Seasoned wood is wood that’s been split for however long it takes to get below 25% moisture level. Ready to burn wood is something that can be cut, split and burned on the same day.
This was helpful despite alot of years of burning wood. Some of our local wood sellers in Maine sell firewood that is "seasoned" and therefore costs more that is often closer to 20 on a moisture meter, and requires lots of kindling to ignite.
Hey!!!! I do, in fact, use my wood to grill steaks... I've found that if I get some soggy wet wood- from a pile/stack/shed. That got poured on( or fell over and sat on wet ground) fro weeks, putting it out on my covered porch will dry it up best. Some sun, but plenty of air movement- and no additional water. Like tarping, but the wood gets all the air it wants. Splitting it smaller helps speed that up, too. Works for green wood, too. Not quick, necessarily, but it dries without the bleaching, staining, or fungus growth. For cistomers that like pretty wood- they'll love this. My main guy dries all of his mixed hardwood in sheds 2years min. Looks great, no bugs, shrooms, or rot, and its dry and solid. Some of his BBQ wood is outdoors ( outta room), under trees, etc. ive bought Cherry that was blackened, soaked, etc. split, it was perfect inside- but it sure looked disreputable, lol. Joe the backyard bbq guy would be very unhappy, if you brought him that. Perfectly good grill wood- for someone who knows. Aside from that load, I've never had any issues buying wood from him that wasnt ready to burn NOW. maybe a bit of dampness at the edge from pieces split from humumgous chunks, but thats not a problem. I KNEW I'd have to dry this out, going in, and was fine with it. Other guys? I've had all kinds of issues... As an added precaution, i have big ass grass spiders guarding my wood piles for me. I like to imagine the screams of someone going for a 5 finger discount encountering one suddenly, lol. They arent poisonous, but they ARE big scary looking, and they move fast and sudden!
This year in my part of Scotland it's been perpetual winter. The odd hot day but mostly wet coat weather all year. BUT it's been windy a lot. My wood split to similar sizes to yours in March is ready for my winter this year. That's a mix of ash, birch, beech and chestnuts
Definitely agree Chris. I recall when you tried the wood bunkers out for the first time, around the time your new best friend Bert helped move the wood yard to its current location from the old wood yard. The days of cut 1 day, split the next day, and stack on day 3. You most definitely have the knowledge of trial and error based on experience and facts. Hope everyone is doing good and hope to see Kenny make an appearance soon, I watch your other channel as well. Good Night Irene.
Great information! I remember as a kid helping make firewood for the up coming winter in October! I am sure most of that stuff wasn‘t even cured when burned. Beech seems to be a fast drying wood if solid and not half rotten. My dad dislikes seasoned poplar and says it will not burn if it‘s foggy out. Must be like a sponge. 👍
I agree on your definition of seasond, my neighbor that’s in his late 70’s says cut a green tree and let it lay for a couple month and it will dry faster, because the limbs will pull the moisture trying to stay alive. I cut a 30”+ red oak today on his property, he gave it to me so I’m going to do it his way and see. He has lots of dry I will be cutting in the meantime. Great topic!
Yes...he is correct ...some kinds of trees try to stay alive by feeding the leaves and suck moisture out! BUT...cutting and splitting the wood smaller is faster yet..it evaporates even faster when opened up.
Heard early on “the air is dry in winter”. I’m a climate testing guy, with a huge chamber for testing products in Canada. We say that because we take cold air indoors,heat it up,and the relative humidity drops like a stone. But when it’s cold outside the ability of that air to hold moisture is very low. So the relative humidity is quite high because there’s lot of water around,snow on the ground etc. The drying rate is dependent upon the ability of the air to take up and hold moisture. Although you are completely correct,when the sun hits the wood,it warms up and heats the air next to it allowing it to absorb moisture. So just that clarification. Love the channel, lots of interesting stuff going on.keep up the good work!
This was a good dry summer and a good year to have your wood split early. With the drought here in south eastern Ohio I've literally been able to light a piece of locust on fire with a match. Thats some dry firewood that will make for a very warm winter.
Another great informative video Chris! I use a combination.....I have bins and i stack. The stacks are all single row and face SW as that gets the sun and the prevailing wind is SW. Can dry down from 20° to 13° in two weeks in the summer! I make my bins 10x20' so i can roll out a 12x24' tarp over them easily (almost like a dump trailer tarp works) if a big rain/snow is coming, otherwise leave them uncovered.
Hi Chris, i have 15 acres in Northern Illinois. I have been cleaning up several oak and Hickory trees. Unfortunately my property offers no space for drying. I just bought a 40' reefer container to build a Kiln. Been watching oak farm firwood channel for build ideas. If i ever get it done i will let you know how it works. Thanks for making your content. Look forward to it everyday.
I only cut dead standing Ash, so many dead Ash here in NE PA I can even choose what diameter to fell. I have about 100 cords ready to sell, first delivery 2 cords this week in my new N&N 6 x 12 dump trailer. Thank you Chris for your detailed info on the wood business. GNI
Nice video Chris. How you get the wood dry isn’t as important as that you get the wood dry. The fire doesn’t care if it took 3 months or 3 years. Your current method of drying the wood seems to be the best for your climate and local conditions. You are always trying to find a better way with an open mind. GNI
great video! I have noticed something else. Another way to tell if it is drying is in the splitting process. If it splits cleanly without a bunch of splinter or pieces still trying to hold it together, it isn't very dry. Elm and Hackberry being the absolute worst (even when dry, lol)
Hi Chris, The hardest part where I live is Drying it. Most of the stuff I get is dead wood. And Everything that goes in my shed is 12%. Cut Small...mostly Hawthorn. I have got a High efficiency stove. Don't it ever burn hot!
Chris for this heating season I have mostly Ash some Maple a little Oak. I still have a lot of dead standing Ash left to cut down , and log piles to cut up all Ash. Keep on cutting
Watched this video Went and checked my firewood, stacks and bin. I have mostly oak Stacks and bins are close to 10% and don't have the openness you have where I have stacked and stored. Love the pallet bins, I learned from you
@thefirewooddoctor : If he doesn't, then Chris here will just run him over, and eventually, Chris will take over the area. In a way, it's a win-win for Chris and Bert
Your last bit of advice is spot on. Starting the fire with easy to light species that burn hot and bright works every time! I use soft maple- because i have it, and can get all i want for free. Ash, too. Then the actual coaling/ grill wood goes on. I always use paper and kindling. Dry sticks and twigs: splinters and shards from splitting; or spruce/pine kindling i split to pencil and finger size. Chunks of resiny knots are great for damp days or wood that's not quite dry. Wood snob disapproved wood is also perfect to use as "helpers" if the fire needs a kick in the pants, or the wood isnt burning well.
You stacked the seasoned wood facts. But you piled up fantastic information. Great to listen/watch your episodes. BTW, we don't burn wood in our condo. Fun factual channel 👍👍👍
The wood is dry if it's ready to burn!! In SE Georgia, I've seen people cut oak and burn in a very short time, but it doesn't have the flame that some people like. Stay Hydrated and Have a Safe Day
Old Swedish method from the forests of Skaraborg. Dip your finger in a little dish detergent. Dab it onto a center end of your split piece. Try to blow thru the piece from the other end. Soap bubbles in the detergent? It's dry. Done this many times. It works.
Pretty detailed video Chris. Do you ever cover your firewood from the rain? I.e if you have a week of drizzle/ rain, then have 2 days of sun then rain again, it will get wetter rather than drier. I uncover my wood if I get 2 days plus of sunny weather. Thoughts?
I like the towel analogy, although piles of wood is basically just a loose pile of towels in a basket haha. I just don't want people to be misled with piles, I ruined a full cord of pine trying a bin. It was in the sun and out in the open. The inner "core" of the pile was full of mold and fungus :( Keep your wood bins full of hardwood folks! Especially if the start of your bin is green wet wood. If it goes into the core wet, it will never come out dry 😢
@@InTheWoodyard yeah I built identical bins, I even had the whole middle up two pallets high off the ground trying to create a little tunnel of air. Pine is a different beast than hardwood that's for sure
I am finding that this year our firewood didn’t dry as fast as it did in the same amount of time last year. I attribute it to the high humidity we had for most of the summer! I STACKED some wood tonight too😂 Take care Chris👊🏻GNI
I was watching your video yesterday regarding premium gas... You should create a video on what type of gas to put in your wood splitter, chainsaw, etc. My brother owns a small engine repair business in CT and tells everyone to put VP (non ethanol gas) in their small engines all the time - especially when they are going to sit for a long time! However, people don't want to pay $30 a gallon so they never do it, instead they pay my brother to tune-up their mowers ($180) every year because they are all gummed up.
Alternatively, using a fuel stabilizer in all of my fuel has given me great results. All of the ethanol-free fuel in my area is too low of octane for two stroke equipment.
The temperature of the air affects the humidity. Warm air can hold more moisture, so the difference between the inside of the log and the air may not be very much. However, in the winter when it's cold, the air can hold less moisture so the air can be a lot dryer than in summer - and with cold dry air, especially if there's a breeze, wood will dry very quickly. So warm temperatures aren't always the most important factors to drying your firewood.
If I don’t plan on messing with my pile of wood over the winter (as it isn’t ready yet) should I cover it so the snow doesn’t cover it? Or just leave it. I live in northern Wisconsin!
Good information. So what do you think would be best for drying, All wood being loose fit in an IBC tote. 1. Under a carport free from rain but no sun or 2. out in the open under rain and sun?
Location location location, If in the PNW where it rains almost daily carport maybe the best option if on the other hand you live in the desert southwest with very little yearly rain out in the open maybe the better option.
@@iffykidmn8170 East coast lower Delaware. Im going to split some logs and fill a few ibc totes. I will label them and put half in the chicken pen and leave the other half out. ill check them one a month and see whos winning.
That depends...more sun and wind and time is good! If you have lots of rain, cover just the top of the pile and stacking is okay but piled loose it will breath and dry faster.
Besides keeping open flames from it...kill or trim all grass away from the sides, this will also help with the air flow for drying. Keep enough space between your firewood and the brush or trees and dry debris. Mow the grass between your firewood rows and or piles. Dirt stone/rock or sand without any vegetation around it would be best.
I live in the pnw,central basin area, and our wood drys at a moderate rate, elm takes 18 to 24 months to dry. If you live on the west coast where it rains almost daily then yeah it will take forever to dry.
Winter also has the frost effect of the trapped water deep in cells of expanding and being able to escape, that 10% expansion effect of ice forming. Do that over a 100 times a long winter and....
I take some extra time and break down pieces further to dry out faster if I wanna burn it same year. Yes, obviously, it's more laborious but it's peace of mind for me.
I just talked to a pro chimney sweep guy and he said...maybe a little but the number one thing you can do is to burn DRY wood and clean your chimney every 1-2 years.
@@InTheWoodyard Yeah I used to burn those every year after I had a couple of fires because they say it works better that way. I never really knew for sure if they were worth the money especially after they've gone up the last couple of years.
I have a 30 or 40 pickup load pile on pallets out in the back yard. Most of it has been split for 3 or 4 years. Wonder how long itll last before it rots
It depends...what kind of wood, is it in shade or sun does the area get a lot of wind, do you get a lot of sun or rain, high or low humidity area, is there a big accumulation of leaves and other debris on top blocking air flow?????
@@InTheWoodyard I know it depends, didn't mean to ask an irrelevant question. East central iowa. Ash, oak, locust and other assorted eastern Iowa hardwood in the middle of a 5 acre yard, plenty of sun and no litter.im new to the boiler world so I went crazy to build up a stockpile for the first year. Just wondering how long it'll last or if anybody else might also be wondering
It’s my opinion that seasoned wood is wood that can be split down the middle and still read moisture content of 20% or less. If that takes 2 months or 3 years, it doesn’t matter.
Ive been cutting splitting stacking and burning for 55yrs splitting it so there flat peices stacking in a cris cross pattern 6-8 months burns beutiful air and sun make the difference
Diamond match stick company uses Aspen. They state that it is “less flammable “. What is this other flammability attribute? I checked its resistance (moisture content) to be 5%. Vikings used to extract pine tar from pine for fishing line, medicinal properties and boat building - and then burn the charcoal. What is the attribute of charcoal that makes it burn well - besides less smoky? idk.
When I stacked my wood for this year I tried to leave alot of spaces to give it plenty of room to breath. For next year's I tried to stack it tightly. Now I'm starting a bin since one of stacks fell over I really don't want to stack it again.
I burn oak exclusively and actually debark every piece of wood before stacking it and letting it dry, for multiple years. The sap wood will still absorb some moisture and start to rot over time. The heart wood is the only piece that ever becomes “rot proof.” The wood basically becomes fossilized, but you wouldn’t squeeze a drop of moisture out of it if King Kong tried to wring it out. It’s pretty unbelievable firewood.
When I dry wood in my kiln get it down to 10%.Leave it outside for 3 days.Backup fifteen seventeen% so yes humidity goes back into the wood............
So yes dry seasoned Cured kilned All better to burn and build with.However it's only been around for about a hundred years before that they built with wetwood and chopped the wood they needed for the night that night.... None of it is necessary with the right fasteners for building and cleaning your stove......!
@InTheWoodyard Absolutely 100% Except no one ever did it until the last century. Every wood building you see, that's hundreds of years old was built with wetwood !
Check with atate regulations to be sure. Am pretty sure in the states that have made such rules officially aay "seasoned wood is 20% moisture or less". Saw that somewhere when someone was talking about the legalities of calling firewood "seasoned".
All wood burns. Free wood burns best! 😜 I grow and harvest my own firewood. I enjoy the work. And my property blesses me with many kinds of firewood. And it all burns.
Man Chris ,tell the truth,you had to have a script to do this video? You covered it all,lol,I know you've done similar vids in past where you were trying not to make ppl cry,lol,but you had all your facts ready on this one,covered it all very matter of fact.lol I loved this episode,so was there a script??? LOL haa
Well you sure make it look easy,lol I guess 1500+ videos one a day for about four years will do that.ha ha.lol thanks though Chris I was just curious how you make it so on point
Okay but some types of wood like ash and iron wood are are 25-30% when green, not all wood is equal moisture and dried at different rates in different situations so.....
@@InTheWoodyard yessir, those species aren’t popular here and sold as fire pit wood, not home heating wood. Beech and yellow birch are the money makers here. Wet species (oak, hard maple etc) are avoided because of the time it takes to dry them. Strange folklore wood burning traditions handed down is all I can figure!? Regardless, the state proclaims…”so it is written, so it shall be done” Cheers Chris! Thanks for the company with my coffee.
Sun, wind. What are these magical things you speak of. LOL. One other factor is dominant wind direction, if i left a open wall to the south-west where most storms blow from. It would rot before it was dry. . One other fun fact, the red alder is supposedly the 3rd fastest rotting wood on earth.
@InTheWoodyard you start by simply measuring rain in feet, not inches. and just calling it the north wet. . My 3 months of dry are just about over now. Time for 9 months of swap season.
Ah yes the all niters. I have burned a lot of wood and love the all Niters. my family have always had wood that we used for all night precut about 2 or 3 years. Back a few years ago I was living in a 7 bedroom 5 1/2 bath house with two ways to heat my house. One was hot water boiler and the other was a Huge woodstove. here is the thing the house came with the woodstove and it had to have taken 10 guys to bring it in. The woodstove was also a wood boiler so this was not like that have now. This you could cook on and it was big enough that you could put a pig in it lmao. Now this woodstove was in the basement and the basement was as big as the house. There was a trap door on the side of the house to load wood in the basement. I could load about 15 cords of wood in a spot made just for the wood by the trap door. With that said I did not use a lot of oil because I didn't need to heat my house with oil . But I never had to pay for the wood because all the wood I was getting were stumps. The stumps were free. The problem I had was it was just to hot in the house. Would have doors open outside with about 4 feet of snow on the ground lmao. There was a time I lost power and I just used the woodstove to do all the cooking and making coffee. I would also have a fan running to move the air around. The biggest problem was the dust. You know I kind of miss that woodstove.
@@InTheWoodyard here is a funny story for you. When I was 16 I was working for the school's in my City. I did everything from cutting grass to replacing windows to stripping hard wood floors to waxing floors. But there was a job that only I was able to do that no one ells could do. I had no idea what this job was but the look on the other guys face told me I was not going to like it. Now before they told me what the job was they told me they would make sure it was safe and that no one would leave me alone at any time to be sure nothing goes wrong and with luck I would make it out alive. I said huh what is going on. They said Son you are the only person that will fit in the boilers and clean them we will be on the outside telling you how to do it but we can't fit in the boilers to do it. I said wait the what? Then they said come here and I went with them and they pointed at the boilers and said you need to climb in these and clean them . I said oh hell no. Then one of the guys said listen we will be right here standing outside and will not leave you. I said but the fire is going to be on the inside. No they said they will make sure it is off and can not turn on. I asked well who the H cleaned them before and they said well they haven't been cleaned in about 8 years because no one can fit in there. Each school had 2 boilers and it took me 2 to 3 days on each boiler. I came out of the boiler thinking one left and they said you have 11 more to go.. That job sucked. The pay sucked as bad.
Seasoned just means a moisture content between 12-15% or below. Unpopular take: if you are going to season wood for more than 12 months and you can’t store it indoor in a shop or warehouse, don’t split it. If you want to take accurate moisture readings just split random rounds in the pile intermittently. Wood as pictured here that has been split and sitting outdoors turning grey looks like crap and if you’re running a business or selling wood to people with money, they’ll snub their nose at it. .02
No, seasoned means dry and ready to burn NOW Which legally in many states is any wood below 20% moisture content. Split wood always dries faster and better. Grey wood IS better wood because it had been aged and dried. Pretty wood is usually NOT dry wood...most often freshly split. But what do I know I have only been cutting splitting heating with and selling about 250 full cords of wood a year for about 55 years now...I am just a beginner.
@ well you’ve been doing this longer than I’ve been alive so you already know certain species will burn like rolled up newspaper at 15-20%, especially pecan. Whereas a wood like ash can have rounds sit outdoors for 12-18 months and fall down well below 10% and when it’s split it’s still blonde and presentable and has a lasting burn. To each their own, I’m not trying to harp… wood is wood. Cut your buddy not your body ✌🏼
"Dry" is NOT a good choice of wording. Why? If the firewood gets wet by rains, snows, or gets wet by Ice, does that mean the firewood is not ready to burn? No, it does not. It just means the bark/outer portion got wet.
Very Nicely Done. Clear and Concise. I am always amazed at how fast wood dries in the winter.
Yup, dry air here mostly in winter!
Seasoned wood is wood that’s been split for however long it takes to get below 25% moisture level.
Ready to burn wood is something that can be cut, split and burned on the same day.
I agree!
25%🤔
yup!
This was helpful despite alot of years of burning wood. Some of our local wood sellers in Maine sell firewood that is "seasoned" and therefore costs more that is often closer to 20 on a moisture meter, and requires lots of kindling to ignite.
Yup, less moisture is better!
Hey!!!! I do, in fact, use my wood to grill steaks...
I've found that if I get some soggy wet wood- from a pile/stack/shed. That got poured on( or fell over and sat on wet ground) fro weeks, putting it out on my covered porch will dry it up best. Some sun, but plenty of air movement- and no additional water. Like tarping, but the wood gets all the air it wants. Splitting it smaller helps speed that up, too.
Works for green wood, too. Not quick, necessarily, but it dries without the bleaching, staining, or fungus growth. For cistomers that like pretty wood- they'll love this.
My main guy dries all of his mixed hardwood in sheds 2years min. Looks great, no bugs, shrooms, or rot, and its dry and solid. Some of his BBQ wood is outdoors ( outta room), under trees, etc. ive bought Cherry that was blackened, soaked, etc. split, it was perfect inside- but it sure looked disreputable, lol. Joe the backyard bbq guy would be very unhappy, if you brought him that. Perfectly good grill wood- for someone who knows.
Aside from that load, I've never had any issues buying wood from him that wasnt ready to burn NOW. maybe a bit of dampness at the edge from pieces split from humumgous chunks, but thats not a problem. I KNEW I'd have to dry this out, going in, and was fine with it.
Other guys? I've had all kinds of issues...
As an added precaution, i have big ass grass spiders guarding my wood piles for me. I like to imagine the screams of someone going for a 5 finger discount encountering one suddenly, lol. They arent poisonous, but they ARE big scary looking, and they move fast and sudden!
10 4 on the big ass grass spiders.
Yup air flow, time and some sun! That is all it takes to dry wood!
This year in my part of Scotland it's been perpetual winter. The odd hot day but mostly wet coat weather all year. BUT it's been windy a lot. My wood split to similar sizes to yours in March is ready for my winter this year. That's a mix of ash, birch, beech and chestnuts
Sounds great!!
I'm near the borders not far from you.
UK weather sucks! 😅😅
Been a bumper year for wood though.
Bring on the winter 👍🏻
Definitely agree Chris. I recall when you tried the wood bunkers out for the first time, around the time your new best friend Bert helped move the wood yard to its current location from the old wood yard. The days of cut 1 day, split the next day, and stack on day 3. You most definitely have the knowledge of trial and error based on experience and facts. Hope everyone is doing good and hope to see Kenny make an appearance soon, I watch your other channel as well. Good Night Irene.
Thanks so much Man!
Great information! I remember as a kid helping make firewood for the up coming winter in October! I am sure most of that stuff wasn‘t even cured when burned. Beech seems to be a fast drying wood if solid and not half rotten. My dad dislikes seasoned poplar and says it will not burn if it‘s foggy out. Must be like a sponge. 👍
Thanks for the info...not sure on the poplar thing, all of it i ever used burned great!
I agree on your definition of seasond, my neighbor that’s in his late 70’s says cut a green tree and let it lay for a couple month and it will dry faster, because the limbs will pull the moisture trying to stay alive. I cut a 30”+ red oak today on his property, he gave it to me so I’m going to do it his way and see. He has lots of dry I will be cutting in the meantime. Great topic!
Yes...he is correct ...some kinds of trees try to stay alive by feeding the leaves and suck moisture out! BUT...cutting and splitting the wood smaller is faster yet..it evaporates even faster when opened up.
@@InTheWoodyard Thanks
Heard early on “the air is dry in winter”. I’m a climate testing guy, with a huge chamber for testing products in Canada. We say that because we take cold air indoors,heat it up,and the relative humidity drops like a stone. But when it’s cold outside the ability of that air to hold moisture is very low. So the relative humidity is quite high because there’s lot of water around,snow on the ground etc. The drying rate is dependent upon the ability of the air to take up and hold moisture. Although you are completely correct,when the sun hits the wood,it warms up and heats the air next to it allowing it to absorb moisture. So just that clarification. Love the channel, lots of interesting stuff going on.keep up the good work!
Thanks so much for the input!
Chris,another excellent piece of advice and video 😮😊❤
Thanks!!!
This was a good dry summer and a good year to have your wood split early. With the drought here in south eastern Ohio I've literally been able to light a piece of locust on fire with a match. Thats some dry firewood that will make for a very warm winter.
Yup, sounds great!
Another great informative video Chris! I use a combination.....I have bins and i stack. The stacks are all single row and face SW as that gets the sun and the prevailing wind is SW. Can dry down from 20° to 13° in two weeks in the summer! I make my bins 10x20' so i can roll out a 12x24' tarp over them easily (almost like a dump trailer tarp works) if a big rain/snow is coming, otherwise leave them uncovered.
Sounds like a good system! Thanks for watching!
Hi Chris, i have 15 acres in Northern Illinois. I have been cleaning up several oak and Hickory trees. Unfortunately my property offers no space for drying. I just bought a 40' reefer container to build a Kiln. Been watching oak farm firwood channel for build ideas. If i ever get it done i will let you know how it works. Thanks for making your content. Look forward to it everyday.
Sounds great! Good luck!
I only cut dead standing Ash, so many dead Ash here in NE PA I can even choose what diameter to fell. I have about 100 cords ready to sell, first delivery 2 cords this week in my new N&N 6 x 12 dump trailer. Thank you Chris for your detailed info on the wood business. GNI
Sounds like you have a good thing going there!
@@InTheWoodyardwood sells all year except April
217 face cord delivered
2 year in business
Nice video Chris. How you get the wood dry isn’t as important as that you get the wood dry. The fire doesn’t care if it took 3 months or 3 years. Your current method of drying the wood seems to be the best for your climate and local conditions. You are always trying to find a better way with an open mind. GNI
Yup, thanks Larry!
G’morning Chris. The facts have been stated. The opinions have been shared. Most best seasonings have been applied. THANKS !!
GoodNightIrene
Thanks for listening to my rambling again!
great video! I have noticed something else. Another way to tell if it is drying is in the splitting process. If it splits cleanly without a bunch of splinter or pieces still trying to hold it together, it isn't very dry. Elm and Hackberry being the absolute worst (even when dry, lol)
Yup, good points!
Hi Chris, The hardest part where I live is Drying it. Most of the stuff I get is dead wood. And Everything that goes in my shed is 12%. Cut Small...mostly Hawthorn. I have got a High efficiency stove. Don't it ever burn hot!
Dead wood is good wood!
Chris for this heating season I have mostly Ash some Maple a little Oak. I still have a lot of dead standing Ash left to cut down , and log piles to cut up all Ash. Keep on cutting
Sound like you have work to do!
Watched this video
Went and checked my firewood, stacks and bin. I have mostly oak
Stacks and bins are close to 10% and don't have the openness you have where I have stacked and stored. Love the pallet bins, I learned from you
That is great, thanks for watching...keep cuttin'!
Great information today, Chris. Hopefully, someone out there can use it. 😉👍
Thanks Daniel!
@DanielAtkinsFirewood the firewood person we know that sells "semi-seasoned" wood needs to pay attention to the lessons in this video.
@thefirewooddoctor : If he doesn't, then Chris here will just run him over, and eventually, Chris will take over the area.
In a way, it's a win-win for Chris and Bert
@@DanielAtkinsFirewood don't think they want to expand into Michigan.
Your last bit of advice is spot on. Starting the fire with easy to light species that burn hot and bright works every time! I use soft maple- because i have it, and can get all i want for free. Ash, too.
Then the actual coaling/ grill wood goes on.
I always use paper and kindling. Dry sticks and twigs: splinters and shards from splitting; or spruce/pine kindling i split to pencil and finger size. Chunks of resiny knots are great for damp days or wood that's not quite dry.
Wood snob disapproved wood is also perfect to use as "helpers" if the fire needs a kick in the pants, or the wood isnt burning well.
I agree with all you said here...fire is fun!
You stacked the seasoned wood facts. But you piled up fantastic information. Great to listen/watch your episodes. BTW, we don't burn wood in our condo. Fun factual channel 👍👍👍
Thanks John!
I've implemented the pallet bin method thanks to you. I've tossed in oak and it's at , 15% at nine months.
Fantastic!
The wood is dry if it's ready to burn!! In SE Georgia, I've seen people cut oak and burn in a very short time, but it doesn't have the flame that some people like. Stay Hydrated and Have a Safe Day
Moisture meters are cheap and they work great!
Hi Chris, Merry Christmas. Well done! Shalom/gw
Thanks and Merry Christmas to you too!
Old Swedish method from the forests of Skaraborg. Dip your finger in a little dish detergent. Dab it onto a center end of your split piece. Try to blow thru the piece from the other end. Soap bubbles in the detergent? It's dry.
Done this many times. It works.
Yup, it works but a moisture meter is faster and very accurate...I think I need to do a video showing that method! Thanks!!
Pretty detailed video Chris.
Do you ever cover your firewood from the rain? I.e if you have a week of drizzle/ rain, then have 2 days of sun then rain again, it will get wetter rather than drier. I uncover my wood if I get 2 days plus of sunny weather. Thoughts?
Nope, rain dries fast ...like on a driveway...not a problem at all.
Very interesting thanks for posting!
Glad it was helpful!
I like the towel analogy, although piles of wood is basically just a loose pile of towels in a basket haha. I just don't want people to be misled with piles, I ruined a full cord of pine trying a bin. It was in the sun and out in the open. The inner "core" of the pile was full of mold and fungus :(
Keep your wood bins full of hardwood folks! Especially if the start of your bin is green wet wood. If it goes into the core wet, it will never come out dry 😢
Was it off the ground?? On runners/pallets?? It needs to breath on the bottom too!
@@InTheWoodyard yeah I built identical bins, I even had the whole middle up two pallets high off the ground trying to create a little tunnel of air. Pine is a different beast than hardwood that's for sure
Good morning Chris!!😀😀
Hello Al!
I am finding that this year our firewood didn’t dry as fast as it did in the same amount of time last year. I attribute it to the high humidity we had for most of the summer! I STACKED some wood tonight too😂 Take care Chris👊🏻GNI
Yup, we had a lot of rain here too ...wet summer!
I was watching your video yesterday regarding premium gas... You should create a video on what type of gas to put in your wood splitter, chainsaw, etc. My brother owns a small engine repair business in CT and tells everyone to put VP (non ethanol gas) in their small engines all the time - especially when they are going to sit for a long time! However, people don't want to pay $30 a gallon so they never do it, instead they pay my brother to tune-up their mowers ($180) every year because they are all gummed up.
I did mention in that video and many others...we use only premium 91 octane gas with NO CORN! Ha!
Alternatively, using a fuel stabilizer in all of my fuel has given me great results. All of the ethanol-free fuel in my area is too low of octane for two stroke equipment.
The temperature of the air affects the humidity. Warm air can hold more moisture, so the difference between the inside of the log and the air may not be very much. However, in the winter when it's cold, the air can hold less moisture so the air can be a lot dryer than in summer - and with cold dry air, especially if there's a breeze, wood will dry very quickly. So warm temperatures aren't always the most important factors to drying your firewood.
Yup, I agree...like I said.....it depends!
If I don’t plan on messing with my pile of wood over the winter (as it isn’t ready yet) should I cover it so the snow doesn’t cover it? Or just leave it. I live in northern Wisconsin!
In northern Wisconsin where you get a lot of snow I would cover the top.
Single row stacked wood dries faster than a pile. A loose pile will dry faster than multiple rows stacked tight close together. Been there done both.
Yup single row do dry nice, but you have to handle them to do it.... time.
I always test mine with a General moisture meter.
Yup, they work!
Good information. So what do you think would be best for drying, All wood being loose fit in an IBC tote. 1. Under a carport free from rain but no sun or 2. out in the open under rain and sun?
Location location location, If in the PNW where it rains almost daily carport maybe the best option if on the other hand you live in the desert southwest with very little yearly rain out in the open maybe the better option.
@@iffykidmn8170 East coast lower Delaware. Im going to split some logs and fill a few ibc totes. I will label them and put half in the chicken pen and leave the other half out. ill check them one a month and see whos winning.
That depends...more sun and wind and time is good! If you have lots of rain, cover just the top of the pile and stacking is okay but piled loose it will breath and dry faster.
good plan!
yup
This is great. Could you educate us more on the safety actions to take on for piles of wood to not catch a fire.
Keep open flames away from piles of wood.
Besides keeping open flames from it...kill or trim all grass away from the sides, this will also help with the air flow for drying. Keep enough space between your firewood and the brush or trees and dry debris. Mow the grass between your firewood rows and or piles. Dirt stone/rock or sand without any vegetation around it would be best.
Yup!
I live in the pnw,central basin area, and our wood drys at a moderate rate, elm takes 18 to 24 months to dry. If you live on the west coast where it rains almost daily then yeah it will take forever to dry.
I doubt forever, that is a very long time. But yes the drying conditions do matter!
Winter also has the frost effect of the trapped water deep in cells of expanding and being able to escape, that 10% expansion effect of ice forming. Do that over a 100 times a long winter and....
Yes! The freeze thaw cycle does have a huge effect on everything outside and the dry winter air...at least we have that here.
I take some extra time and break down pieces further to dry out faster if I wanna burn it same year. Yes, obviously, it's more laborious but it's peace of mind for me.
Yup, small wood drys fast!
If you have time could you give your opinion on the creosote logs? Do they really do that much to clean fireplace chimneys?
I just talked to a pro chimney sweep guy and he said...maybe a little but the number one thing you can do is to burn DRY wood and clean your chimney every 1-2 years.
@@InTheWoodyard Yeah I used to burn those every year after I had a couple of fires because they say it works better that way. I never really knew for sure if they were worth the money especially after they've gone up the last couple of years.
I have been getting block end wood from pallet shops, they will dry just like as if pieces were split right? no bark on it
Yes the should!
I have a 30 or 40 pickup load pile on pallets out in the back yard. Most of it has been split for 3 or 4 years. Wonder how long itll last before it rots
It depends...what kind of wood, is it in shade or sun does the area get a lot of wind, do you get a lot of sun or rain, high or low humidity area, is there a big accumulation of leaves and other debris on top blocking air flow?????
@@InTheWoodyard I know it depends, didn't mean to ask an irrelevant question. East central iowa. Ash, oak, locust and other assorted eastern Iowa hardwood in the middle of a 5 acre yard, plenty of sun and no litter.im new to the boiler world so I went crazy to build up a stockpile for the first year. Just wondering how long it'll last or if anybody else might also be wondering
I guess I’m a very seasoned wood guy - 70 - trying to stay two years ahead on our supply.
Yup, 2-3-4-5 years ahead is a good plan!
Would love to, but you need a lot of space, I can only have one year ahead 😢
It’s my opinion that seasoned wood is wood that can be split down the middle and still read moisture content of 20% or less. If that takes 2 months or 3 years, it doesn’t matter.
Yup, I concur!
Chris, did you ever metal detect any of your farms? thanks Rich
No, they are not my farms, Berts dad Keith owns them.
I noticed you just pile your wood instead of stack , what do you do during winter ? Do you cover it ?
I cover some before it snows .....only tops.. But not all of it.
Which moisture meter do you recommend???
They all work just fine....I have 7-8 $20-60 meters my go to is a SBI...$50
Ive been cutting splitting stacking and burning for 55yrs splitting it so there flat peices stacking in a cris cross pattern 6-8 months burns beutiful air and sun make the difference
okay!
GREAT video....THANKS SO MUCH!
Thanks for watching!
Yup I did the lip test yesterday on some hickory!👍👍
It really works! Just don't let your wife see you doing it!!
Diamond match stick company uses Aspen. They state that it is “less flammable “. What is this other flammability attribute? I checked its resistance (moisture content) to be 5%. Vikings used to extract pine tar from pine for fishing line, medicinal properties and boat building - and then burn the charcoal. What is the attribute of charcoal that makes it burn well - besides less smoky? idk.
That sounds like marketing thing, aspen burns great!
Firewood-ology
Thanks! 😎👍
Thank you for watching!
When I stacked my wood for this year I tried to leave alot of spaces to give it plenty of room to breath. For next year's I tried to stack it tightly. Now I'm starting a bin since one of stacks fell over I really don't want to stack it again.
Loose is good!
You da man Mr. Chris!!
My firewood IQ increases every time I watch your videos!! 😂. But seriously thanks!! It was very helpful
Glad to help...how is the tooth pick supply?
@@InTheWoodyard it’s very healthy!! 😂
I burn oak exclusively and actually debark every piece of wood before stacking it and letting it dry, for multiple years. The sap wood will still absorb some moisture and start to rot over time. The heart wood is the only piece that ever becomes “rot proof.” The wood basically becomes fossilized, but you wouldn’t squeeze a drop of moisture out of it if King Kong tried to wring it out. It’s pretty unbelievable firewood.
That's awesome!
@@InTheWoodyardYeah.. but it’s A LOT of work.
When I dry wood in my kiln get it down to 10%.Leave it outside for 3 days.Backup fifteen seventeen% so yes humidity goes back into the wood............
Yup! I have seen it equalize to the changing humidity also...It is interesting how that works!
I mix 2 year seasoned firewood with Kiln dried Oak & Maple cut offs 😊
Sound like a good system!
It may dry "faster" in winter. (because of the freezing)
Yup, the freeze thaw cycle is a way for moisture to move and evaporate too.
The "seasoned" firewood sold in Maryland is seasoned by the wind blowing though it on its trip around the beltway.
Ha! That sounds about right for a lot of places!
When it's stacked in a pile like that most of it isn't exposed to the sun. It's buried. Does that matter?
It is not stacked it is piled loose on pallets and no, it all drys great!
So yes dry seasoned Cured kilned All better to burn and build with.However it's only been around for about a hundred years before that they built with wetwood and chopped the wood they needed for the night that night.... None of it is necessary with the right fasteners for building and cleaning your stove......!
I am pretty sure wood has always been better for building and for fires when dry....
@InTheWoodyard Absolutely 100% Except no one ever did it until the last century. Every wood building you see, that's hundreds of years old was built with wetwood !
Check with atate regulations to be sure. Am pretty sure in the states that have made such rules officially aay "seasoned wood is 20% moisture or less". Saw that somewhere when someone was talking about the legalities of calling firewood "seasoned".
Yup, some states may have laws about that..not surprised!
You know what occurred to me when you were describing the towels in the basket. What if I put my wood in the clothes dryer 🤔
Ha! That might make momma a little mad!
All wood burns.
Free wood burns best!
😜
I grow and harvest my own firewood. I enjoy the work. And my property blesses me with many kinds of firewood.
And it all burns.
I like the way you thing James!
Man Chris ,tell the truth,you had to have a script to do this video? You covered it all,lol,I know you've done similar vids in past where you were trying not to make ppl cry,lol,but you had all your facts ready on this one,covered it all very matter of fact.lol I loved this episode,so was there a script??? LOL haa
Some of the videos I have basic bullet points (like this one) but no scripts at all, most videos I just ramble on! Haa!
Well you sure make it look easy,lol I guess 1500+ videos one a day for about four years will do that.ha ha.lol thanks though Chris I was just curious how you make it so on point
Hi Chris good information nice video ( Ty Ron
Thanks for watching!
Morning everyone
Hello Brock!!
👍👍👍
Thanks!!!
I conquer, all good info.
Thanks for waytching!
Really good information Chris!! Everyone that likes firees need to hear this.. GNI
Thanks Greg!
Speaking of apple wood i just split fresh cut live apple tree and the mc was up around 48%
Yup, juicy apple wood!
Salt & Pepper? Lawd no……..Cajun seasoned firewood taste mo betta.
K-Fred, Tony's, Slap yo momma.... all lip smackn goodness!
Ha!
Come on in, who’s there😊
Just me again!
🤘
Thanks!!
Good morning all!
Hello!
why dont you debark your firewood so it drys faster
Ha!!
👍
Thanks!!!
To me seasoned wood means all the moisture is removed and is cured completely to use.
Dry and ready to burn...yup!
every one should have a wood moisture meter
yup!!
According to the State of Maine: Green 50-36%. Seasoned 36-20%, Dry
Okay but some types of wood like ash and iron wood are are 25-30% when green, not all wood is equal moisture and dried at different rates in different situations so.....
@@InTheWoodyard yessir, those species aren’t popular here and sold as fire pit wood, not home heating wood. Beech and yellow birch are the money makers here. Wet species (oak, hard maple etc) are avoided because of the time it takes to dry them.
Strange folklore wood burning traditions handed down is all I can figure!? Regardless, the state proclaims…”so it is written, so it shall be done”
Cheers Chris! Thanks for the company with my coffee.
Sun, wind.
What are these magical things you speak of. LOL.
One other factor is dominant wind direction, if i left a open wall to the south-west where most storms blow from. It would rot before it was dry.
.
One other fun fact, the red alder is supposedly the 3rd fastest rotting wood on earth.
I do not know how you all out there in the north west can handle all that rain and swampyness!
@InTheWoodyard you start by simply measuring rain in feet, not inches.
and just calling it the north wet.
.
My 3 months of dry are just about over now. Time for 9 months of swap season.
Good Morning Woodhounds!(-:
Morning!
Ah yes the all niters. I have burned a lot of wood and love the all Niters. my family have always had wood that we used for all night precut about 2 or 3 years. Back a few years ago I was living in a 7 bedroom 5 1/2 bath house with two ways to heat my house. One was hot water boiler and the other was a Huge woodstove. here is the thing the house came with the woodstove and it had to have taken 10 guys to bring it in. The woodstove was also a wood boiler so this was not like that have now. This you could cook on and it was big enough that you could put a pig in it lmao. Now this woodstove was in the basement and the basement was as big as the house. There was a trap door on the side of the house to load wood in the basement. I could load about 15 cords of wood in a spot made just for the wood by the trap door. With that said I did not use a lot of oil because I didn't need to heat my house with oil . But I never had to pay for the wood because all the wood I was getting were stumps. The stumps were free. The problem I had was it was just to hot in the house. Would have doors open outside with about 4 feet of snow on the ground lmao. There was a time I lost power and I just used the woodstove to do all the cooking and making coffee. I would also have a fan running to move the air around. The biggest problem was the dust. You know I kind of miss that woodstove.
Yup, heating with big old wood stoves can be a dust maker!
@@InTheWoodyard here is a funny story for you. When I was 16 I was working for the school's in my City. I did everything from cutting grass to replacing windows to stripping hard wood floors to waxing floors. But there was a job that only I was able to do that no one ells could do. I had no idea what this job was but the look on the other guys face told me I was not going to like it. Now before they told me what the job was they told me they would make sure it was safe and that no one would leave me alone at any time to be sure nothing goes wrong and with luck I would make it out alive. I said huh what is going on. They said Son you are the only person that will fit in the boilers and clean them we will be on the outside telling you how to do it but we can't fit in the boilers to do it. I said wait the what? Then they said come here and I went with them and they pointed at the boilers and said you need to climb in these and clean them . I said oh hell no. Then one of the guys said listen we will be right here standing outside and will not leave you. I said but the fire is going to be on the inside. No they said they will make sure it is off and can not turn on. I asked well who the H cleaned them before and they said well they haven't been cleaned in about 8 years because no one can fit in there. Each school had 2 boilers and it took me 2 to 3 days on each boiler. I came out of the boiler thinking one left and they said you have 11 more to go.. That job sucked. The pay sucked as bad.
Salt and pepper and a little hot sauce at the ready. Seasoned😅
Haaaa!
all wood is good Chris, we know it :)
Yup!
Hello everyone
Hello Sir Stanley!
Seasoned just means a moisture content between 12-15% or below.
Unpopular take: if you are going to season wood for more than 12 months and you can’t store it indoor in a shop or warehouse, don’t split it. If you want to take accurate moisture readings just split random rounds in the pile intermittently. Wood as pictured here that has been split and sitting outdoors turning grey looks like crap and if you’re running a business or selling wood to people with money, they’ll snub their nose at it.
.02
No, seasoned means dry and ready to burn NOW Which legally in many states is any wood below 20% moisture content. Split wood always dries faster and better. Grey wood IS better wood because it had been aged and dried. Pretty wood is usually NOT dry wood...most often freshly split. But what do I know I have only been cutting splitting heating with and selling about 250 full cords of wood a year for about 55 years now...I am just a beginner.
@ well you’ve been doing this longer than I’ve been alive so you already know certain species will burn like rolled up newspaper at 15-20%, especially pecan. Whereas a wood like ash can have rounds sit outdoors for 12-18 months and fall down well below 10% and when it’s split it’s still blonde and presentable and has a lasting burn. To each their own, I’m not trying to harp… wood is wood. Cut your buddy not your body ✌🏼
Seasoned wood is wood ready to burn as you stated.
Yup!
Seasoned wood requires time, seasoned meat requires thyme.
Ha! good one!
Joes permium firewood said you can cut and burn wood same day
All wood burns, some burns faster and easier depending on how dry it is or isn't.
"Cured" is a better word to use. Cured Firewood is firewood that has a Moisture Level of 20% or less.
Firewood that has a Moisture Level of less than 5% is too Cured and will burn very quickly.
okay
okay
The average humidity is 71%. Today. It's 80% today. It's 93 degrees today.
I'm in South Arkansas.
Icky! It was 49 here this morning and got up to 73....this next weekend our highs will be about 60!
I do not know how you all handle the heat and humidity! I like it cool!
"Dry" is NOT a good choice of wording. Why? If the firewood gets wet by rains, snows, or gets wet by Ice, does that mean the firewood is not ready to burn? No, it does not. It just means the bark/outer portion got wet.
okay
St Patrick’s day is go go go on wood day
Yup, early spring time!
I was told deer eat firewood
ok
so when wood turns salty white its been seasoned lol
Okay!
👍🏻👏🪓
Thanks!!