Splitting American Beech

[Detector$]

I have a monster beech tree that I'd like to cut for firewood. Before I do so... How does it split? Easy like oak or more like elm & sweet gum?

 

[Peter B.]

Can't tell you how it splits, but if I recall, oak is actually in the beech family... suggesting not much more than a face value inference.

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My Grandparents had a spectacular low spreading beech on the Eastern Shore of Virginia... the perfect climbing tree for a kid.

I would have hated to have to burn it.

Peter B.

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[Diabel]

It splits quite well, it must be wet/green though. If you let the rounds sit for couple of months then watch out....

btw it burns nice!

 

[peakbagger]

It can tend to be tough to split and takes a long time to dry so you need to split it down into small pieces. The biggest issue is that rarely do you find a straight piece of beech, there are usually branches every few feet and evey section of log that contains a branch junction, is touhg to split. I usually split birch and maple by hand and run onto occasional rejects that I cant split, and a I tun into a lot more with beech.

The prior comment about splitting it green is correct, it doesnt get anybetter as it ages until it starts rotting. If the tree has the blight it will also tend to rot quicker.

Its reputation and my experience is that it burns slowly, great for overnight and not so good for a quick warm up fire.