How long does wood need to season?

How long it takes to season wood actually depends on what type of wood it is. Soft wood can be dried within 6 months, if done correctly. Hardwood, meanwhile, such as oak, can take anywhere from 1 – 2 years.

How can you tell if wood is seasoned?

Seasoned wood will be darker in color than green wood, and may be cracking at the ends. Seasoned wood can also lighter in weight and the bark can be peeled off more easily than unseasoned wood. A moisture meter will be able to provide an accurate reading of whether firewood is fully seasoned or not.

How do you season firewood quickly?

Allow sun and wind to reach your wood pile, the more sides of the wood it can reach, the faster your firewood will season. Your freshly cut wood can be left out in the wind and sun in a roughly built firewood stack for a few months before stacking it to speed along the drying time.

How long does fresh wood need to season?

To get green wood to less than 20% moisture takes at least six months. Freshly cut wood will have bound and unbound moisture. The latter is released fairly easily and can get the wood down to 25 to 30% moisture content. Bound moisture, on the other hand, takes much longer to evaporate.

How long does wood take to be considered seasoned?

How long does it take to season firewood? It can take 3-12 months or longer to season firewood. On average, it usually takes around 6-months to dry out the cut-firewood that you purchased from a store or supplier. Depending on the original timber's moisture content, it can take more or less time to season.

Seasoning Firewood: How Long Does It Take?

Can you burn freshly cut wood?

No matter which way you cut it (or split it with your trusty log splitter), fresh wood just doesn't burn right. Fresh-cut wood has a high moisture content, which makes it hard to get burning. It also gives off more smoke.

What happens if you burn unseasoned wood?

If you burn unseasoned wood the water vapour, when combined with other gases and particles go up the chimney, and unless the chimney is kept warm, the condensation creates a creosote substance, which when hardens forms tar in the chimney. This tar can also seep into the brickwork if a chimney is unlined.

Will firewood dry in a pile?

If stacked correctly with all pieces of firewood stacked horizontally, the completed pile will stand as long as the wood can endure. Within a three-month period, the stack will shrink from 10 feet to eight, as the wood quickly dries.

Will firewood season in a garage?

GARAGE – Not only will your wood stay dry, but it won't be covered in snow during winter. The only issue is that there isn't much airflow in a garage so you'll want to avoid stacking your wood in the garage if it's too wet. It will take longer for your wood to dry under those conditions.

Does firewood dry in the winter?

Is it Possible to Dry Firewood in Winter? Yes, but firewood dries slower in winter. Sunlight—one of the key ingredients for drying wood—is in short supply in winter. Though drier winter air helps extract some moisture from the firewood, the process is much slower than in warmer weather.

Can seasoned wood get rained on?

Once wood has properly seasoned, does it matter whether rain gets on seasoned firewood? Seasoned firewood should be stored out of the rain to help prolong how well it keeps for. If seasoned firewood gets rained on it can dry out within a few days, but constant contact with moisture will lead to the wood going bad.

Should you split logs before seasoning?

Splitting wood while it's wet or green will accelerate the seasoning process. Seasoned wood is simply wood that has had time to dry. Whole logs take longer to dry because the bark holds in the moisture. When you split the wood into sections, the moisture can escape and evaporate more easily.

How long should wood dry before burning?

But will their firewood be ready? Generally you should dry or “season” firewood for six to 18 months before burning. But Mike Kuhns, a Utah State University professor and extension forester, says that time frame can be too broad to be useful. Luckily there are plenty of ways to narrow that window.

What is bad firewood?

Watch out for any wood covered with vines. Burning poison ivy, poison sumac, poison oak, or pretty much anything else with "poison" in the name releases the irritant oil urushiol into the smoke.

Do you need to cover wood to season it?

Seasoned Firewood

If firewood is seasoned, dry and ready to burn, then it should have a tarp over the top of the stack to protect it from the elements. However, do not cover the sides of the stack with a tarp, or the wood may rot. Even after the wood is dry, the stack needs good air circulation to keep moisture out.

Does green wood burn hotter?

When you burn firewood, this old grey wood is what you want to look for. Seasoned firewood will be easier to light, burn hotter and last longer than green wood.

Will a dehumidifier help dry firewood?

Drying Firewood: FAQ

Although you could certainly use a dehumidifier to suck moisture from your firewood, it's probably not the most effective way to do so. Dehumidifiers use a lot of electricity and since they will constantly be absorbing moisture from the wood, they'll burn out more quickly.

Can you store firewood in a closed shed?

You can also place your stack in an open barn or shed, or under an overhang. Just be sure not to stack fresh wood in a closed-off barn or shed that doesn't get optimal air flow. Doing so will lead to bad aging and a possible nesting place for pests.

Will firewood season in the shade?

Firewood will still be able to season if located in the shade. The wind will be able to season the firewood effectively if the stack of firewood isn't closed off from the air.

What is the longest lasting firewood?

Hickory is the Longest Burning Wood

It's simple, really: it takes longer for the fire to consume hardwood because there is more fuel “packed” into each log. Hickory has the highest density among firewood (37-58 lbs/ft.³), and therefore burns for the longest time.

Should you remove bark from firewood?

However fireplace owners should always follow certain safety precautions. One precaution includes removing the bark from the firewood. Bark has creosote, which can build up in the chimney and cause a chimney fire. Removing bark will also help you avoid insect infestations in firewood.

How do Amish stack firewood?

The Shaker or Amish method stacks firewood in the round, but without the central stake as a reference point. Not only are these round wood files aesthetically pleasing, the wood enthusiasts that utilize them feel they are better than the traditional rectangular shaped wood pile because they : Take less time to stack.

How can you tell good firewood?

Does green wood smoke more?

Green wood's high moisture content makes the wood difficult to burn. The moisture also results in excessive smoke, causing green wood to be a poor choice for indoor furnaces or wood stoves.

How do you cure firewood?

Firewood should be between 15 and 20 percent moisture to burn properly and to get that dry it must be split and stacked in the open for at least a full summer. This process is known as Wood Curing.