I am burning my first season in a Nc30 coming from old school stoves and have had no issues with wood being wet ! Wood is my sole source of heat with minor propane use and in my area we typically burn from late sept to mid april..to be 3 years ahead would have my 5 acre yard covered in wood piles ! I know how well older wood burns im just making a point that i think its stressed a bit too much that wood has to be seasoned 3 years.
Shagbark and red oak leaving me unimpressed
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Agree . . . and disagree on a few minor points.
Here we burn wood starting in mid- to late-September and run into mid- to late-April.
Wood is not my sole source of heat -- but about 90-95% of my woodheat comes from wood (the oil comes on when it is in the sub-zero temps or when I am away from the house).
I agree . . . one doesn't always have to be three years ahead (although I just happen to be) . . . in most cases a year cut, split and stacked for MOST wood species is fine and will result in decent burns. However, some wood truly needs to be seasoned longer to get a better burn -- oak being one of those wood species. Moreover, I have found that while it is not always necessary to season the wood longer than a year, there is often a notable difference in the burn (both ease of igniting and usable heat produced) when wood is allowed to season longer (although I also suspect that there is a time period when one doesn't see a significant benefit in allowing even more time to season the wood.)
In my case, I am honestly ahead 3-5 years (a lot depends on the winter -- last year and this year so far are shaping up to be pretty mild so I should have more wood by the end of the burning season) . . . but for me it's not so much about the seasoning, but rather I enjoy doing the work and consider it like an insurance policy. If something happens to me so that I cannot get my wood for a year . . . I should have enough wood on hand to get by . . . and truthfully at this point it's not a big deal to go out a few times a year and putter away on the wood supply and replenish what I burned vs. working like a mad man to get a single year's worth of wood ready for the following year. Some summers I end up processing a lot more wood than I need for the burning season . . . and some years I end up with less . . . but it's all good since I just putter away at it working here and there when I get a free day or weekend.
Incidentally . . . I only have two acres of land here . . . and very little of my property is taken up with stacks of wood. I have a small wood processing area/wood stack area . . . well that and my woodshed where my seasoned wood goes (after it is seasoned outside for a year or two -- and then it hangs out there for another year or two seasoning even more -- albeit in a slower fashion.)
Ctwoodtick
Minister of Fire
![[Hearth.com] Shagbark and red oak leaving me unimpressed](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/194/194211-a601e552d73b209c84f1f1a0c0a90162.jpg?hash=viFcYGy057 "[Hearth.com] Shagbark and red oak leaving me unimpressed")
I have half an acre and my stacking area can hold about 10 cords. This pic does not contain 10 cords, but you get the idea. Still have plenty of yard and it's behind my house so you can hardly see it from the front. If I had 5 acres, I would be increasing my wood substantially. 20 cords would get lost in 5 acres.
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Worth remembering that an oak tree that comes down in summer will contain a lot more water than one that comes down in winter.
hickoryhoarder
Minister of Fire
I love red oak and hickory (any kind). I can start to use them after 18 months, but that's stacked in a sunny, windy, driveway. Seems like the size of the splits or the moisture would be your issues.
Was A time burn anything could get my hands on that was sorta dry, then finally got ahead a bit- big change in heat out put , then FAD kicked in have around 30 + cords at various stages, the bulk of which has been css for a minimum of 3 years now. None of it over the years has been top covered, although I have tried various things such as wrapping a face cord and the like- so about 1.5 years ago got some billboard tarps to top cover some sections. That again has made an increase in heat output. Running an NC30 for about 4 years now, it heats best when fuel is less than 20% moisture content with something around 12-15% on my cheapo HF meter giving me the best overall. I really do not check fuel much any more as I know the time factors of the various stacks in conjunction with the main types of wood in that particular group- Guess you could say I am on at least a 5 year plan and like some others I do not need to bust my tail any more to stay even or ahead a bit. In fact I have become a bit of a wood fuel snob ( maybe that's another ailment WFS?) I know it heresy but I turned down several loads last year- and gave away several cords worth as well. ( so maybe that evens it out ?) Heck I still have about a cord of Elm in 30"+ rounds to process the rest of the way from last spring. Here at my shop there are 11 cords of Ash , Elm and Honey Locust css. Thats on top of that stacks at home. I even had an interaction with the city code police in Dec of 2015 ( shucks I was only 1/2 way around the lot with a double wide stacks- really wanted to wall the whole place in- just because I could, course the code police had other ideas.) That's what happens when FAD gets ya.
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I like to stay ahead for various reasons. I am currently 3 years ahead and want to be 5 yrs ahead and should be there by summers end.I am not getting any younger and worry about something happening to me that sidelines me and desperation scrounges with snow on the ground just sucks! The added BTU factor of well seasoned wood is very real and not to mention it makes it much easier for even my wife to get a fire going with relative ease. I have less than a acre here and it will be maxed out with CSS and will stay that way for as long as I can do it.
Wow, thanks for the continued responses. As for my particular situation it seems to be hit and miss. I've had some burns that have left me pretty happy and still some that are WTH.... With the way this winter has been going, I think Im going to be able to hold out burning a lot of this. I've been splitting some of a face cord of Ash rounds I've been sitting on for 3yrs to mix in with it when needed. Going to work on getting rid of a bunch of apple wood I picked up a few yrs ago. I was going to make a mix with something else, but it's just to much of a PITA to get a good tight stack in the firebox..
Coog
Burning Hunk
An excellent point and the size of the splits and how/where you stack it. That can change a years worth of drying in my experience. I love me some large white oak splits. Burns long and hot when dry. Takes all of three years to dry though.
Judging from your avatar, your stacks are on top of a mountain, getting hit by 20-30 mph winds all day and night. Maybe a year is enough then.
I'm about 5 yrs. ahead but I still use the meter when I'm cutting, to know if maybe some of the wood can be burned in a year or two; Some upper branches of an Oak can be pretty dry. I'm also trying to get my in-laws ahead, so the meter is handy for that as well. I'm not sticking the meter in any wood that I'm burning currently...I already know it's dry.
