Seasoned Firewood

JRServices · November 07, 2011, 05:01:08 PM

I know this may seem like a very stupid question and you will ask me why I didnt start earlier, but I have a ton of people that want seasoned firewood from me and I only have green. Is there a method that I can take to season my firewood like within a month. I have a small barn I can store wood in and I was thinking of during the day when I am home, to put a small space heater in the barn to warm it up to dry the firewood out. Any suggestions would be great. I dont want any negative remarks please I am very new to this. When I am saying I have a ton of people wanting firewood from me I am talking 80 cord. I have enough wood its just not seasoned

Thank you
Cassidy

Corley5 · November 07, 2011, 05:05:29 PM

You've encountered a problem most every firewood producer runs in to. Installing a kiln is your only option to season wood in a month.

JRServices · November 07, 2011, 05:11:47 PM

can I build a kiln or how much do they run

beenthere · November 07, 2011, 06:03:07 PM

JR
Not a stupid question.

You can do some calculations on the amount of water that you will have to evaporate and the BTU's to do that. It however will be a "ton" of water and take a "ton" of heat.

I would expect that you will be better off not trying to invest in that venue and bank the green wood in a place that it will dry some for next years' sales. Sell what you can as "green" wood but just don't risk telling them it is seasoned if it isn't.

Curious about your situation, but in the other thread we were curious as well and didn't hear back from you. :

We don't have to have replies, but we would like to help if we can.

thecfarm · November 08, 2011, 06:32:41 AM

Some wait until the last minute than want it all. The only thing you can do is cut more now and sell it dry next year,without adding a kiln. Also if trying to dry with a space heater and than you say it is "dry" and I doubt it will be dry and customers are not happy,who will buy from you next year?

zopi · November 08, 2011, 07:41:31 AM

Besides...you spend more running the bloody heater than you get out of the wood...
Commercial kilns start around forty grand from what I understand...
Some guys build them out of insulated containers.

motohed · November 08, 2011, 08:38:19 AM

Hi JR
I try to keep my wood two to three years out . I made a drying unit for summer time out of some old cover it garages that had gotten damaged . We got some heavy mil black plastic and stretched it over the top and ricked the wood on palates to put under the the tarp an used a fan to move the air . This worked pretty well . My problem was the volume of wood we sell , is to high for what we had to work with in the cover it garages . We also use a moisture meter to check our wood for moisture content , lesss than 10% is good dry wood . The cover it garages wook very well at drawing the moisture out , and we still use it if we end up with some wet wood in the spring , after firewood season .

shelbycharger400 · November 08, 2011, 10:02:45 PM

it will burn around 18 to 20 percent, just takes a little longer to get a hot fire going.

zopi · November 08, 2011, 10:14:45 PM

But usually coals up better...

leonz · November 09, 2011, 12:05:37 AM

Quote from: JRServices on November 07, 2011, 05:01:08 PM
I know this may seem like a very stupid question and you will ask me why I didnt start earlier, but I have a ton of people that want seasoned firewood from me and I only have green. Is there a method that I can take to season my firewood like within a month. I have a small barn I can store wood in and I was thinking of during the day when I am home, to put a small space heater in the barn to warm it up to dry the firewood out. Any suggestions would be great. I dont want any negative remarks please I am very new to this. When I am saying I have a ton of people wanting firewood from me I am talking 80 cord. I have enough wood its just not seasoned

Thank you
Cassidy

Hello Cassidy,

About the only way you will dry firewood quickly is to purchase a very
small Porta Hut to throw a cord of firewood in to heat up and try to dry
up your firewood using kerosene space heater.

Your going to burn a lot of fuel to dry your firewood.

John Mc · November 10, 2011, 10:15:37 PM

Quote from: leonz on November 09, 2011, 12:05:37 AM
About the only way you will dry firewood quickly is to purchase a very
small Porta Hut to throw a cord of firewood in to heat up and try to dry
up your firewood using kerosene space heater.

Your going to burn a lot of fuel to dry your firewood.

I'd be more inclined to burn that fuel heating my house, rather than trying to dry firewood with it.

SwampDonkey · November 11, 2011, 03:37:02 AM

That's what I do. I use seasoned wood, but the furnace heat keeps driving the water out from the stacked wood. The slabs open up from checks and the bark falls off by mid winter. The RH is usually under 30% in the house. ;D

Winter is the best time of the year.

Al_Smith · November 11, 2011, 06:53:57 AM

Say what,winter is the best time of the year . ??? I wish I could share your zeal and enthuisiasm but I find myself lacking .

So what is seasoned or not ,oak, ash ,swamp willow ? If it's ash it's all dead anyway,It'll burn .

SwampDonkey · November 11, 2011, 07:25:21 AM

:D I guess some of us enjoy it more.

250quality · November 11, 2011, 07:27:21 AM

Do what we do. Be glad your done for a while and its all gone. Lasted about a week here and now back in the bush cutting and skidding to start the cycle all over again!
Green wood is money in the bank for next year and now you know you need more so go hard!

WH_Conley · November 11, 2011, 07:39:07 AM

Somebody check and see if SwampDonkey is sick. He's talking out of his head.

chevytaHOE5674 · November 11, 2011, 08:12:50 AM

Quote from: SwampDonkey on November 11, 2011, 07:25:21 AM
:D I guess some of us enjoy it more.

Them "southerners" just don't understand it. But when you live where its winter 6+ months of the year you have to sort of enjoy it. 8) ;D

Raider Bill · November 11, 2011, 08:33:42 AM

I didn't understand it either so after living in the snowy/cold north for over 30 years I moved to Florida. 8)

Al_Smith · November 11, 2011, 08:38:02 AM

:D There was a time in my life actually about half my working life where I had no choice but to freeze my behind off in inclimate weather .Things have changed I only do so now if I want to because I don't have to .

Now winter itself is tollerable,nice warm fire .View of new fallen snow ,bear (bare ) hunting under the sheets .Stuff like that .Ohio is a more tropical area than NB or Mich .We only have 5 months of winter and 7 months of bad weather or so it seems at times .If you don't like the weather just wait a few days ,it will change .Tank yew berry much Lake Erie .

SwampDonkey · November 11, 2011, 10:14:33 AM

I guess I've never been froze up yet. When they have to thaw me out, I'll report back. ;D :D

Raider Bill · November 11, 2011, 10:17:04 AM

Quote from: Al_Smith on November 11, 2011, 08:38:02 AM
:D There was a time in my life actually about half my working life where I had no choice but to freeze my behind off in inclimate weather .Things have changed I only do so now if I want to because I don't have to .

Now winter itself is tollerable,nice warm fire .View of new fallen snow ,bear (bare ) hunting under the sheets .Stuff like that .Ohio is a more tropical area than NB or Mich .We only have 5 months of winter and 7 months of bad weather or so it seems at times .If you don't like the weather just wait a few days ,it will change .Tank yew berry much Lake Erie .

Mine was Lake Ontario..... CCCCold!

Jasperfield · November 11, 2011, 10:26:52 PM

Along this subject, the USAToday online newspaper had a "NOTAM", of sorts, from the EPA (which is not dead, yet) about pollution from burning firewood. The article mentioned burning "seasoned" wood.

It (the article) also had a map of the U.S. showing those states experiencing increases in the number of firewood-burning households over a ten year period.

John Mc · November 12, 2011, 08:42:46 AM

Jasperfield - you must be a pilot, or somehow otherwise connected to aviation. "NOTAM" is not all that common a term (Notice to Airmen).

Here's a link to USA Today's recent article.

And here's a link to one USA Today ran 5 years ago

Basically, they say the same thing. The older, pre-1992 EPA regulation woodstoves are a real problem ("a wood stove sold before stiffer regulations took effect in 1992 can emit as much pollution as seven diesel buses"), the newer ones are not so much of a concern.

OWBs are getting increasing scrutiny (no surprise there). Those that meet the voluntary 2007 EPA guidelines are much less of a concern.

iceman7668 · November 12, 2011, 01:40:53 PM

I am with you Swampdonkey, I have been an avid icefisherman all my life. Nothing beats it except cutting firewood in my opinion!

Al_Smith · November 12, 2011, 07:14:37 PM

Oh Lawdy please don't tell me the EPA isn't satisfied with already having the chainsaw police now they have the wood stove police .What next an EPA endorsed horse ?

Speaking of horse, sounds like a bunch of horse -----. Well er in other words perhaps better termed organic fertilizer for the more gentile among us myself obviously not one of same .