Wetting wood for faster seasoning?

[Adabiviak]

If, during a hot, otherwise dry day, one was to spray their stack of seasoning firewood with a garden hose, would that somehow speed up the seasoning process? My father-in-law said that he heard this somewhere, and I told him I'd see if anyone here could confirm or deny this. I haven't heard this before, and it doesn't seem like it would work, but the hypothesis is that the water would get on the wood ends, and as it evaporates, would pull out more of the water/sap out of the wood.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

If, during a hot, otherwise dry day, one was to spray their stack of seasoning firewood with a garden hose, would that somehow speed up the seasoning process? My father-in-law said that he heard this somewhere, and I told him I'd see if anyone here could confirm or deny this. I haven't heard this before, and it doesn't seem like it would work, but the hypothesis is that the water would get on the wood ends, and as it evaporates, would pull out more of the water/sap out of the wood.

Ridiculous ideas like that stem partly from the word "seasoning" itself. Replace the word "seasoning" with the word "drying" then re-ask yourself this question.

 

[SolarAndWood]

Probably came from a response a guy with a pile o wood made to his wife that said he should stack it in the shed instead of doing whatever he was doing.

 

[snowleopard]

. . . unless the dilution of the sap allows it to run more freely. If sap is starting to congeal on the cut ends, there *might* be some rationale for this theory. Sounds like another fine candidate for the semi-grown-up-informal science fair reported on sporadically on this site.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

And diluting your gas with water will also make it go further.

 

[firefighterjake]

. . . and when it's really hot hot outside I turn on the heat inside the house because it actually makes things cooler . . . or maybe it just feels cooler when I finally stumble out of my house, a sweat-drenched mess . . . or maybe this is just something I heard from a friend of a friend . . . or heard on the internet.

Short answer . . . your father in law is wrong.

 

[fireview2788]

I'll let you know, with all the freaking rain we are getting my stacks are soaked. Yes, they are covered at the top but we have had over a week of flood warnings and my yard looks like a wetland.

 

[Got Wood]

I think getting the splits wet will contribute to the grey color, wont help seasoning but could help the visual effect?

 

[lukem]

The sawmills around here will often set up a sprinkler system on top of the piles waiting to be milled. I'm not 100% sure, but I expect they do this to keep the wood from drying and checking. Someone may have used some other logic, decided it was to get the wood dryer, and started spreading false information as truth (perhaps a politician). Or maybe it was not meant to be a factual statement?

 

[cptoneleg]

If, during a hot, otherwise dry day, one was to spray their stack of seasoning firewood with a garden hose, would that somehow speed up the seasoning process? My father-in-law said that he heard this somewhere, and I told him I'd see if anyone here could confirm or deny this. I haven't heard this before, and it doesn't seem like it would work, but the hypothesis is that the water would get on the wood ends, and as it evaporates, would pull out more of the water/sap out of the wood.

Think then speak

 

[billb3]

washing off a waxy substance from the split ends ?

 

[Jags]

Wow fellas - easy on the OP. Its just a question.

Short answer - no. Adding water will not help in reducing water. If you are trying to condense (evaporate) a sauce, you don't add more liquid.

 

[shawneyboy]

Hearth.com has an attitude today !! Maybe hearth.com needs to refill its prozac meds ???

Shawn

 

[nrford]

The sawmills around here will often set up a sprinkler system on top of the piles waiting to be milled. I'm not 100% sure, but I expect they do this to keep the wood from drying and checking. Someone may have used some other logic, decided it was to get the wood dryer, and started spreading false information as truth (perhaps a politician). Or maybe it was not meant to be a factual statement?

Yes the moisture helps prevent checking. But from the years I did it, I believe it was the effect of evaporation that helped to keep the logs alittle cooler, and the water helps prevent air from contacting the wood. These two things help to prevent staining.

 

[oldspark]

Please excuse the clowns on here, there are no silly questions just silly answers. :lol:

 

[ruserious2008]

Hear hear on the Prozac needs of forum members!
But I don't think this is a bad question either. The more I read about "seasoning" the less any of it makes sense short of time. You'll find people that swear covering is needed (you would think it would be based upon some of the flippant comments here (couple were pretty funny too since if the point is to dry it out then one would thunk covering to keep it from getting wetter would be logical oh fellow Vulcan's but then there's the leave it exposed and just give it time crowd with some pretty good data showing that covering doesn't speed the process up...so.....some have claimed uncovered seasons faster and that would lead you to wonder if getting wet periodically does something to help the seasoning??? hence I think this is a good question. My guess is the uncovered does better due to better air circulation and the rain water only wets the surface and it evaporates quickly. I'm still trying to get my scientific head around the subject but I think that while yes its the release of water from the wood having that happen needs some decay at the cellular level for that water to be released and that is more dependent on time than anything else. Now if that theory holds true one would think temperature would speed up the decay hence my plans to make a solar seasoning shed to experiment with but that's another thread already here and one I'll report back on in a couple of years
Anyway poster...don't let the "flames" (hehe flames on a wood burning forum! Man what next!) deter you from more questions. 2 thumbs up from me for thinking out of the box!

 

[firefighterjake]

I took my medicine and things are now coming up all sunshine and roses . . . although I do have a hankering for Twinkies and Doritoes for some reason.

Incidentally . . . I am just kidding . . . I have never inhaled . . . seriously . . . actually never tried any mind altering substances . . . other than an occasional Woodchuck hard cider, cough syrup for sleeping at night when I have a bad cold and Moxie . . . but Moxie is non-alcoholic . . . just puts me in a different frame of mind.

Adabivak . . . are you still here? We didn't frighten you too badly did we . . .

 

[fireview2788]

FFJ, who are you trying to kid? Everyone on here has their favorite smoke they hit. Some like hickory, some ash, some oak, maybe even there's a pine lover out there. It's clear that this stuff alters one's mind and is very addicting or you guys wouldn't still be here, heck I'd have left a long time ago. :coolsmirk:

 

[firefighterjake]

FFY, who are you trying to kid? Everyone on here has their favorite smoke they hit. Some like hickory, some ash, some oak, maybe even there's a pine lover out there. It's clear that this stuff alters ones mind and is very addicting or you guys wouldn't still be here, heck I'd have left a long time ago. :coolsmirk:

Busted . . . in fact just the other night I lit off the fire and while my wife watched it I went outside to get some more wood . . . smelled the pine smoke since I'm burning some of my "junk" pine . . . reminded me of camping.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

My first guess was also that this was a misconception from seeing lumber mill logs being sprayed down.

 

[madrone]

I like to add a few ice cubes to the pot to make the water boil faster.

 

[BrotherBart]

My outdoor cat sprays the wood pile. I will report back on if the bottom row is better seasoned.

 

[okotoks guy]

I think from the first few replies given,the OP now understands that wetting the wood stacks
will not speed up the drying process.

What I don't understand, is why people seem to enjoy knocking the guy even more. A couple
of smart posts gets a chuckle and the point across. After that, it's almost bullying and some of
you should feel a little ashamed.

The guy was just asking a question. I'm sure he won't make that mistake again thanks to some
of you.

 

[Squiner]

I think there are a lot of quick responses without much thought.

Sometimes, the answer to a problem is counter intuitive. For instance, sometimes you need to add water to move water. I can quickly think of three instances. Priming an old manual well or lake pump. Gravity siphoning water and a "Shammy" used to dry your car.

I don't think it's too far fetched to say that wetting the end of wood coupled with intense solar loading, which will quickly pull the applied water out, could create a slight vacuum. This vacuum would then pull the woods internal moisture in that direction. After all, wood is designed to move water.

Maybe I'm talking out of my ***, but maybe we shouldn't discount this theory so quickly.

 

[cptoneleg]

Must be really bored, I will start diving for my wood in the rivers like on the Ax men, really cool how they find real expencive wood stored under water. O.K. grandkids sorry PA PA has filled the Pool with firewood so it will "Dry" faster, :zip: