water coming out of wood

[Elle]

Not really water but that hissing moisture coming out of wood. I have wood that has been sitting out there for about 3 years-stacked in pallets which is how I stack my wood. Last year the wood was great. This is a different stack however. I brought it in a few days ago to use and just about every piece has some moisture seeping, hissing out of it. Is that a sigh that it is not dry enough? I didn't see a need to test it because its' been out there so long. Some hardwood mixed in but not a lot.

Now, we had a ton of rain this summer...like a ton. So is there a chance they are sort of "waterlogged"? Does that coming out means they are really too wet to use? Though I don't know it until they are in the fire, lol.

Thanks

BTW did a search but I guess I didn't put the right words in. I'm sure this was answered a lot of times.

 

[gerry100]

My guess is that what you're seeing is surface moisture from rain.

Underneath the wood is seasoned

 

[redyute]

I've had wood with 18% moisture content hiss when burnt so if its burning hot i wouldn't worry about it. Do you have a moisture meter?

 

[Dobish]

maybe bring in the next few loads and keep them inside to try and evaporate some of the water. What type of wood is it? It is most likely surface moisture....

 

[Elle]

I've had wood with 18% moisture content hiss when burnt so if its burning hot i wouldn't worry about it. Do you have a moisture meter?

yes I do but I am too lazy to split any-I have a torn rotator cuff and don't feel like firing up the log splitter, lol.

 

[Elle]

honestly not sure what type of wood since I got if from scrounge...I have no idea how to tell wood apart. I would know maple and oak but that's it. There is some surface moisture as well. I did bring some in and put it in the room with the stove, so hopefully that will dry some up.

 

[Ashful]

Elle, when you say we got a ton of rain, folks outside this area just have no way of appreciating just how bad it was. One forum member said it only rained twice this summer in PA, once for 30 days, and then a second time for 40 days. We had an absolutely insane amount of rain this summer, probably 3x - 5x our average for the period.

So, if you had wood outdoors uncovered, it is probably just wet. I expect we’re going to see a lot of these posts, from our mid-Atlantic brethren, this year.

I’m not sure what things looked like up your way, but here I was emptying 3 inches out of my rain gauge, several days every week. There are parts of my lawn that I haven’t mowed but once or twice this whole summer, they’ve turned to swamp. And it has been this way since last winter, if you recall, I couldn’t even get to my wood piles for the entire month of February.

 

[Jay106n]

Sometimes even my “dry” wood hisses every now and then at light up. All which is metered to be less than 20%. So that with surface moisture after all the rain this year I’m not surprised.

Elle, when you say we got a ton of rain, folks outside this area just have no way of appreciating just how bad it was. One forum member said it only rained twice this summer in PA, once for 30 days, and then a second time for 40 days. We had an absolutely insane amount of rain this summer, probably 3x - 5x our average for the period.

So, if you had wood outdoors uncovered, it is probably just wet. I expect we’re going to see a lot of these posts, from our mid-Atlantic brethren, this year.

I’m not sure what things looked like up your way, but here I was emptying 3 inches out of my rain gauge, several days every week. There are parts of my lawn that I haven’t mowed but once or twice this whole summer, they’ve turned to swamp. And it has been this way since last winter, if you recall, I couldn’t even get to my wood piles for the entire month of February.

Sections of my yard that are usually bone dry in the fall are still swamp. I can’t really move any wood into my staging/splitting area until it dries up or freezes. Which ever comes first.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Was your wood top covered, tarped, or just left out in rows all summer and fall with it exposed to the rain.
Is it in a shed

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Yep, we are experiencing the same thing. I've been pulling out all the tricks to get the wood dry, now that it's cooling. Well, not all of 'em, I have not resorted to putting wood in the back seat of the car as a makeshift solar kiln yet. But I've been tempted...

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

So how can it get better? How about a soaking Nor'easter in late October that blows directly under the porches onto the "on-deck" stacks, and all the top covered stacks. You got it!

Mother Nature seems to be angry with me. Add her to the list.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

Even at 20% moisture or below, try to visualize the proportion of water to firewood on a normal split. That means 1/5 of a given piece of firewood is still water that must be driven out and evaporated before combustion occurs. Once you conceptualize this, it doesn't seem so worrisome when a seasoned piece of firewood gives out some moisture from the ends.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Even at 20% moisture or below, try to visualize the proportion of water to firewood on a normal split. That means 1/5 of a given piece of firewood is still water that must be driven out and evaporated before combustion occurs. Once you conceptualize this, it doesn't seem so worrisome when a seasoned piece of firewood gives out some moisture from the ends.

Excellent point.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

Excellent point.

Thanks!

It is something I have had to realize and get over, particularly with my stove. The Jotul F600 has a right side loading door that I use 100% of the time. We never open the front doors. Since firewood is put in from the side door going East to West, if there is a piece that is particularly long (22-23 inches) and up near that 20% moisture level, the moisture will bubble out of the end and collect right on the inside of that side door. It then drips out onto the lip or hearth floor in a wood moisture soup. Never much, maybe half an ounce here and there but it is definitely what demonstrated to me how much moisture can exit well seasoned firewood.

 

[Ashful]

So how can it get better? How about a soaking Nor'easter in late October that blows directly under the porches onto the "on-deck" stacks, and all the top covered stacks. You got it!

Mother Nature seems to be angry with me. Add her to the list.

I’ve come to call those days “Saturdays”, this year. Some neighbors lost some trees in that mess yesterday, but mine all stayed rooted. Only lost some big branches.

Yard is still soupy. Glad I got some wood moved last week. Mine is stacked on the leeward side of the house.

 

[Dantheman300z]

During shoulder season I burn mostly hardwood scraps from the cabinet company my FIL is a designer at, most furniture wood is 7-14%. Even those hiss a little bit.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

I’ve come to call those days “Saturdays”, this year. Some neighbors lost some trees in that mess yesterday, but mine all stayed rooted. Only lost some big branches.

Yard is still soupy. Glad I got some wood moved last week. Mine is stacked on the leeward side of the house.

Yep, Saturdays.

I am not enjoying this year, and I'm worrying about this winter. Should this precipitation pattern hold once freezing temps arrive...

Plus, I tend to drink more beer if I holed up inside. Not good for the liver.

 

[Ashful]

Yep, Saturdays.

I am not enjoying this year, and I'm worrying about this winter. Should this precipitation pattern hold once freezing temps arrive...

Plus, I tend to drink more beer if I holed up inside. Not good for the liver.

Enjoying an Allagash Tripel with a Stromboli for lunch, now. Maybe the liver can fight the heart.

Will be working it off, this afternoon.