Using a recently felled Maple tree for firewood?

paddy147

How long should you wait to use maple tree trunks and large branches as firewood.

The tree was recently felled/taken down.

When the trunk and branches are chopped up for firewood,how long should it take,before the logs can be used in a stove??

Does the sap have to completely dry out of the tree,in order for it to be used as firewood??

Thanks.:)

looksee

http://www.ehow.com/how_5791865_burn-maple-firewood.html

Bixy

Paddy, I tend to wait at least 6 months for fresh wood to dry out. What I am cutting now (eucalyptus mostly) I will burn next autumn. I tend to leave it out in the open initially and then put it under some sort of shelter for the last month or so. If the branches/logs are not very thick it would be a shorter period or time. It is really not worth moving too quickly as there is nothing sadder than a smoky fire with green wood smoldering in it!

magicbastarder

if you burn 'green' wood, you get half the heat out of them as compared to seasoned wood. this is because a lot of the heat is taken up by boiling the water off.
also, you run the risk of creosote buildup in your flue if you use a stove.

paddy147

The branches are about 4-5 inches thick

The trunk is around 12 inches thick.

Tree was only felled last week.


So would you leave out in the open for a while,and then transfer the trunk/logs into a shed or garage to dry out??


Thanks.:)

magicbastarder

yep, and split the logs now into the size they will be going into the fire, will help them season more quickly.

paddy147

magicbastarder wrote: »

yep, and split the logs now into the size they will be going into the fire, will help them season more quickly.

Thankyou for the advice.:)

Oldtree

usually at least a year to season wood, if not more with the weather we are having