Great video! I always thought seasoned wood had to be drying out for one year to be called seasoned, but from now on, I'll call wood seasoned, if it's ready to burn. Most of the wood I burn is salvaged from old blow downs on the properly. Some have been sitting several years and as wet as can be when I process them. I Separate it in two kinds. Beautiful bark free heartwood for use indoors and everything else is boiler wood for the outdoor unit. I stack it on runners (just learned the name here), cover the top, and let it dry. I believe in a moisture meter, so I split and check a few samples before I use it. In. Doing so, I noticed the red oak takes a very long time to dry. I can actually see the moisture inside. After a year, still not ready. I also use a sharpie and date a few pieces so I don't lose track of how long they have been sitting. I still have some from 2020. Its dry!
Always enjoy your videos! I’ve learned a bunch and nothing like taking a break with a good cup of coffee and In The Woodyard. Thank you for all the work you put in to your channel. God Bless🙂
My buddy and I team up to do our wood that we primarily use for heating in woodstoves. We're located in Maine. For us, fire pit wood is the lowest grade, it's the stuff that's half rotten or has a lot of knots or weird shapes that won't fit in the stoves. We each burn about 3 full cords (nobody talks in face cords in Maine) a year in large Jotul stoves, capable of 24" pieces, though we usually cut to 20-22" to allow for some wiggle room. I very much enjoy cutting and splitting wood, but I also very much enjoy being done with it for the year! On my woodlot we have a fair amount of softwood, primarily hemlock and lots of soft hardwood, mostly poplar (aspen). My forester recommends removing the poplar, birch and thinning the hemlock. Though it's a much lower quality wood, I prefer to use poplar on the shoulder seasons, or in the mornings when I'm home, because I don't need it to burn for long, I just need it to perk the fire up quickly. It's hard to beat a good dry piece of oak to keep the fire going over night, though. If i hear the furnace kick on, I feel that I have personally failed as a man. Not sure why I'm sharing all this, or why people who cut and burn wood are always so eager to share what they do and why they do it, but I enjoy your videos!
Amen! I agree 100% with everything you said in this video and I don't think you missed a thing, My family had a firewood processing/ delivery operation in Northern New Hampshire back in the early eighties; I worked in the wood yard there as a teenager, I still have an old Jonsereds saw from there from before we switched to all Husqvarna saws. I used to chase a crew of three to four "cutters" with a rather large LaFont splitter modified with a four cylinder Wisconsin Robin gas engine that I devised a four and then eight way splitting head for, We made some of the first bundled firewood that I know of . I can confirm the "wood-snob" thing as we had a lot of poplar come down from the landings on log trucks (Straight -jobs with a Prentice grapple on the back and a trailer load hooked onto the back of that.) and nobody in the area wanted the stuff. We tried to separate it out for them but it wasn't easy so a lot got through. Though poplar is (iirc) the softest of the hardwood species, I have never had any issue with it other than a lot of "snap-crackle -pop" noises. As for pine, I heated my house on Cape Cod for two years on the wood from a single white pine I cut down in my front yard, it was about 70 feet tall and had long wind blown limbs going out twenty-five feet over the garage. That thing must have been dead for Twenty years as I cut it down from the ground with a Shindaiwa 500(50cc) w/20'"bar all I got out of the saw was dust for chips. It was totally dry, hard to cut up but burned just fine; Hot and fast and almost free and almost no creosote buildup. Thanks for fixing the world.
Good morning Chris , it was so nice to meet you this past weekend at the Hoosier Firewood Hysteria . When I was a kid we heated with wood . We used what ever we could get . Like my dad told people , if you are cold , you will burn it !!!! Have a great day . Del
As a cat person, there's zero chance that cat could be ignored, lol. I spent the video zoning in and out of your discussion watching that rascal. And literally as I type this, my 16 yr old cat hops on my lap and starts purring. So it's time to give him all the attention. GNI
So cool that as you talk bout all the myths I’m nodding my head or even finishing your sentences in my head; cause I’ve learned it from yours and other firewood sites. Much thnx from a homeowner with a fireplace, and have become an amateur splitter of tree service type wood for recreational use in my home 🤛🏻…
Right on Chris! I heat my house with a wood stove and here in the west I live in a pine forest. I burn pine almost exclusively. I do not have any creosote issues whatsoever.
Cool, and your house does not exploded every time you put a piece of pine in your stove!!! How is that possible!!! Many people think that it can and will happen!!!! Thanks for the input!
Good morning Chris, I agree with almost everything you said about wood with one exception, yellow pine. Years ago I was burning barn beams from a barn built in 1837. It was PA. yellow pine. The stove pipe plugged up every two weeks. When I split them there was still sticky sap in them.
Good evening, love your channel and all the information. I have started my LLC and am starting a small hobby firewood business. All we really have around my area is piñon and juniper. I can travel about an hour round trip for bigger dark timber and I do but what’s your thoughts on Piñon and juniper wood? We love burning it but would love to hear your take on it. Thanks!
That is awesome! Pinon pine is awesome firewood. I helped a friend cut a bunch of it a couple years ago in New Mexico. My advice...cut as much wood as you can a s fast as you can NOW...you will sell more than you think you can! Good luck!
Great and informative video. I burn a lot of balsam fir, very soft wood but burns very well. Pops in the fireplace but is safe as long as you keep the doors shut and are careful when adding wood. Everything boils down to using COMMON SENSE AND DONT GET CARELESS. Hey it was great to meet you and Tony at the Hoosier Hysteria. Thanks for the videos and don’t change anything on how you come up with content. We need another video with Kenny. He makes me laugh. See at 5:30 am.
I have a restaurant/bar that I burn a fire pit everyday it’s not raining or blowing. The absolute best wood, I don’t care who you are, is free wood. If it’s free, it’s for me…I can’t get enough.. lol. Especially when customers pile wood in the fire, like it’s free. Let’s see how big I can make this fire.. ahh, good times…… Great video Chris.. thanks
Same at my local bar except the owner doesn’t supply the wood, the regulars bring wood, pallets, construction scraps, everything burns but the smoke is terrible because most of it is pretty wet, good times!
Chris , I burn what I get for free , mixed wood no problem as long as it’s seasoned, I do my own chopping and splitting so know the age of seasoning 👍enjoying the videos but miss the greenery of the old Woodyard.
Good morning Chris and friends good info . I heat with wood 🪵 mostly oak ,maple ,elm I’ve been doing this for 43 years. If you can maintain 500 degrees in the chimney your chimney will stay clean. If you smolder the fire and create smoke expect buildup. Then beware of chimney fires 🔥 they will crack the chimney. Keep on cutting
You're correct. Hotter fires help keep a chimney clean. I was always taught, when ya get up in the morning, stoke the fire and get it going as hot as you can, to help burn out any creosote flakes that may have accumulated from the overnight slow burn, and let it burn as hot as you can (what's safe for the stove and pipe mind you) for an hour. Good point Brian.
I agree that seasoned wood should be ready to burn now. I've gotten away from using the word "seasoned" in my business. I instead tell my customers when it was processed and stacked and let them decide if that is what they want. I've had my woodstove for 25 years and never had to clean my chimney. I must be burning dry wood. Thanks for another informative video my friend.
All good points, Chris. Here where I am at Douglas Fir is everywhere and is the wood to burn.. when I have Locust, it's hard to push as most don't know about it..
I agree with your seasoned definition. I just tell people its ready to go by month x...if properly stacked and then covered before the rains.. or if its dead of winter abd im selling it, its good to go. Yes this wood is ready to burn. It has been seasoned and at xx.x moisture level
I’m really glad you made this video I like the part when you said about people sell it by the truckload that happens by me a lot and I try to sell increments like 1/3 of a face cord or face Cord or 2/3 of a cord or a cord and then they’re like wow that’s expensive but when I show up with the wood they’re like that’s a lot where am I going to put it all. I will say people do like coming to me because they are getting the same amount every single time. My favorite wood I like to mix in my fireplace is a little bit of ash a little bit of cherry and a stick of oak.
Great video Chris. Up in New England, EAB is rampant and ash is plentiful. Split and stacked, it's ready in a few months. The red Oak I processed in 2021 should be ready for this year, but only verified with my meter. Keeping it off the ground is absolutely essential! Take care!
Hey chris is allen again. Would like to thank you again!I actually got my wood business going better got a dump truck and I got an account through a place that I work for. they will bring me all the wood cut for thirty percent. It's mainly hardwood and fruit wood they give me about forty chords to go through. My gole was a 100 cords I'm at 60 . And I sold thirty for my first year. But thanks for the video.
Seasoned has been split, stack (piled) off the ground, and dried until it's below 20% moisture. I check the outside of my stacked splits then resplit some pieces and check the inside also. That's my take anyway. All good points Chris.
We have a lot of Sweet Gum and Black Gum trees in my area of Central Arkansas. It is great to burn and dries very quickly. It is virtually impossible to split with an are so that makes it very unpopular. It also splinters badly so handling the split wood is also tricky. It's the only wood that I sell cheaper. Great fire pit wood! Wood, even Oak dries down to the teens on the moisture meter within 6 months, if you split it smaller. In 3 years of selling wood I have not had one complaint about wood not burning well.
Season wood is when its dry enough to burn, below 20% . I find I can get wood down to 6% in summer but in a wet winter in Scotland that same wood will absorb moisture and go back to 18% plus. It's fine put buy the fire for a night soon drops.(difficult for customers to under, I do warn them.)Climate makes a difference. Love soft wood for cooking, like harder wood for winter. Great vid agree with all of it thanks.
I love it when the old timers tell me a moisture meter doesnt work, and i need to just "know" when it's dry using out dated techniques. Cracks me up. That's their long way of telling me that they have no idea how a moisture meter works haha
My seadoned firewood is dredged in salt, pepper and dog hair. Actually mine is split and stacked in a grid pattern in a sunny area. I use a moisture meter to check mousture. Then i bake it on low for two hours in an old oven. This is to kill any bugs. ants and larva. I do this on cold, rainy or snowy days. This helps hest the house.
For the most part all the wood around here will dry in a year. Dead standing pine burns great right after being cut. That’s one nice thing. I never heard of a moisture meter till I watched you tube. It definitely a nice tool to have.
Question what is the best way to get low cost splitter I am thinking of getting started in this as a side job for extra money also think will help me burn off extra fat from winter lol.
Here in south Louisiana pecan is my favorite, it surely doesn't get the credit it deserves, it is excellent for heating, cooking campfire with less smoke, plus makes great kindling even though it is very dense wood.
Seasoned wood to me, means it is dry. I focus mostly on bundles and the wood is split small. If stacked in the open and North to South, oak will dry out. Our summers are oppressively hot, and this one is supposed to be a dozy. Down here everyone burns oak and that is all they want. That is fine with me. Personally dry sweetgum burns great has lots of flames and burns up quick like pine. You have to have a log splitter to split it. The grain is as if it was woven and the splitter really just rips it apart creating a lot of built in kindling. That is my favorite for fire pits.
Great video Chris! You're a true professional. I was taught seasoned is ready to burn. My father grew up poor in northern Mexico in the 40's. They would burn dry cow patties, if it's dry anything will burn. My part of Canada has every species, oak (manitoba oak, super dense and hard), ash, maple, poplar, pine, spruce etc. Identifying them is my problem.
Good morning Chris, I grew up around cutting, splitting and stacking wood to burn for heat. But I struggle with wood identification. (Is there an online photo app) that you would recommend for ways to identify the wide variety we have here in the states. Thanks in advance 🤠 sincerely Ron Doyle.
I have several videos on it but getting a tree identification book is a good start and try to ID as many trees as you can all the time and you will learn, it take a long time, as in years. And yes there is a an app, I do not have it or know what it is called.
I burn white oak, red oak and hickory. Not because I’m a wood snob, but because that’s what I have in southern Missouri. Cut and split my own. Haven’t even fired up the wood stove yet.
Do not cover it until it is dry. Also, make sure it is not in contact with the ground. Rain is no big deal IF you wood is in the open not in the shade and wind can get to it.
Hi Chris. I think the biggest indicator you missed was "the ends are black or grey so it's ready to burn". It's caused by rain and doesn't necessarily mean the wood is ready. I've had a stack in my house for 4 years and no black ends but it's definitely ready to go
its not ready to burn until its 20 % water content or less ; I think that was well covered in the video, indicators are just indicators, You need to make your own choice from there, and you have a storage area without weather; of course it will never change much. Most people do not have that option and must stack and store out of doors.
Chris in the old woodyard you would stack your wood three rows wide and I understand this was very labor-intensive. In your opinion do you think that the bins will dry as well in the middle as stacking it three rows wide? Thanks in advance Greg from Minocqua
Hello Greg fro the island town! Yes in my set up (in the wide open with constant wind and sun, it will speed up the drying a lot...also do you think wood stacked tight in rows next to more rows get more wind flow than loose wood) ?? I vote for loose every time. Off of the ground and loose in the open is a winning combo!!
Half poplar (or cottonwood, or whatever mystery lightweight hardwoods), and half pine "Fire Pit Mix" was a pretty good seller for me last year, and it lets me sell pine in an area that no one would usually buy it.
Chris how do you feel about piled wood that is on pavement as far as drying? I have a 4 cord pile that was dumped on my driveway. It is on a slope so no water pools there. I think the bottom will be fine for this coming winter but won't know for sure until I dig into it.
I am deploying to the breeders kennels to help out for a few days while they attend the LOD funerals for their neice. Private ceremony today. Public ceremony tomorrow near St. Paul. Where i am staying does not have internet or cell service. The breeders had friends who jump at the opportunity to be wirh the dogs. I will be tending to four "problem children." Basically four versions of Peri, without on and off switches. Two are his litter mates, one is Macys brither and an interloper from another kennel. To describe this group as knuckleheads would be accurate. Mini Me is trained in the handling of my dogs. She will be playing with them after school. I have neighbors and friends that will be stopping over to check on Bill. Everyone stay in your lanes and be Good Samaratians. I should be back lste Saturday. Ann Marie
@In The Woodyard HI Chris. Got back home this afternoon. Their was some blood letting from happy jumping Goldens. Lots of walking and training. There were no dust ups and no one was hurt. Mini Me did a phenomenal job at home. Bill gave her her own cellphone so she could call if she needed help. She was thrilled to help out. The ceremonies were overwhelming. The formal ceremony was six hours long and the procession was 20 miles long. Every 50 minutes for the past week the honor guard stood at the officers side. On the home front, Peri and Bill got stung by a hornet. All of the people who said they would help did. Lots of phone call check ins from friends for Bill and checks from Neighbors. I will catch up on videos tomorrow. I was so far off the grid sunshine gad to be pumped in.
I just advertise on craigs list but face book marketplace is great and you could also make a web site too. I also hand out business cards to every firewood customer and ask them to tell others about my firewood.
You are the wood moisture expert. How long it takes firewood to season once it is split and stacked off the ground has a lot to do with the relative humidity during the period it is stacked. The severe drouth conditions in my area for the last couple of years have changed a lot of things. Good for drying wood, not so good for raising crops or keeping your lawn alive. GNI
I think it means the wood has lost at least 80% of its moisture. In the summer in the South, that may take 3-6 months. Longer in the North. Depending on species.
I don’t see as many old timers burning wood anymore. Every once in a while, we will find somebody who wants their wood 18 inches long. Many of them prefer green wood. To a lot of those folks “seasoned” firewood is wood that is cut right now and used next fall. A lot of the folks when I was growing up thought that seasoned wood burned to hot and to fast. Old habits die hard. I always tried to explain to them that if they used seasoned wood they could close their stoves down and it would burn slower and it wouldn’t take as much wood to heat their home. I’m in Arkansas and recently saw a man in Mississippi selling green firewood exactly they same way as I see the old timers wanting theirs. It must be a southern thing.
Seasoning wood for pool cues takes years to get it perfect. In cue making seasoned wood means “it stops moving” and stays within the tolerances it’s machined to. Takes years. “Old wood” cues play better is the general accepted thought. 10-20-30 years. Like old violins tend to sound better. Cue collectors are wood geeks, we burn the wood we don’t use for cues😉 Back to fire wood.
Your first myth about seasoning is absolutely true! It's the same thing with lightnin' or home brew. You can't drink the stuff fresh from the cooker until it's settled and aged. I make sure it settles and ages for at least 15 minutes! Well, sometimes 10. Gotta do firewood at least that much too!! Can't get anywhere 'til you get the basics right! - Dry wood won't make creosote. Maybe...I got some old telephone poles, boys, they were DRY! Still got creosote!! - In Ohio, it''s illegal to sell wood by any measure other than cords or fractions thereof. Politicians did that because there are so many wood burners that vote!! Prob some even elected to the House! Pols are so sneaky!! Manana! GNI
Yup, I had a guy write to me the other day that pine is the only wood he has burned for heat now for 30 years, it is all he has and has had no problems... EVER!
On the seasoning front, wait till you get that beech split, it'll still be there in 2025! Only wood i've seen that is significantly slower to season than oak
@@InTheWoodyard Oh I know! Nothing wrong with the way you do it, because you know through loading measured amounts and experience that you are giving the customer the correct amount. But the guys who just sell by the "truckload" or "scoop" are a different story!
In Arkansas firewood is supposed to be sold by cord or fraction of cord. I have noticed in a lot of ads they do not mention how much of a cord they are selling
Seasoning the wood means, to me, sprinkling salt and pepper all over it (possibly a splash of hot sauce or even some parsley). Sorry, couldn't resist that one.
I had a guy work for me and he was just a pain so one day he was just standing around I gave him a bucket of saw dust and made him sprinkle on all the wood piles that we needed the wood to be seasoned 😅 it only took him about 45 min to realize
Hmm!🤨 I think I would defer to the guy who handles tons and tons of timber a year rather than the one who gets a third of a cord every six months! But that's just me!
