Aging Firewood

[RonL]

I have properties up in the mountains. A few years back the old logger down the road had back surgery and was laid up. He had cut his logs into rounds but was unable to split them. The neighbors and I went down and split his wood and stacked it in his woodshed.
This has led me to think that I want to get several years ahead on my firewood supply. I want to build a sectioned woodshed that would be large enough to keep several years worth of wood up off the ground and protected from rain. However, I have read that wood can get too dry and lose its volatiles over time. I don't know if I put credence in this. I had some old birch logs that had been stored in the barn for many years. They seemed to have burned nicely, but at the time I wasn't looking to see if they were burning too rapidly.
Has anyone here stored firewood for an extended time and had problems when they burnt it?

 

[Fifelaker]

It will not hurt a thing. I ran into some wood that was at least 10 years old stored under a roof and DRY, it was some of the best wood I have ever burned.

 

[Redfin]

We lease a camp and there was leftover wood in covered racks. We would always bring new wood so this stuff never got used.

Last deer season I had no way to bring fresh wood and just used the leftover. Im guessing 10 plus yrs old and it was terrible. Mostly oak, it just wouldnt burn hot. Maybe it was a fluke but it was one cold night in camp.

 

[old guy]

We lease a camp and there was leftover wood in covered racks. We would always bring new wood so this stuff never got used.

Last deer season I had no way to bring fresh wood and just used the leftover. Im guessing 10 plus yrs old and it was terrible. Mostly oak, it just wouldnt burn hot. Maybe it was a fluke but it was one cold night in camp.

If you can't just look at a piece of wood and know if it will burn or not your going to have cold nights.

John

 

[Hinerman]

I have properties up in the mountains. A few years back the old logger down the road had back surgery and was laid up. He had cut his logs into rounds but was unable to split them. The neighbors and I went down and split his wood and stacked it in his woodshed.
This has led me to think that I want to get several years ahead on my firewood supply. I want to build a sectioned woodshed that would be large enough to keep several years worth of wood up off the ground and protected from rain. However, I have read that wood can get too dry and lose its volatiles over time. I don't know if I put credence in this. I had some old birch logs that had been stored in the barn for many years. They seemed to have burned nicely, but at the time I wasn't looking to see if they were burning too rapidly.
Has anyone here stored firewood for an extended time and had problems when they burnt it?

As long as it is not rotten/punky it will burn fine. I have read of people burning wood 20+ year wood that was kept in storage and out of the elements....and it burned fantastic. Think about all the lumber in some 100+ year old buildings and how good it burns.

 

[P.M.P.]

Drier the better I prefer the sun baked myself.

 

[logeeland]

Drier the better, but sometimes too dry is like popcorn! If it is light as a feather it loses its heating qualities. I say 4 to 5 years is a good judge if it is kept dry and air can get through it.

 

[Magic_Man]

I like the 4 to 5 year mark myself. I think a lot of it depends on how dry it stays. I keep my wood outside on pallets and covered during the rainy seasons, uncovered during the hot dry season. After 3 or 4 years I notice some woods like hickory and soft maple start deteriating. My FIL keeps all his wood in a dry building and its seems to last forever.

 

[RonL]

Wood reaches an equilibrium moisture content that is dependent on ambient air moisture content. My question is: Is the equilibrium moisture content too low? Secondly, it has been said that wood loses its volatiles over time and loses some of the heat value.
I would like to reach a point where I am five years ahead on my firewood supply. I would like to know that if I am to old and incapacitated to put up wood at least I have a five year supply going forward.

RonL

 

[mainewoods]

5 year old wood stacked in a wood shed should be no problem. I've had 10 year old oak and it burned wicked hot. Didn't burn quite as long as oak with some moisture in it, but it made up for it in btu's produced. 10 years might be a stretch for some of the less dense woods, but I haven't managed to store any firewood yet that created any kind of an issue.

 

[Al Smith]

Hickory and maple don't take weather very well .Red oak is so so .Locust and white oak can sit uncovered for years .Beech if it lays in the log or round too long gets as hard as granite .

 

[Bondo]

However, I have read that wood can get too dry and lose its volatiles over time. I don't know if I put credence in this.

Ayuh,.... That's pure Bullship,....

100 year old dry wood will burn, just Fine,....

 

[Guido Salvage]

How old is your house? Set it on fire, if it burns you have answered your question... Think about forest fires, the most dangerous ones occur where there is a buildup of OLD, DEAD wood that provides fuel.

 

[Bob95065]

I let mine stand for 2 years but we have a very dry climate here in Northern California.

There was an old shed on the property when we bought it that had a cord of oak in it. Who knows how long it was in there. It was very dry and burned well.