I just got a huge load of milled beech wood cut in 10"x10" blocks that I am cutting into 25"long sticks. I am going to split some as well. They make for a very long burn as they were used on a warf and are super dry being 40-50 years old. I must have gotten 2-3 cord of it. Anyway, the only worry I have is if they were ever treated with creosote. I have been told by several people that they have not, and they don't look like they have. They are browned on the outside and when cut, are pure wood color right through- no staining at all. How can I be sure that they never had creosote on them?
Huge load of free wood- but????
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Easy way to tell would be to burn a couple of small splits and see what the smoke smells like. If it has been treated the smoke well stink with a petroleum smell that it would be impossible to mistake. It'll stink to high heaven. If it has not been treated the smoke well be just good old wood smoke. David
[quote author="runandjump" date="1289893274"]I would have to ask if it has been around saltwater also? If so, the salt can be very corrosive.[/quote
Good call, I know the manual for my stove warns not to burn driftwood due to the corrosive nature of chloride. If the warf it was from was in salt or brackish water i don't think I would burn it in my stove.
Good call, I know the manual for my stove warns not to burn driftwood due to the corrosive nature of chloride. If the warf it was from was in salt or brackish water i don't think I would burn it in my stove.
The wood was never in the water, but it was used to hold up a bank near the shore- salt water. Its very dry stuff. I dont get any petroleum smell from it at all, so I dont think it was treated.
I would agree with the saltwater comment. Never wanna put any wood in that stove that was exposed to salt water. Salt just destroys everything. Give your stove company a call and see what they have to say about it.
If it was holding up a bank right near salt water I would be leery of burning it. Even if the wood was never submerged several decades of being exposed to saltwater vapor and mist is alot. Two or three pieces is one thing but you said about 2 or 3 cords? That's alot. Chloride is a mineral so it doesn't burn, which means their will be residue left in the stove and liner until it is physically removed or is limited by chemical reaction, which in a stove and liner that reaction is corrosion. It's a shame to get such nice wood and not be able to use it for what you wanted, but I wouldn't want to risk corroding my stove and liner.
FYI: The first thing that comes to mind is... As I was installing my chimney it said in the instructions. Do NOT burn any wood from or near salt water as it will eat into the stainless steel liner and void all warranty. Sorry to pee on your Parade but I would think twice about your chimney as well.
Good luck.
Good luck.
I'd google that, but I'm at work and afraid that the results may be inappropriate, lol.pgmr said:
The wood is 10" by 10" by about 14 feet. I am cutting the 14 foot length down to 25" pieces, 10" by 10" by 25" and most likely splitting them.
OK, I have to check into how close to the water the wood was.......but if I wanted to do some kind of CSI test on it, how could I tell if the wood was saturated with salt? I mean, besides licking it? lol
If you can smell the salt in the air from where they were at, then you can bet good money they are saturated with the stuff.NewBoiler said:
Danno77 said:
Ha...My town is surrounded on three sides by salt water. I can smell salt water everywhere. My house is probably 1/3 of a mile from the bras d'or lakes- salt water. You can bet that the birch and maple I had delivered cut and split last year, have salt on them too
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sounds like your choices are to burn salty wood, or to burn salty wood. I'd go with the latter, no wait, the prior. aw heck, whatever, just burn it all.NewBoiler said:Danno77 said:
Ha...My town is surrounded on three sides by salt water. I can smell salt water everywhere. My house is probably 1/3 of a mile from the bras d'or lakes- salt water. You can bet that the birch and maple I had delivered cut and split last year, have salt on them too
Salt if nothing else is very easily water soluble. Saw up a splits worth of wood into saw chips, then soak it in distilled water (a little heat for a while wouldn't hurt) and then strain the wood out with a coffee filter or similar. Try to squeeze the wood as dry as possible. Then evaporate the water off (heat) and see what's left on the side of the jar. Or taste it. 
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did you really just post that? (actually just jealous that I didn't think of it first)ISeeDeadBTUs said:
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