Seasoning Firewood

SargentDuck

Hey All,

I've done a bit of searching on this but cant seems to get a consistant answer.

We have recently had to cut down 12 everygreen trees out our back, which had grown to about 25/30 foot. The company who cut them down for me cut most of them into pieces which will fit into our stove (thankfully it has a huge firebox) but there is still a fair bit I will need to split.

I have a few questions on seasoning and spliting timber:

1. I have stacked all of the timber in my back garden so it is exposed to wind and sun (if we get any) however they are not at all covered, so getting rained on, do I need to put a cover over the timber?
   
2. Is is best to try split the timber now when its green, or wait until it's seasoned so that it may crack open?
   
3. How long would evergreens take to season? I was hoping for burning next winter, but would that be asking for too much?

Any input would be great, thanks.

reilig

SargentDuck wrote: »

Hey All,

I've done a bit of searching on this but cant seems to get a consistant answer.

We have recently had to cut down 12 everygreen trees out our back, which had grown to about 25/30 foot. The company who cut them down for me cut most of them into pieces which will fit into our stove (thankfully it has a huge firebox) but there is still a fair bit I will need to split.

I have a few questions on seasoning and spliting timber:

1. I have stacked all of the timber in my back garden so it is exposed to wind and sun (if we get any) however they are not at all covered, so getting rained on, do I need to put a cover over the timber?
   
2. Is is best to try split the timber now when its green, or wait until it's seasoned so that it may crack open?
   
3. How long would evergreens take to season? I was hoping for burning next winter, but would that be asking for too much?

Any input would be great, thanks.

Put a cover on the top of it to prevent rain flowing down through it. Put no cover on the sides of the stacks so that the air can flow through it.

I find that Timber is easier to split when green. But that's my own preference.

12 months drying should be ample.

fodda

SargentDuck wrote: »

Hey All,

I've done a bit of searching on this but cant seems to get a consistant answer.

We have recently had to cut down 12 everygreen trees out our back, which had grown to about 25/30 foot. The company who cut them down for me cut most of them into pieces which will fit into our stove (thankfully it has a huge firebox) but there is still a fair bit I will need to split.

I have a few questions on seasoning and spliting timber:

1. I have stacked all of the timber in my back garden so it is exposed to wind and sun (if we get any) however they are not at all covered, so getting rained on, do I need to put a cover over the timber?

Yes and it would be better if it were indoors.

[*]Is is best to try split the timber now when its green, or wait until it's seasoned so that it may crack open?

Most people say when green as it is still soft.

[*]How long would evergreens take to season? I was hoping for burning next winter, but would that be asking for too much?

12 months to 2 years depending on timber and weather etc

SargentDuck

Thanks for the input lads, I might look a getting some plastic to put over it to try keep it dry.

fodda wrote: »

Yes and it would be better if it were indoors.
[/LIST]

I thought it was better to keep it outdoors? I would definitly have room indoors.

reilig

SargentDuck wrote: »

Thanks for the input lads, I might look a getting some plastic to put over it to try keep it dry.



I thought it was better to keep it outdoors? I would definitly have room indoors.

I'd keep it outdoors if you could, unless you have a really open shed. It'll dry out much better than if you put it in a shed with no airflow and it will be less likely to grow fungus and decompose. Don't have your stacks too wide, and the air will get through them.

fodda

SargentDuck wrote: »

Thanks for the input lads, I might look a getting some plastic to put over it to try keep it dry.



I thought it was better to keep it outdoors? I would definitly have room indoors.

I mean in an airy shed..........the air would always be dryer in a shed but the downside is the condensation at the beginning.

wayoutwest

Split with splitting maul [sledgehmmer with axe head on one side] as soon as you can-this will drastically minimise drying time.Theres lots of suff on the internet showing ways of constructing outdoor log piles -most of these,however, require a warm dry summer.Here in Ireland its a different story-more rising damp,wind blown rain and less sunshine.I have found that the best way to dry logs is by using pallets,especially the more close boarded ones,as these will let air in but keep most of the rain out. Put one on the ground,and if you've got enough of them,put another one on top of that-this creates your base,that will jack your pile off the damp ground,and allow air to enter up through the pile.Then, using a hand full of 4" nails, fix three more pallets on to this base,so a C-section or 'bay' is formed. Put your open side pointing away from the prevailing elements. Fill up with logs,but stacking the open side up as you go-this will keep the pile fom tumbling out.Heap it up at the top so it creates a roof shape and then cut a square of builders'plastic ,fixing it down with a couple of batons at the top of the side pallets.If this is'nt big enough,then build another on next to it,rather than joining it cos you will reucing airflow to both piles.
Unless you do this or something like it then you've got little chance of producing fiirewood{15-2o% water content] by next winter,especially with your type of timber,that has such a naturally high water content.

greenfingers89

dont really have much to add to the good advice given already, i always split mine first, not really because i think itsway easier but it will defnetly speed up drying time...also i stack firewood on a base of pallets in an exposed area, keeping the stack only about 3 foot wide

Oldtree

Like a good compost i tend to turn my pile to optimise drying. i split the wood asap too and usually let it to the elements for may to june but then get it indoors and stack with gaps.

SargentDuck

Thanks all for the info.

From the sounds of things and amount of timber I have, my plan is to move it to a fuel shed and stack onto pallets. The area I have in the fuel shed is directly beside a pretty large window (3X3 feet) so I'm going to take the window out as to increase airflow. I will also aim at buying a small amount of timber for the start of next winter as to give the most amount of time to season as possible.

I'm also going to hire a log splitter and split all the big stuff as I'm stacking it.

Hopefully, I'll be good to go this time next year!!!

Thanks

Oldtree

repeating myself as older people do on a regular basis
from this older thread

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055715513

"I have a thor 13 tonne farmer series with the flexable pto attachment from M Large, see:

http://www.mlarge.com/thor_products_10.html

its the middle one in the picture of three.

I cut my wood into suitably sized rings for splitting and some of it has been very knotty. The splitter has handled everything with ease and i run it off the pto shaft of a Ford 3600 (1977) at low revs. a table comes with it. what can i say I love it."

TomOnBoard

As stated by others, getting the timber stack off the ground is crucial. Split the timber now and you will vastly increase the surface area from which the water will dry. Do not put inside until after March winds have had a chance to dry it out a bit. Cover the top of the stack with any old sheet iron, felt or whatever with air space between the top of the stack and the cover.

Consider hiring a log splitter IMHO with anything over 3 or 4 cubic metres to split. No need to split unless the round is above 4 inch diameter.