaps the maple first) and realize that you will have to mix in some pallets or leave the air control open longer to get the heat up enough . . . and even then you will have to inspect and clean the chimney more often, b) take a chance of buying some "seasoned" wood from another dealer, c) switch over to buying Bio Bricks or a similar product or d) bite the bullet and heat the rest of the remaining winter with wood pellets and oil. I guess what it will come down to is convenience and worry -- is the cost of paying for oil worth not worrying about the cat and chimney getting gunked up . . . is the cost of the Bio Bricks worth the expense . . . etc.

Getting ahead is the simplest and best thing . . . and ordering green wood and seasoning it yourself is perhaps one of the best ways to know your wood is good wood. I would guess that if you order this wood now and it's cut, split and stacked . . . and not all oak but a mix of wood like ash, birch, elm, maple, etc. that by the time you get ready to burn in 7 or 8 months it should be halfway decent . . . probably not as nice as wood that was delivered last Fall . . . but I guess it should be ready to go by Fall.

As for deadfall . . . it all depends on the tree. Is it standing dead . . . and if so, how long has it been dead? Is the wood on the ground . . . how wet does the ground get? What type of tree is it . . . in some cases you may find dead trees that are pretty much ready to go immediately . . . in some cases the tree is too far gone to burn at all . . . and somewhere in the middle are dead trees that will require some time to season . . . again . . . with dead trees I would guess in many cases you may be able to burn the wood by Fall if you get the wood cut, split and stacked now.

For me personally . . . I thought I did well with Year 1 since I stumbled on to this post early and knew that I needed seasoned wood even before . . . although I never knew just how long I should have my wood cut, split and stacked. I got by with a lot of tree tops that my brother left behind after a wood cutting operation, standing dead elm on my property and by cutting a lot of relatively quick seasoning (low moisture) wood species such as ash. However, I knew that for best results I would need to step things up and get ahead on my wood and so in the next few years I really made a conscientious effort to get as much wood processed as I could . . . and now I'm at the point where I can comfortably work on just replacing my wood each year . . . maybe cutting a little more each year to get a little more ahead.

 

[Wood Duck]

I am not sure what I'd do for the rest of this winter. Probably I'd go thru the wood I have to see if some of it looks decent and try burning that. Biobricks are an alternative but I don't know much about them. I wouldn't plan on being able to buy seasoned wood.

For next year I'd order green cords ASAP and stack them in single file ranks in an open, windy spot. If possible I'd buy some non-oak because most other woods season faster than oak. I'd stack with plenty of air space between the splits. I might cover them but only if I could cover them with minimal restirction of the wind and air movement thru the stacks. I definitely would use tarps but maybe metal roofing or some other rigid cover. I'd put any left over firewood from this year in a similar place and I'd let them all season thru the summer. Since I know how to identify oak I would separate the wood I have into oak and non-oak and stack separately. I would plan to burn the non-oak first, then possibly burn the oak late in the winter, although I'd rather wait for the oak to be two years old at minimum before I burn it. I think this should work out fine. Maybe next winter your wood won't be as good as it will be in subsequent years, but it should be OK, and probably as good as the wood you have burned so far this year.

I wouldn't count on finding dry deadfall for this year. Maybe some of the dead wood is good, but alot of it will be wetter than the split firewood you bought. I would cut the dead stuff and season it for next winter.

 

[Woody Stover]

I've ordered a cord from a bigger outfit - split stacked and top covered 12-14 months ago, so better than what I've got in stash

Even if it was stacked, probably wasn't single-row, so it's anybody's guess, but I would pick through this load looking for soft Maple and Ash. You should be able to tell by weight and sound if it's even close. Then toss a split on the fire and see how it does.
Last year I stacked half a cord of dead Ash, split small, in the house and put fans on it. It went from 25% to 20% in a couple of weeks. Wasn't the best but it got me through.
As for next year, pick through the rest of your stash, separate the Oak out for two years drying, and single-row everything. Get any sound dead wood on your property split and stacked. Most anything but Oak can be dried adequately if you get it stacked now, especially if it's split medium/small. Soft Maple dried the fastest of anything for me last year...

 

[eclecticcottage]

We managed to split and stack a few cords at the Cottage last summer while we were waiting on the lawyers to argue with each other so we could close, so that's for next season. By the time we did close, it was fall. We bought some "seasoned" wood and are mixing it with eco bricks. We're also scrounging as much wood as we can to split and stack come spring so we won't be buying wood again, we've already got a few cord and have more to pick up. We'll probably buy a pallet or so of ecobricks each year just to have around.

 

[nola mike]

I've LOVED the eco-bricks that I've used--they burn long and hot. Got them at TSC--they're pricey at ~$400/cord equivalent, but you know what you're getting. I would be ecstatic if my oak that I have sitting for next year burns nearly as well. For this season, if you're already buying cordwood I wouldn't consider trying to find something decent this year. Probably more btus/$ from the bricks than from semi or unseasoned cordwood anyway. Or in CT, I know there are other choices for compressed wood for cheaper that you could check out.

 

[begreen]

To "catch up" order twice as much wood as you will need for the next season, right now. Stack it so that the prevailing winds can blow through it and in a sunny place.

 

[mfglickman]

Thanks all. Catching up by getting enough for the next 2-3 years will be an expense but still not as much as oil and at least it's renewable. It's raining today but I'll have to get out and see what I can srounge up in the woods too. Free is good.

I've been chatting with a wood seller who said he'd sell me cords of ash, locust and maple (no oak) and deliver for free. Seems nice and to know what he's talking about. And he just called me back and offered to drop ~10 pieces off at my house for free so I can try it out and see if I like it before I buy. Hoping this will work out and I can make a year to year relationship with a seller rather than random fly by night CL encounters (that doesn't sound good does it, LOL).

Mary

 

[gzecc]

If you have 4 acres of woods there must be some seasoned wood around your woods. Look for dead branches and trees with the bark off. Unfortunately the answer is, with a lot of work, identifing the driest wood on your existing property and buying the appropriate species wood to use next year. Next years wood should be ash, locust, maple, hickory. No oak. You can get oak, when you are 2-3 yrs ahead. Maybe a forum member will be willing to stop buy and review your 4 acre supply with you!

 

[joecool85]

I'm in a similar situation and won't be buying any wood. I will be cutting dead standing trees along with live soft trees (pine, fir, alder) then splitting small (which my stove likes anyway) and stacking to burn in the fall. I figure if I get it all done by May I should be good enough. After that I need to get ahead a year and I can cut whatever I want (not much oak around here anyway).

 

[fredarm]

I've found that standing dead trees can be divided in thirds--the top and branches are ready to burn almost immediately, the top half or so of the trunk in a few months, and the bottom half of the trunk needs a full season (spring to winter). This is for standing dead red oak, it will be less for other species such as ash and maple. I stack so the stuff that's ready to burn will be accessed first, the middle stuff next, and the stuff that needs the longest time, last.

 

[brian89gp]

If you are able and willing to collect wood from your own property, are you able and willing to do so from others? Around here it is easy to get wood, cheap homeowners don't want to pay to have large logs disposed of so they advertise "free firewood". They are usually already on the ground and limbed. My score of a bunch of maple came from a tree-service guy, he advertises free firewood to be picked up on the day he is cutting it down. His reasoning is there is no market in firewood and if someone else comes, cuts, and takes away all the large stuff his disposal and labor costs are much lower.

I got 3-4 cords in the matter of one weekend and could have gotten 8-10 cords total if I had room to put it all.

Granted, it usually isn't oak, but then again it is free and doesn't take 2-3 years to dry like oak does.

 

[bogydave]

You ran into the same problem most of use experienced when we started burning wood.

Difficult & expensive to order 2 years worth of wood & have this years wood you are burning be dry enough.

I burned hotter fires & cleaned the chimney monthly with the marginal wood.
I spent all winter getting in next years wood. Got lucky & got more than 1 yr ahead.
One year I ordered a "Log length" 10 cord load of logs, (net 8 to 8.5 cord CSS) , $1000 & cheaper than CSD.

Oak in some areas takes 2 yrs + to dry well, so try to not make it your wood of choice for next season.

To save some $$, buy some this spring, many times you can get a deal, it's considered "Off season" for fire wood & cutters are not selling any.
Separate out an oak if it's mixed in.

How'd you catch up? HARD WORK! Fun rewarding work to most of us, but hard work.

1. Get next years wood now,
2. separate the maple out of the stuff you have & burn it first. (& any wood other than red oak)
3. Cut your trees ASAP, get it CSS off the ground, (you might be lucky & some of it may be OK to burn now)
4. Some of the 2" & 3" limbs on the dead stuff you cut, should be pretty dry, mix some of them in with each load.
5. Now get one more year ahead (if you have space to store it.) You Never know when something might come up & you there's a season you can't get wood in.

Remember the first year is the toughest, when you get 2 & 3 years ahead, then you are only cutting to replace what you burned each season.
It's also a GREAT feeling to look at several cords of wood stacked up ready for you when needed.

Have fun, ibuprofen helps
Good luck

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Thanks all. Catching up by getting enough for the next 2-3 years will be an expense but still not as much as oil and at least it's renewable. It's raining today but I'll have to get out and see what I can srounge up in the woods too. Free is good.

I've been chatting with a wood seller who said he'd sell me cords of ash, locust and maple (no oak) and deliver for free. Seems nice and to know what he's talking about. And he just called me back and offered to drop ~10 pieces off at my house for free so I can try it out and see if I like it before I buy. Hoping this will work out and I can make a year to year relationship with a seller rather than random fly by night CL encounters (that doesn't sound good does it, LOL).

Mary

Mary, by all means take that fellow up on his offer of a few logs to try out. If it is good wood and his prices are in line, I'd definitely order more from him. If you get it now and, like BeGreen stated, stack it out in the wind, it will no doubt be ready by next fall. Also, no oak is a plus. For future years, oak is great but it is not good for new wood burners because it takes so long to dry.

When stacking, be sure to stack it off the ground. You can just lay down some poles and stack on those. That is how we do it. Just get the wood so it does not touch the ground or grass. This allows air under the wood to keep it dry. Where you live you might want to top cover the wood but beware, using tarps is not the best and it can look awful too. Something for a hard cover works best. We use old galvanized roofing for the task and it works well.

Now about that getting enough wood ahead for 2-3 years. It is an expense. Look at it as if you are going to purchase a CD from the local bank. You put in some dollars and wait for the dividends. Believe me, the dividends are much better with the wood than they are at the bank and you won't have to pay taxes on this dividend.

On the deadfalls, if they are on the ground, there is a good chance they are not very good for firewood. If the tree fell but is not down on the ground, then perhaps it is good. On standing dead, it all depends. Usually we find the top third or maybe the top half will be nice and dry but the bottom part of the tree still will have lots of moisture.

 

[Got Wood]

+1 on most of these suggestions. With 4 wooded acres your answer is right there....with some hard work. If your willing and able to do it. With the mild winter weather we are having now is the time to get to it...before the spring bugs, warmer weather and the foliage growth.

 

[ScotO]

To "catch up" order twice as much wood as you will need for the next season, right now. Stack it so that the prevailing winds can blower through it and in a sunny place.

+1. Try to get two or three years ahead, and each year you burn, replace that much each year. You'll never have problems if you do it that way.

 

[joecool85]

+1 on most of these suggestions. With 4 wooded acres your answer is right there....with some hard work. If your willing and able to do it. With the mild winter weather we are having now is the time to get to it...before the spring bugs, warmer weather and the foliage growth.

That will work for a few years, but by my figuring you want 2 acres minimum per cord you are harvesting every year. In other words, if you need 4 cords each year, you would need 8 acres to harvest from to do it sustainably and never run out of wood.

 

[mfglickman]

OK, so I spent about 1/2 hour foraging on the ground/leaning limbs today, all within 50 feet or so of the edge of the woods. Read: Easy to grab and drag back to the back of the barn without boots and heavy gloves...

Pics below of these. Also pics showing some of the views from the top of our property (lots of things down/leaning) as well as the field across the street with storm damage from Sept/Oct still hanging down. I don't know who owns that field but I'm going to try to find out.

The wood guy dropped by some "seasoned" ash. I burned 2 splits last night and just added a couple more a little while ago. First, it's not seasoned. It did light, but it made my viewing window black with soot very quickly (it's soot, not sticky) and it didn't give a lot of heat, despite not being hard to light. I wiped the glass and loaded in another 2 splits into a mixed load and am going to see what that does to the window. Will it soot less and give more heat if I let it sit till fall? Or is this what ash is like, all the time?

 

[oldspark]

That White Ash should be good by next fall is stacked in single rows in the wind and sun.

 

[firefighterjake]

Wait until Fall and I would bet the ash would be good to go . . .

 

[Backwoods Savage]

OK, so I spent about 1/2 hour foraging on the ground/leaning limbs today, all within 50 feet or so of the edge of the woods. Read: Easy to grab and drag back to the back of the barn without boots and heavy gloves...

Pics below of these. Also pics showing some of the views from the top of our property (lots of things down/leaning) as well as the field across the street with storm damage from Sept/Oct still hanging down. I don't know who owns that field but I'm going to try to find out.

The wood guy dropped by some "seasoned" ash. I burned 2 splits last night and just added a couple more a little while ago. First, it's not seasoned. It did light, but it made my viewing window black with soot very quickly (it's soot, not sticky) and it didn't give a lot of heat, despite not being hard to light. I wiped the glass and loaded in another 2 splits into a mixed load and am going to see what that does to the window. Will it soot less and give more heat if I let it sit till fall? Or is this what ash is like, all the time?

Mary, I hate to say it but if you are planning on getting wood of the size you show in the picture you will be one extremely busy person! It takes a long, long time to gather up enough wood for a winter's supply at that size. If you can, search for some larger trees to cut. Not only will it lessen your work load but it will also extend your burn times.