Click here to skip straight to our step-by-step tips on seasoning firewood fast. The benefits of using seasoned firewood are plenty, improving efficiency, cleanliness and environmental impact. The high level of moisture makes lighting a fire difficult. If you do manage to get one going, a lot of energy will be used to evaporate the water off, first. For this reason, if you are using unseasoned wood, you might find that your log burner keeps going out. You will also find that using unseasoned wood causes your fire to produce a large amount of smoke as it burns off moisture.
This smoke will dirty your chimney, often resulting in a stubborn and dangerous build up of creosote. It will also lead to your stove glass becoming blackened much quicker, too. Along with causing dirt in your chimney and stove, the smoke released by burning unseasoned wood can create harmful air pollution, which can impact the environment and your health. By seasoning your firewood, you give it time to allow most of the moisture to evaporate off beforehand.
So, when you put it on your fire, it burns as cleanly and efficiently as possible. This means less dirt and minimal damage to the environment and air we breath!
When used with an EcoDesign stove , seasoned wood is the cleanest way to burn solid fuel. For more information, see how the clean air strategy is working to support the use of seasoned wood in our blog post: Are Wood Burning Stoves Going to Be Banned? If you are buying pre-seasoned wood, you can look out for the Woodsure Ready to Burn logo, which shows it has passed quality assurance measures.
You can also buy a moisture meter to test the water content of the wood more scientifically. If you have access to your own source of wood, you may want to season it yourself. This can not only save you money, but also cuts out the carbon that would be used to transport your logs — good to know if you are particularly eco-conscious! Spring is a good time to start seasoning firewood, as it takes at least 6 months to reach optimum dryness. This means if you start in April, you can have it ready to go by the first cold October nights.
How long it takes to season wood actually depends on what type of wood it is. Soft wood can be dried within 6 months, if done correctly. Well, the answer to that question is: It depends.
Most wood is seasoned within 6 — 9 months but there are so many variables that affect the time it takes to dry firewood.
Some hardwood takes between 1 — 2 years to season. I considered making a drying chart for this page but there are simply too many variables to contend with. I will, however, share some tips on how to properly dry your firewood in the sections below. There are a few tried-and-true methods to determine whether or not your firewood is ready to burn. The best way to check the moisture in your firewood is by using a moisture meter. These little devices are typically hand-held, having an LCD display which outputs the percentage of moisture within the wood.
A moisture meter has two prongs on the end. To check the wood, insert the prongs into the wood at the place you want to check. In order to get a more accurate reading, you need to test several places. The most important being the center of the log. Use a hatchet or small axe to split the log in half. Once finished, test the center of the log with the moisture meter. You can spend as much as you want on a moisture meter but the General Tools company makes a nice, inexpensive moisture reader which works great and has thousands of positive reviews.
The fastest way to dry wood is by use of a kiln. Remember, the yearly climate plays a big role in how long it takes your firewood to dry. Want to learn more about heating your home with firewood? Read about the Sustainability of Heating With Wood. Buy this book from our store: Wood Heat. Join us for a much anticipated return to the Lone Star State! Earlybird ticket discounts are now available online. You'll find tips for slashing heating bills, growing fresh, natural produce at home, and more.
That's why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our earth-friendly automatic renewal savings plan. Tips for Properly Seasoning Firewood Keep these tips in mind while seasoning firewood to heat your home.
Cover courtesy Firefly Books. Tips for Properly Seasoning Firewood Wood is essentially a mass of tiny long tubes, or cell cavities, that run the length of the tree. Continue Reading. Originally Published: November Share your thoughts. Related Content. The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener.
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