Neighbor feeling the chill

[PA. Woodsman]

Just got a Tractor Supply sale flyer today and it showed a logsplitter and chain saws and the headline was something akin to "the tools you need to GET READY for the cold weather and keep the wood piled high"....

I wonder if I could sue them for "false advertising" lol....WOW!

 

[fahmahbob]

I've been passing a lot of driveways with fresh dumped loads of wood on 'em. And the wood is clearly green, and no sign of dry stacks in the yard.
I have, however, noticed more yards with stacks of wood that have been there since at least spring. It's getting more common every year.
I think the word about dry wood may be spreading...

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Believe it or not, I passed a place today where they had the typical face cord stacked and a sign $45. What really surprised me was that wood was dry! Not sure what the rest would be like though. He probably had a pile out back or was in the woods cutting at the time.

 

[Woody Stover]

"the tools you need to GET READY for the cold weather and keep the wood piled high"....

Hey, that's what I'm doing...getting ready for the cold weather a year from now and keeping the wood piled high. :coolsmirk:

 

[maple1]

Some folks just seem to think chimney fires are normal. Just think about all the talk about burning a really hot fire every day to "clean out the chimney."

LOL I have a guy at work that has an induced chimney fire every Saturday morning. When he gets up he stuffs the stove full of cardboard lights it up and leaves the door open so the flames shoot up the chimney and as much as I have argued with him he sees nothing wrong with it. Some people just don't get it or get it and just don't give a rip!

Actually, I can't imagine there being that much creosote build up in a week that it would lead to much of a chimney fire. I would think that method might get rid of some minor spot build up (which leads to more build up), and would burn out in a minute or two - way less damaging than a real chimney fire, which can be VERY hot and last quite a while, depending on amount of creosote. I think I'd rather see someone do that than go all winter (or even half of it) without thinking about their chimney. That is, as long as they've got a good chimney, of course.

Still remember the time a few years ago, when I stepped outside the office where I was working at lunch time, and looked up to see flames coming out of the chimney (office was in rear section of bosses house). He wasn't home at the time, so I naturally called the fire department. (Older looking brick chimney). When he got back and after they left, he says 'What did you call them for? That was just the chimney cleaning itself out.'. Umm, OK, I'll remember that next time....

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Well hopefully they'll make it through without freezing out.

I can simpathize to some extent though. I've been cutting out on some land that the owner has been gracious enough to let me cut in. However, the land is low and the logging roads are sloppy. He has asked that I not tear it up too bad. So I would cut and make small stacks along the logging road throughout spring and summer. Hoping that it would dry out this summer. That didn't happen. So only recently went to haul it out and to my yard.

It was nerve-wracking not seeing my wood pile grow this spring/summer. Now I've finally got a pile but I've still got to split and stack.

My point is things beyond your control are tough to plan for.

Some day I hope to be cutting one or two years ahead so I won't have to worry about a few months here and there.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Jaque, it sounds like you need to be hauling that wood out during the winter months.

 

[roxys dad]

The first cold snap brings out the saws and splitters then the street is full of smoke the rest of the winter

 

[Cluttermagnet]

I'm sure glad I found this forum a few years ago. I've learned a lot. Without doubt, the most important lesson was the need for well seasoned wood. My fires mostly burn 'invisibly', with little or no smoke other than a little sometimes right after reloading. Another important lesson learned was that different wood types need different amounts of seasoning time and have different cutting/ splitting/ burning characteristics.

We have a neighbor who is still burning in their fireplace. He knows he needs a stove. I hope he will get around to putting one in eventually. Times are hard, financially. He also knows the importance of seasoning because I have talked that over with him in depth, on several occasions. I think he does 'get it' and that his wood burning will further improve over time. There has been visible progress. That being said, an awful lot of smoke still pours out of that chimney due to underseasoned Oak being used.

There seem to be some conflicting priorities in that household, with some 'home beautification' work having taken priority over the stove purchase, it appears. I'm not going to criticize- they are good folks and he has helped me in other ways and has been a very good neighbor. I think he knows where he needs to get to, with the wood burning, but it's just taking some time. In better times, I think he would have done the wood stove install long since. Also, this stinko economy may have increased his workload in his 'day job', so there isn't enough spare time to really do the wood processing right.

So- not everyone is hard- headed. I think there are also plenty of folks who are able to learn and willing to be open to change.

 

[kbrown]

Call it lazy or ignorant or whatever, but the neighbor really needs to appreciate that he has 10 acres of oak to pull from. The wife and I can only dream of living on land like that and with the state of the housing market, doesn't look like we ever will. He needs to get a wake up call and see the wood gold he has right in front of his face. Otherwise, let me move there and gladly take that "burden" away from him!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

heatit, you just need to move north. Ya, the job situation is worse and that is the bad part.

 

[wendell]

Yep, I'm in the same boat. I'm just starting to cut wood for the winter.






Of 2015/16.




:cheese:

 

[karl]

Around here I don't think people even know what an EPA stove is. The firewood guys say, "You don't want it too dry."

My neighbor has a Mama Bear stove and when he saw my Summit he commented on how tiny it was. lol I still don't think he believes me when I tell him it heats the whole house and burns 8-10 hours with enough coals to restart. He saw the slab wood I was burning and bought 2 loads. Something happened last year and he didn't use the stove much and has a lot of that wood left over. I'm going to go over there this winter when he's burning it and ask him how he likes seasoned wood. Maybe I'll convert one person.

 

[Slow1]

Two thoughts...

First - to Dennis; I hope this neighbor of yours isn't counting on your supplying him again this winter with your premium wood. I can understand (and would be willing to) helping out someone in their first year and/or someone who is down due to factors beyond their control, but just being plain lazy or planning that poorly is their own problem!

Second - I had a conversation with an older gentleman at church the other day who mentioned how he doesn't like burning read oak because "it is so hard to light." Of course I mentioned that it does take a long time to dry out to which he assured me he seasons it for three years before bringing it into the garage. Long story short - he leaves it in log length for 3 years, then gets it cut and stacked in garage where he splits on demand... Hmmm... well, he almost has the idea. I told him how I do it (cut, split, THEN dry for 3 years) and that I don't have any problem with my oak. I don't expect to change him, but at least I tried...

Had I not found this forum I likely wouldn't know dry wood either though - my "expert" friend thinks I'm a bit nuts to stack 3 years ahead (I finally got there this year) as he barely gets one year ahead. The wood he bought (and recommended to me) was far from seasoned my first year so I had to scrounge like mad and burn biobricks. Such is life.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Slow, we will help them out if need be but he will have to replace what he takes. Actually, last year all he got from us was for about 2 days worth and he burned his own wood. At least he did have some that had been down for a while. Still lots of creosote. The wood he cut so far this year (cut last weekend) really is green. I expect something will have to give if he is going to heat with wood.

It is amazing there are lots of folks who consider that once the tree is down, it dries. No need to cut it up; just leave it a year or so and it will be dry. Well, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

Good for you too Slow for getting 3 years ahead on the wood. That will pay great dividends.

 

[Shadow&Flame]

I have an older widow who lives close to me. She has a fireplace that she uses when it gets really cold or for power outages. I cannot convince her to put in a stove, doesn't like
anything to change. She normally tries to get a face cord of green wood every year in the
fall to burn. I go over there every winter and swap the wood out for seasoned...and make
sure if it runs a little low I add to it here and there so she doesn't notice it. She has said
the wood burns too fast but it is easy to light. She always buys red oak...so that is what
I am forced to replace it with.

 

[ecocavalier02]

i dropped off a cord of wood to my dad a couple days ago and my sister was there and she said do you have any wood for us. Her husband has a a pile of oak sitting next to the house all summer and he never even split it. of course it woulnt be ready to burn anyway, but he will burn it. Mind you hes a teacher and has summers off. I said well i dont know what to tell ya. i think some people are better off just heating with oil.

 

[Woody Stover]

Around here I don't think people even know what an EPA stove is. The firewood guys say, "You don't want it too dry."

Yep. One neighbor has an old smoke dragon insert. He doesn't burn all that much, just when it gets very cold. I mentioned to him that he could probably heat his entire home with wood all Winter with a modern stove, even though he doesn't have an ideal layout. Remains to be seen how interested he is in doing that. Maybe if times get a little tougher, he'll want to save more money.

BIL is in a new (to him) house. His wife bought a VC Resolute III, which is a cool little stove but a smoker nonetheless. I gave him my old Englander plate steel stove to use in the basement, but that probably won't be burned a lot. I'm going to work on him to get a modern stove so he's not smoking out the 'hood. Maybe I can find him a deal on a used stove.

A guy that I bought some semi-dry wood from last year called me to see if we wanted another load. I told him I had enough this year, but took the opportunity to tell him that a little of the stuff he sold me (not all, just some of the Oak) bubbled water out of the ends of the splits. I also told him that modern stoves need dry wood, and that Oak takes two years to dry. You shouldn't have to tell a wood dealer this stuff, but...
I've been observing his stacks for years. He's a "cut in the Spring, sell in the Fall" guy. That probably works OK for everything but his Oak, but I doubt that he (or many other sellers) would ever separate out the Oak to get it right...

My other neighbor just got a new combustor. Unfortunately, the wood he was splitting recently is at 30%. He'll be good for next year, at least. I guess I'll help him scrape up some dead dry stuff.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I have an older widower who lives close to me. She has a fireplace that she uses when it gets really cold or for power outages. I cannot convince her to put in a stove, doesn't like
anything to change. She normally tries to get a face cord of green wood every year in the
fall to burn. I go over there every winter and swap the wood out for seasoned...and make
sure if it runs a little low I add to it here and there so she doesn't notice it. She has said
the wood burns too fast but it is easy to light. She always buys red oak...so that is what
I am forced to replace it with.

Shadow&Flame;, wouldn't she be a widow? Sorry, just had to pick at you a little for a slip of the fingers on the keyboard.

 

[Woody Stover]

I have an older widower who lives close to me. She has a fireplace that she uses when it gets really cold or for power outages.

wouldn't she be a widow?

Now she is, but S&F knew him before the sex change. :cheese:

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Backwoods,

Yes, some winters I'll haul out when things are frozen. But last winter I learned some hard lessons. Don't go on the unplowed logging roads in the depth of winter without tire chains. I got around fine until we had a thaw followed by a re-freeze. The water formed puddles beneath the snow which then froze like ice-rinks. When my tires found those puddles (commonly occurring in old tire ruts) my truck stopped dead. Without chains or winch it was a lot of work getting the wood out.

So after that episode I decided to cut-n-stack along the logging road during the rest of the winter and haul out during the dryer part of the summer.

In short . . . I've only been cutting on this property for a year now so I have yet to learn all its idiosyncracies. Plan A didn't work, on to Plan B. Plan B didn't work, scramble and make up a Plan C. . .

 

[woodchip]

How about your neighbors? Do they cut before it is needed?

Our neighbour who has a woodstove actually walks the dog in the morning, picks up stuff laying around, and chucks it in the stove in the evening.

I'm sure firewood consumption could be halved here if people seasoned and burned their wood properly....... ;-)

 

[Shadow&Flame]

Shadow&Flame;, wouldn't she be a widow? Sorry, just had to pick at you a little for a slip of the fingers on the keyboard.[/quote]

Yep...my bad. I was tired when I typed it...pick away man, I got big shoulders...ha

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Hey, I do it all the time....but then, I also seem to be tired all the time lately. My shoulders are sore.

 

[Hass]

Some folks just seem to think chimney fires are normal. Just think about all the talk about burning a really hot fire every day to "clean out the chimney."

In the BK Chinook manual, it actually says you can do this.
But it says to not do this, if you have more than one day of creosote buildup.

Eh, I can't copy it.
But it's on page 27 of 40 of the Chinook manual near the middle (make sure you click on manual not brochure)
(broken link removed to https://www.blazeking.com/EN/wood-chinook.html)


I'm not saying it's right, I'm just saying what the manufacturer says.