stinky elm?

[devinsdad]

Girlfriend hooked me up with a coworker who is sick of looking at damaged trees from the icestorm way back in '98.There is a variety.She didn't know if I would be interested in the elm " because it smells bad when burning. " Is this so? I am burning a non cat epa stove . that should help ? I don't really like my neighbors anyway :coolsmirk: either way I'm gonna take all I can get . Just wanted to know if I should separate the elm from the ash and maple?That way I could burn the stinky stuff on work days and encourage the 'bors to find some work days

 

[gzecc]

I can't stand elm. There are different kinds. I would separate it. I would keep the ash separate. That will season <6mos. The maple and elm in 1 yr.

 

[westkywood]

Elm takes a long time to season. I wouldnt even burn the stuff unless I couldnt get anything else....As far as stinkin? Not that I'm aware of. Now if ya wanna talk Locust, we'll talk stinkin.....

 

[LLigetfa]

If it is storm damaged versus diseased, the smell shouldn't be too bad. It's the diseased trees that often smell bad and then too the smell is mostly limited to when it sits drying, not burning. Good dry wood doesn't smell so bad and the smell of burning should be going up your flue anyway.

 

[devinsdad]

I've got ash I cut/split 2 months ago that has more end cracks than the beech/oak/maple I cut/split in March. I've got about 10 full cords to burn through before I would be burning any of this new stuff

 

[savageactor7]

We burn a lot of elm and I'm grateful to have it. It's does have a piss like odor to it when you split it but that's gone in a few days and no distinguishing odor when you burn it. If you split it now it should be good to go next fall...if you can split it... LOL

 

[Backwoods Savage]

On the contrary. Although elm stinks if you cut it green, that stink leaves when the wood dries. In addition to that, elm dries fast!

Better yet is if someone can wait to cut the elm until all the bark has fell. Then it splits easier and barley any odor at all. I think it also burns much better than if you have cut the elm green.

 

[burntime]

I agree with Backwoods Savage. Stinks when splitting, dries quick, and no noticable stink when burning. It burns good and hot! Get it!

 

[Wood Duck]

I would go for the elm as well as the other trees. I haven't noticed too much odor when splitting elm, and I have never really noticed much difference when burning different woods. Sure, there may be a slight difference with some species, but in general it all smells like wood smoke to me.

 

[Jeff S]

I'm burning almost exclusivly Elm that was standing dead that was I cut ,split and stacked in my wood shed last winter.It is wonderfully dry and burns great with no smell.I certainly would love to get my hands on some more.The only time I noticed Elm smelling bad was when it was cut green.

 

[firefighterjake]

Ah, poor elm . . . the much maligned wood . . . folks curse it when splitting as it can be rather stringy and crotchety . . . and it does smell a bit when fresh cut and split . . . but I tell you if it wasn't for elm my first year of burning would have been a much different experience. "Thanks" to Dutch Elm Disease in the first year of burning I was able to cut down a lot of standing, dead elm that was pretty dry . . . and much of it seasoned enough so by the time I started burning it burned half decent.

As mentioned, live elm can be a miserable experience in splitting by hand . . . and even using a hydraulic splitter can result in some pretty messed up wood . . . do not expect neat, clean looking wood when splitting elm. Really dead elm however can often split cleanly and may even pop when split.

Yeah, it can smell a bit when split if it is fresh, but the smell only lingers for a bit . . . the heat you get from burning the elm lasts a lot longer. No smell from the smoke other than the smell of money saved from not burning oil, propane or natural gas.

 

[wendell]

I am a proud elm burner and don't care who knows!

I especially like the limbs of the trees that the bark as fallen off many years before. If you leave the 4-5" ones unsplit, they will burn forever.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Wendell, I fully agree.

 

[toqua]

out west we have pine the rest of you have elm lol

 

[84Buckeye]

I'm burning some red elm right now and it burns beautifully... No smell whatsover.

 

[mike1234]

The elm I cut last winter was the only wood I had under 20% this year, I think it is because it is so stringy all that crap helps wick away moisture. It does have a smell, but not what I would call a stink. It is a pain in a butt to split, so if you don't have a splitter or access to a splitter, it's not worth it.

I cut down and cut up 2 big elms just before this horrible weather hit, waiting to get them into the to be split pile soon, they will help keep me warm next winter!

I'd rather have hedge, or hackberry, or locust, but it's better than walnut.

Elm takes a long time to season. I wouldnt even burn the stuff unless I couldnt get anything else....As far as stinkin? Not that I'm aware of. Now if ya wanna talk Locust, we'll talk stinkin.....