Best way to dry gren firewood

10 years ago

My last supplier of firewood had advertised "seasoned" wood and delivered green wood instead. It will not burn without a starter log underneath.

I took the wood down to my heated/dehumidified basement for two weeks now, and can't get the wood to burn. In sixteen years of running a fireplace, I've never had this much difficulty.

So, besides using a dehumidifier, what are my options? Would this wood burn later this season? I don't like burning green wood what with the creosote and other problems. I'm still waiting for the firewood supplier to get back to me. I paid $225 /cord for this green wood.

I'm about ready to go for a pellet stove!

Comments (9)

akamainegrower
10 years ago
Whether it will burn this season depends entirely on how green it is. From your description, I would say it's very unlikely. If you could check the wood with a moisture meter, you'd have very good evidence that you were delivered something that was not what you ordered. Laws vary from state to state, as do definitions of "seasoned". Logs left in tree length for six months, then cut and split just before delivery are often claimed to be seasoned. They are not. Only wood split for 6 months - a year is better -can possibly be seasoned. Some wood species, notably oak, take even longer. I would pursue your possible claim against the wood dealer, but in the meantime, see if kiln dried wood is available in your area. It tends to be pricey, but is generally worth it.
akamainegrower
10 years ago
I meant to add that storing wet wood in the cellar, even with a humidifier running, is not a good idea.There's no sun, no real air circulation. Then there's the possibility of mold and insects...
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southerncanuck
10 years ago
Exactly what maingrower states x 2.
jonnyp
10 years ago
Had good luck drying split oak next to oil fired boiler in the dead of winter, about a week.
tom418
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks for the replies. I also don't thoink I'll be able to burn the wood this year either. I'm waiting to hear from my state's consumer affairs department.

Normally, I have to wait about a week to burn newly delivered wood, but it burns, as jonnyp stated.

The wood from this delivery does NOT.
christopherh
10 years ago
A long time ago I had a similar situation. So I put the wood in the garage and put a box fan in front of it. Ran the fan constantly for about two weeks, and it was fairly good to go.
jrb451
10 years ago
You guys going to switch to buying your wood a year in advance and store it or do logistics prevent this? Most of the wood cutters I've known want to sell it as soon as it's cut rather than store it for a year. They're operating margin doesn't allow this.
mxyplx
10 years ago
Here's a golden op to take 451's advice and start a program of next years wood this year. Don't burn that wood this year, dont even try. Most of the heat ($) would go up the pipe as water vapor.

If you stack it to dry it, stack it up log cabin style so the air/wind can circulate thru. 36 to 40 pieces should stack up about 2-1/2 feet high. If you stack it close or just in a pile as deliverd the inside of the stack will not dry cause air doesn't get to it. Hard to believe but it doesn't as I learned to my great surprise.

I get mine in spring and stack it that way in the garden all summer (100F+). It doesn't rain here in summer - if it did I'd lay plywood over the top leaving the sides open.
christopherh
10 years ago
That's what we do today. We always get our wood no later than July 4th for the following winter and stack it loosely.

The problem I had before was when I was first using a woodstove over 25 years ago.

Best way to dry gren firewood

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akamainegrower

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