Firewood how dry should it be

If the cambium is green, so is the wood. A cord of seasoned wood should have more wood without bark than bark-covered wood. Bang two pieces of wood together. Dry wood sounds hollow; wet wood sounds dull. Seasoned wood weighs much less than green wood of the same species. If in doubt, burn some! Dry firewood ignites and burns easily; wet wood is tough to light and hisses in the fire.

There are advantages to buying firewood green, provided you have the room to store and season it for a year. Also, seasoned wood may be in short supply in some areas, so you may not have a choice. Firewood can take a very long time to properly season. Exactly how long is a matter of ongoing debate in wood-burning circles. The traditional rule of thumb is to season firewood for at least six months before the heating season; some hardwoods require at least one to two full years.

The truth lies somewhere in the middle and depends on piece size, tree species and local climate. The protective bark on a log helps prevent the interior moisture from evaporating, so firewood begins to dry significantly only after it is cut and split. By splitting the wood into smaller pieces, you create a greater surface area, and the greater the total surface area, the lower the overall density, which means the wood dries and seasons at a faster rate.

Trees with a dense wood structure, such as oak and elm, season much more slowly than do ash and birch. Conifers have an entirely different cell structure than deciduous trees and take longer to dry, so they are best split into small pieces. Finally, if you live in a damp maritime climate, seasoning times may be longer. As with a really good meal, seasoning makes all the difference in a quality fire. In the end, with the exception of truly dense hardwoods, such as oak, and large-split softwoods, most household firewood bought in the spring can be seasoned enough for burning by winter.

Cut firewood to the right length for your stove, fireplace or furnace. This is usually about 3 inches 7. Shorter is always better than longer. Wood should be split to the proper dimension for your wood-burning appliance. For most efficient woodstoves, that is no more than 6 inches 15 cm across.

A range of dimensions from 3 to 6 inches 7. But I will follow your tips in the future. So was that a place you would buy firewood from again in the future? What city and state? Thanks, Dina. Great go to guide.

Got the information I was seeking. Informative article but one thing got exactly backwards is about the splitting part. One half-decently accurate whack with the axe. And anyone who ever has split seasoned vs unseasoned will tell you seasoned is easy compared.

Splitting unseasoned wood is a PITA…. Thank you for taking the time to offer detailed feedback and bring that to my attention. We are glad you have chosen to leave a comment. Please keep in mind that comments are moderated according to our comment policy. Toll-Free Friday, November 12, The efficiency is much higher when you light a fire using dry firewood as opposed to using moist firewood.

If you use moist firewood, it is both damaging for the environment and often it will be uncomfortable for your neighbours because of the smoke generation that it will cause. There are different methods for checking whether your firewood is dry enough to light a fire with. Your firewood is dry if bubbles appear. This happens because there are some channels inside the log which transport water. When the wood has been cut and dried, the water disappears and air can pass through when you blow. You can also test the driness of your firewood by banging together two pieces of wood.

Your firewood is dry when the sound is hard and ringing. Moist firewood has a dull sound. Be aware of pitfalls when it comes to the sound test. Remember that the sound test only provides you with a superficial impression of the condition of the wood.

Your intuition is also a useful tool when it comes to assessing the moisture content of the firewood. Below is a dry firewood check list:. You can also use wood moisture meter for measuring the moisture content of your firewood.