I'm here for advise on switching to wood heat

[Jerry_NJ]

Any "round" (limb or trunk) that is over 4" in diameter should be split. Splitting will greatly speed up drying too. I think one can get away with a few months drying/seasoning on hardwood that is split to have an open side, no bark coverage. You can split 4" diameter too, but I don't.

 

[Ken45]

Say, do you have to split wood that is just the right size already for a stove? Is it totally neccessary in order to dry it?

Wood seasons a lot faster if it is not surrounded by bark. Considering that you are 4-5 months from using the wood, it can use all the help it can get to season in time.

How long should wood be seasoned? Ideally two years although most of us try to get 6-8 months minimum.

Larger pieces, especially, will not burn well if they are not well seasoned.

Ken

 

[WonderingWoman]

Great information! This site is wonderful!

 

[fossil]

Length is one thing, girth is another...as is species and a host of other variables. If the wood you're collecting is just right for your stove length-wise, and the pieces are easy enough to handle, then they'll probably fit into your stove and burn...someday. Seasoning (drying) is the big and important question. The more of the wood's former interior surface area you can expose to the elements, the more effectively and quickly it will become good firewood. A split will season well before its parent round would have. But, of course, there are limits to what one would bother to try to split, girth-wise. I'll split rounds that are about 4" in diameter, because they make good fire-building wood...between the kindling and the larger splits/rounds (If they have nice straight grain and split courteously, I'll take them right on down to kindling with a hatchet). Smaller than that, they become kinda scary for an old guy like me to split, so I just let 'em season good & long, and toss 'em in to burn when I've got a good bed of coals in the stove. Those old dry 3"-4" rounds, they'll burn good and long. You'll figure it out, I'm sure. Rick