The Best Way To Split And Stack Firewood: A Beginners Guide
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- čas přidán 4. 07. 2024
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If you are a beginner at cutting and stacking firewood, then this will be a great video for you!
This is (in my opinion) one of the best ways of getting dry wood so that you can burn it in your woodstove or fireplace.
*I’ve had a few people who burn pine regularly say that It doesnt cause a lot of build up If It is seasoned well. It’s probably best to go with what your local oldtimers recommend aimse each area is a little different (soft/hard wood)
Make sure that if you are purchasing firewood, that you buy wood that has been split and stacked for over a year. Some less reputable sellers don't stack their firewood and it gets punky or doesn't dry out very well.
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0:00 Intro
0:40 Types of Firewood to use
1:48 Splitting firewood
2:28 The best way to stack firewood
3:07 Building a wood rack
3:26 Stacking firewood and keeping it centered
3:58 Putting tin on your firewood
4:33 Spacing between your wood racks
5:37 Difference between wet and dry firewood
6:45 Firewood buying tips
#firewood, #Cuttingfirewood, #stackingfirewood
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I had some trees near the house cut down (emerald ash borer) and want to cut up to use in my fireplace. I am cutting the trees into 16" lengths. couple questions if you don't mind
1. is ash a good wood to burn
2. should I split the wood before I stack it- I have started to stack some in rounds form.
enjoyed your video- thanks
ps bought a Stihl ms250 which I had to have sent back to runnings because such a B *** to start..
It is always nice if you have achers of land to store it on for a few years before you use it. I do 6 or 7 cords a year for my own use, cut the trees myself, slice them in 16" length, then haul them home and split them with my 6 1/2 ton electric splitter and stack them. I start cutting about the end of May and finish up about the middle of August . I live in NW Pennsylvania, will not fire up the stove until the middle of October, have a cord and a half leftover from last year, that I will use first, then go to the wood I cut in May. I don't have room to store several years' worth of wood, but what I cut in August will be leftover for next year. I am 74 and work in the woods by myself.
Sounds like you have a great system!!!
@@SevenSparrowsFarm I invested in a moister meter, and keep testing my wood, the wood left over from last year is getting readings around 10%, the wood I cut in May is now reading around 16% and the last that was cut in August is still around 36% to 40% but that last tree, my nephew wanted me to remove, was a big elm tree, going to try and avoid those next year. They hold a lot of moister and are hard to split. But it did make a big crash when it came down, it was a big tree for me anyways, almost 30" in diameter where I cut it with my 16" saw. But it landed right where I told him it would, thankfully I had a big field to drop it in, then took a week to clean it up so he could mow again.. Have to rake it clean so the mower doesn't hit anything .
Sir I'm 71.
Firewood cutting helps keep me young.
Here's to a sharp chain.
Cheers🔥
We burn mostly spruce. I burn spruce all winter, and i've never had an issue. BUT, we do clean our chimney yearly.
Glad to hear that you clean your chimney. So many people neglect that until it’s too late
I’ve burned seasoned pine and other softwoods routinely. Although, the old wives tale about it causing more buildup has been around forever, I can tell you that this is untrue. Actually, because it burns more quickly and hotter, it likely causes LESS buildup, IMO. Very good video- your wood drying setup is ideal.
Thanks for the clarity! I’ll put a note in the description.
Same here I’ve burned a lot of softwood over the years with no problems . Good quick warm fire . I believe it’s how wet your wood is and how much you damper down while wet that produces the excessive creosote
Yeah, it’s about moisture content, not wood type. Has nothing to do with pine pitch like most think.
More water means cooler fire because it has to evaporate water first and colder fire means cooler flue temps, where smoke condenses creating creosote.
All about moisture content and how you operate stove.
A smoldering fire will create a ton of creosote compared to a hot fire w plenty of air coming in, which will burn clean.
Just to add a bit to this, about burning softwoods. Our firewood is 95% softwood for most years, with some variety, but never seasoned more than 9 months (usually less than 6 months). Some is always standing dead, so almost the same as seasoned. Last winter was particularly bad for wood supply, and about 25% of our wood was borderline green pine, 25% decently dry pine, and the rest was mostly fir of varying dryness. All we had to do to make it work was keeping a variety around to burn every day, and mix greener wood with the hot burning dry pine. When I cleaned the chimney before this winter there was very little build up at all. If all we had was damp wood I'm sure it would have been a different story, but having at least a bit of decent wood and mixing it in almost every day kept the chimney clean. I've also heard many of the horror stories about pine and softwoods, but have never seen any evidence of it myself.
@@SevenSparrowsFarm My theroy as to "pine causes creosote" goes like this.
Because it takes so long to dry people would burn poorly seasoned hardwood for a while causing a build up. Then they would get a load of pine, and because it dries so quickly and burns hotter it would end up lighting the previous buildup causing a chimney fire. Which lead to the myth of "pine causes creosote" when in reality all it did was catch the hardwood build up on fire.
Never had a issue with either type of wood. But with pine it's easy for me to find, and I can replace my burnt stacks during the winter and know it will be ready for next year.
Your wood shelter is by far the simplest one to make I've seen on CZcams, and it appears to work since I see how well the wood was dry. I'm definitely going to make some of those, thank you for the advice
Thank you and I appreciate the kind words! Happy building!
Love this training Lee! Keep them coming.
Glad you liked it!
Your advice is closest to the way we handle wood in Finland. We fell trees when dormant, that is december to early march. Haul to the yard when the ground is still frozen. Start splitting in april and try to get all done and stacked by May. Move to the shed in August or next summer. We use mostly birch, pine and spruce. I have 3 to 4 years rotation.
Nice! Thanks for sharing!
Wood stove newbie here. Thank you! This was very helpful.
Glad it was helpful! Once you get your wood dry, you can often throw wood in there in the morning and the embers will catch it on fire. 🔥
This fire pit is one of a few covered pits that is on the list czcams.com/users/postUgkxAU9pOCSV9Y5JprooHvfxTpOrt4hx8uRM of approved products for Disney Fort Wilderness. The product served its purpose well and provided excellent fires throughout the evening. We were able to open the door and do s'mores, but I had to be careful because the handle was a bit hot on occasions. Additionally, I wish they had replaced some of the standard nuts with lock nuts in some places. We lost the door handle after just a couple of days of usage. Not a deal breaker, just a recommendation. I still give it 5 stars.
I’m not sure what you’re talking about. Are you saying you tried to build a firewood rack but had trouble because the video is in another language?
Great beginner lesson with clear explanation. Thanks for taking the time to put this together. (Liked and Subd)
Glad you liked it Anthony!!!
This is such a great video!! I have a few extra T postss laying around and have thought about giving them away. But now I can put them to use. Thank you so much!
You’re welcome thanks for watching!
I've burnt pine for yrs never had chimney problems. From Forest fire. Some of the best wood burned very little ash. Tamarack. Stove burning everyday. Plus be a lot 3inch logs I don't even split.
Firewood piled excellent nice job 👍
Thanks for sharing! I addressed this in the description section after hearing a lot of people from around the country mention it.
Very useful!! Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you so much for the information in this Video🤗😊
Also nice with the comments from other people.
Will definetely look at more videos from you 😊
Glad it was helpful! as I looked at the comments I’ve seen that a lot of people are burning pine because that’s what’s prevalent in the area. whatever you burn, just make sure it is dry. Thanks for watching!
Your information and video is valid for your area. Using wood for heat is an ancient practice and many people have adapted hundreds of different methods over the centuries.
Pine isn't ideal firewood, but if you live in many western states it's the only reasonable choice. I stack my firewood on pallets which I get for free. I then split some of my rounds into slabs for the end of the rows and turn them 90º to create stability which eliminates the need for the metal posts you use. I don't cover my firewood as I live in a semi-arid climate.
Agreed. I’ve moved to North Georgia, but in the mountains of North Carolina it’s much more rainy. You definitely have to go with what is around you. I put a note in the description because a lot of people use pine because that’s what’s most prevalent around them. thanks for sharing!
Great technique, thanks so much for sharing. I appreciate it and I subscribed.
Thank you!
Thankyou for your time 🕊🇬🇧
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching!
I love firewood me and my husband has been splitting firewood for our woodfire oven we love it on ❄️ winter
Agreed!
Great tips! Thank you.
You’re welcome! Glad it was helpful.
Impressive stacks of wood!!!
Thank you!
Don’t burn pine? In the Colorado mountains it’s all ABOUT the pine! No issues. Gotta burn what ya have, which is pine here, along with spruce, fir, and Aspen. You should clean your chimney at the end of every season if it’s your main heat source regardless of what you’re burning.
I made an amendment in the description since a bunch of people who burn pine commented on that part. Thanks!
Great video, to the point & informative, thanks
Glad you liked it!
Thanks for the info!
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching!
My technique: Use nothing other than hardwood. Cut and split into smaller pieces. That helps when carrying to stove and helps the drying process. I have a shed attached to my horse barn that is capable of holding just over 4 cords of firewood and overhangs at least 3 ft. past the firewood to help prevent rain blowing in. Under the wood I use old wood pallets. I never burn anything that has had less than 8 months of curing time, and usually 12 months. I cut firewood for next year right after I stop using the wood burning stove. BTW, I always used an axe and maul to split the wood, but old age done caught up with me. I bought a wood splitter 5 yrs. ago.
Sounds like you have a great process! One thing I’ve learned since making the video is there a lot of people who don’t have access to hardwood burn pine after letting it dry out thoroughly. it’s been great to see all the ways people do it.
Great tips thank you!
You’re welcome and thanks for watching!
Excellent Video! The only thing I would say (big mouth!) is to make sure you take into consideration where you place the wood in conjunction to the woodstove; close as you can to the house. At least up here; lots of snow that you might have to travel through to get to wood pile. Everything you said is spot on; been helping do it for years. And you need to start in the spring if you are planning to actually heat with wood as if you live in a cold climate you can go through a lot. Great!!
Thanks for your comment and great point on keeping it close to the house! We normally keep our larger pile a little farther from the house and then move batches as we go. Our reasoning is because we have a lot of copperheads here (western NC) and they love a warm stack of wood. =) I definitely see the the advantage in a colder climate!
Are termites a concern by stacking wood close to your house?
Concord NC checking in. Great info!
Nice! Thanks for watching and hope it helped!
Great video ! I like the single row piles myself it does dry much quicker, I do cut green popular (aspen) spit and cure just like you, awesome :) I am one of them guys way up north, spruce & pine I only cut the dead standing it is very dry but if your not careful lower land where the is more ground moisture you will still find the bottom 3 or 4 blocks with some moisture I just keep them separate for a few months,
Thanks for sharing!!!
I use pallets as the base for my wood piles. Also, I place a pallet vertically at each end of the pile, held in place by diagonal braces screwed into the base and the upright pallet. The wood is then stacked 4-5’ high. If the pile should eventually shift to one side due to frost or ground settling, I tap the pile back into position with multiple hits with a 7 pound sledge. Works great
Sounds like a great system!
very good video. certainly don't want to burn firewood to soon. 6 months minimum if you live in dry climates. A year or longer certainly preferred. You cut this year to keep you warm next year.
Thanks and totally agree with all your comments!
Superb video!!! Thank you!!!
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching!
Thank you, great video!
You’re welcome and glad it helped!
I bought a 20 ton log splitter last year and got my money's worth just for bonfire's alone. Made some money splitting logs for people which is taking off pretty good and I just aquired 6 trees which I'll be starting the long task of splitting. Thanks for the video 👍
Nice! Spitting wood is hard work and people are often willing to pay someone else to do it. Sounds like you have a great investment there!
Wood drying in Arizona will dry a lot faster than in Wisconsin.
True. But the person in the story moved from AZ to NC ( if that’s what you were referencing).
That's awesome the way you have got it stacked you have plenty of room
Thanks! you could tighten up the space a bit if you absolutely needed to.
You could double the rows as well.
Good idea
I usually cut out wood about 18 Long I am blessed to have 2 woodsheds one for dry and the other not so dry and I stack some wood in the outside for the next year
Nice!
I like your ladders under the stacks. I temporarily stacked some on the ground this year and I was surprised at just how much it had rotted in just a month and a half. Plus, the wood on the bottom was so water logged that it's just now getting dry enough to burn, 3 months later.
Great point! Had a similar experience when I first started out. Thanks for watching!
I used old aluminium ladders so no rotting. Yep I live in UK so spelling is good for here.
Thank you
You're welcome!
Well done
Thank you!
It's a wonderful firewood rack ♪ I want it ♪
Good video!
Thank you!
Thank you.
You’re welcome!
I used to be in commercial roofing…I now call a local COMMERCIAL roofing company when I need to cover my firewood. They will tear off old membrane roofing and throw it away and be charged to do so. The old membrane can be several different kinds. I find black rubber to be the best for a few reasons. One, it’s more flexible than the white TPO, and two, the heat from the sun on the black color creates heat even in the colder months that helps dry out the wood, at least at the top. Plus mosquito larvae don’t seem to survive if there are low areas that hold a little water because it either burns off quickly or cooks them (I’m in Tenneessee so not sure about much farther north). The negative to the black rubber is that it’s dirty when you handle it after years of the black carbon working out of it. There are two types of membranes…reinforced or non reinforced. The reinforced will have a fabric mesh embedded in the membrane for extra strength. Both membranes are pretty damn strong but if you have a choice, I’d recommend the fabric reinforced. You may have to wait on their schedule for a tear off, but they will cut the membrane with a razor knife into manageable size pieces to roll up and throw off the roof. I ask my guy to cut it into either 4, 8, or 12 foot widths and as long as they are willing to make it. It can be heavy but when I get it home I cut 4 foot wide strips out of it to cover the stacks. The last time I picked up rubber membrane, they had stacked on the side of the building 12 pieces cut 8 feet wide and about 20 feet long and even tied each one up in a roll with twine for me. I used it to cover all my firewood (about 180 lineal feet of stacks) and a bunch of rough cut lumber for a barn rebuild. I used about half of what I picked up and the rest is stored for the future. One caution…rodents may/will chew holes in it in storage if they get to it, but so far it hasn’t happened to any I’ve used to cover. It’s a heavy duty cover for your firewood, cost me only my time and fuel in the truck, and it’s being reused instead of filling a landfill. Been doing this now for 3 years and it’s worked great.
Very interesting! Would not have thought of that!
Very good
Thanks!!!
Good video
Glad you enjoyed it!
New subscriber.
Glad to have you!
I do bout 6 14k dump trailer loads of cedar. And i always hand chop it. A 10lb maul. Never used a log splitter. But i use wood pallets i stack upon and keeps it off the mud when it rains.
That’s a lot of wood! You must never have to go to the gym to do cardio. 😀
Haha no. I just realized getting older than trying and lift the bug stumps its easier to cut it to chopping size and wheelbarrowing it. May seem it takes longer but its less a mess at home and get to enjoy nature. Im here in the Kaibab at the Grand Canyon.
Hi, Anja here from #VRAFam! i understand why google likes it very well :D Good footage, sound, clear answers and even more tips! You added some personal stuff in there too! keep it up!
Thanks for visiting and for the kind words!
A state forester told me that pine is fine. It burns hot and fast and it needs to be slowed down. Actually, he encouraged it. He said if I ever had the chance to burn pine to do it. The belief that pine firewood causes a lot of creosote is incorrect. But I would imagine the fast hot fire could be a problem for a lot of stoves.
As for taking down trees let a professional do it. I've had trees taken down around the mountain house. I call a local guy and he will come out with the RIGHT equipment and drop the trees for me. After that it's up to me to clear everything up. I try to cut the firewood that won't make lumber grade first. Then I have the room to take my Alaskan saw mill and over the course of a few days or weeks I mill what I can.
Plenty of everything from the ground.
Storing firewood should be done at least 30 feet from the building to prevent pests from 'moving' in.
Thanks for sharing! I added some notes in the description since I heard multiple people mentioning burning pine.
Definitely agree that if you’re not comfortable felling a tree, you need to let a professional do it.
Also agree regarding keeping wood away from your house. We have a lot of copperheads in the area and they like wood piles.
@@SevenSparrowsFarm I don't have poisonous snakes here but we have a horrible time with termite and carpenter ants
@@beebob1279 Gotcha. Thanks for your insights!
If you notice while stacking that a bulge has formed in the stack or some pieces sticking out , take a loose piece and tap them end to end and they will go back in place, even low down in the stack.
Very true! Thanks!
couple ideas for future videos: Video on manual wood splitting? I am new to splitting and have a maul, but seems that I swing, and it bounces more than biting in.... Too wet to split? How long after you cut do you split? Back saving ideas on splitting?
Thanks for the ideas! Not sure how sharp your maul is, but lots of people will sharpen theirs regularly. Not knowing your set up, I’m guessing that you have a large solid block of wood that you’re setting each piece of wood on top of correct? Something that absorbs the impact and causes the word you’re splitting to give. Another tip would be to make sure that you were really trying to split all the way through the wood. Do you have to “put some mustard on it “as they used to say in my old hockey days. 😀
i split everything as soon as i cut it, the colder it is the better it splits i use a fiskars x27 and it is better than a maul. i do have a couple videos on you tube of me splitting.
Some pieces will do that. Either because there's a big knot in it, or perhaps it's from the base of the tree where the wood is toughest. Learn to read the wood. Check for knots before you start swinging, and split parallel to them- NOT across them or through them. Also look for natural cracks to exploit. And if it's a biggun, start at the edge, not the center and work your way across. (you're trying to move a lot less wood, that way)
You can also try to slab pieces off the edge- 3-4" thick, depending on how big you like your pieces. Then just work your way around the outside, until the chunk is small enough to try and split the usual way. This is your best bet for those monster 24"+ diameter chunks.
Sometimes you have to say enough is enough. Without a powered splitter, you just aren't going to get through some pieces. When I get one of those, I'll slab off as much as I can from around the knot, and just save the rest for an overnighter piece, or for the firepit. You'll beat yourself silly trying, otherwise!
As for how long before splitting, it depends. Lots of species can be split right away- and some MUST be split right away. Species like Birch and poplar, for example- the bark on them is rather effective at keeping water IN, and not at all good at letting it escape. Those woods are also very juicy when green, and less dense than many other varieties- meaning they will rot and get punky quickly, if they can't dry out. The upside is they dry very quickly once split. Sometimes it's easier if you let rounds dry for a while- till the ends begin to check and crack. Cottonwood is a great example of that- it's SO wet, that it becomes much easier to split if you give it a month or two after you buck it into rounds.
Most harder hardwoods can be split right away. If it was already dead when you cut it up, you can definitely split it right away.
Stack the wood bark side up, rain will run off and the stack will be more stable. Try it ,youl like it.
I’ll check it out thanks!
Have found that Oak leaves a lot more ash and needs to be removed often as does bark left on the rounds. In Oregon, I burn fir, I get dried pole ends [de-barked] at $175 a cord. Start buying and stacking in March and split the rounds in August. I bought a moisture reader at Lowes. When wood is at or less than 10% it's ready. Use a motorized splitter I bought from Coastal Farm for $900.00 about 16 years ago, I'm 70 plus and can't split up the 4 plus cords each year, but still have my mauls and wedges. Agree with burning dry wood, like seeing the wood-burning and then seeing the chimney and no to very little visible smoke.
Great point! I forgot to mention the no smoke concept.
Great advice if you have acres of land.
You don’t need acres of land. You can stack one or two piles in a pretty small area
A wood shed is a better option, less space less fuss better use of space. And the wood stays dry since rain and snow can't get to it.... Cut & split wood is stacked in the shed in early summer and is ready to burn by November, even oak is ready to burn by Halloween. Hello from Maine
It depends on where you are. I'm in the north Georgia/NC mountains and dampness/mold can be an issue here. I prefer direct sun and airflow. I've done both though and got dry wood if done right. Thanks for commenting!
@@SevenSparrowsFarmThree factors, air flow, sunlight and protection from precipitation. Your system lacks in the third factor... My wood shed has two open ends and the side walls are framed with 2x4s 8 inches on center, no sheathing on the side walls.... I might do a video on a wood shed one of these days.... Amazing how fast the wood dries after a few weeks once stacked in the shed....
@@MaineOutdoorsChannel The majority of the wood is covered by the metal roofing and other wood. When the sides get rained on, they dry out quickly. We can agree to disagree though. Definitely make a video though showing your set up.
On my wood shed I used clear polycarbonate roofing. It acts like a kiln. Only problem is you can not work in it after midday. Too hot even with a 20” fan blowing.
I’m watching from Atlanta, Ga. Where are you located? Good video and sound quality. God bless!
We are in western NC currently. About 2ish hours north of you. Thanks for the encouragement and glad you liked it!!!
Good idea using T posts for the bookends. Also great idea stacking in faces rather than cords. Aids drying time and a good method if you have the space to stack this way. Thanks for the informative video :)
You’re welcome and thanks for watching!
Let me say this from experience ,I sell wood for the last seven years and I started doing about thirty cords the first year and kept going up ,now I used to stack it and after 3 years of doing that ,it just didn't make sense to be spending that much time on something that I'm not making a real lot of money on ,I said I'm gonna make a big pad out of pallets and pile it and just see how it goes ,I didn't notice one difference and cut the work in half now I'm doing 150 cord ,unless u are stacking for you're house and maybe selling a little ,I mean to stack anymore than fifty cord is mental I would have to charge 950 a cord ,u learn over time this firewood thing is a ton of work man just a ton
I hear ya. If you’re working with that much firewood, I can definitely see how that would be an issue.
I use pallets and form a box with one side open works great
@@burnerloco4138 I use pallets to stack wood on. Also I make a box, a coral with pallets for smaller thicker, chunkier wood, (chunkers). I just throw the chunkers in the pallet bin. Sometimes the chunkers is all I need to take the chill out of the air. Or the chunkers can fit into the corners of the fire box to fit every inch of the box for an over night burn.
Just purchased a retirement home on 22 acres, 15 acres wooded, maple, ash, large black walnut, elm, birch. Purchased a 27 ton splitter. Now have 25 face cord of split and stacked wood for the next 5 to 7 years. Brand new wood burning insert heats my entire house. Now I can relax a bit in my old age with a good supply of wood. Ordered seasoned wood 10 face cord from a wood seller to get me by for 2 years.
Thanks for the video.
How many years would you say the wood would last before eventually rotting.
I have several trees that need cut down but don't want the wood to rot.
Glad it was helpful! I’ve seen some wood last three or four years, but not typically have it stay around best then. I would probably Google that one just to be safe.
I cut and split from trees which have died naturally (I would never destroy a live tree). I’ll use anything that is big enough to be called a log, and that means all the short off cuts and strange shaped bits round tree forks etc. I have two stores about 5m x 2m x 2m lined with damp proof membrane but with open ends for air flow. This works for me - the problem with your system is that (a) it uses a vast amount of land for storage, and (b) all the logs have to be more or less the same size, so where do all the short, misshapen bits go?
I’m 67 and use a large maul and a manual wheelbarrow. If I had to use some massive industrial splitter and powered machinery to haul it back I wouldn’t bother. Might as well just throw in the towel and turn the gas central heating on,
Thanks for your input! My system works for me and a lot of other people. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
As for the land, it seems like these rows could be doubled up. You could still reach all of the logs doing so.
@@ErikLiberty Maybe the point is that there is no “best way”. It depends on how much land you have available, whether you need it to blend in with a garden, the type of wood, the cycle time for seasoning, weather conditions and a bunch of other factors. I recently rebuilt my main log store with the same basic design but a lot better built and nicer looking. Cost and time of the build is not that much but it should last 20 years at least and blends well into our garden. Just a simple shed-like shape with open ends about 5.5 metres long by 2x2.5 cross section, made of 50x25mm treated timber frame, lined with damp proof membrane all round including the floor, roofed with treated feather edge just for aesthetics, not to keep the rain out. You don’t need the sun to dry the wood, but you do need air flow. After about a year just about any wood will be great for burning if stored this way.
One thing I didn’t like about the design in the video ( 3:40 ) is that you have to stack it carefully which wastes time and can get dangerously unstable if it bulges out to one side. I like to stack the logs without wasting space but also quickly. I also don’t like the idea of a temporary roof held down by blocks and bits of wire when with a bit of effort it can look much better and be semi permanent.
Question: Only issue I see is the roof. As you begin to take wood away for use, the pile will get smaller, and now the only thing holding the roof is the four poles. What am I missing? Thanks!
You’re not missing anything. Once you start moving wood from the pile, you’re either burning it or moving it to a more convenient location to burn. The goal would be to have it sufficiently dried out at that point, so a little bit of water/snow won’t hurt.
It would be great to have those hardwoods to burn, but it's hard to find them for even wood projects out in the NW!
I hear you! As more people are watching the video, they are commenting on different scenarios throughout the country. What do you wind up burning most?
@@SevenSparrowsFarm Fir
Forget the Oak unless you have 2+ years to let it dry. Hickory, Ash, Pecan, Hackberry, etc have lower moisture content when first cut, and requires around half the drying time Oak does.
After having the video up for a few seasons, I've learned that people have to use what is available in their area. We dried oak for about a year and a half, but burned other wood too. Whatever you burn, make sure it's dried thoroughly.
Nicely done, But.. This setup only works if you have enough space, I make holz hausen that saves space and it dries just as fast as this setup. And it also looks nice in the garden.
Thanks for sharing!
Do you strip the bark as well? I’ve found that stacking wood with the bark tends to collect more debris and dirt on the logs..
No I don’t. Splitting it, it often comes off in a triangular shape with only the smallest side having bark. If debris is an issue, simply knock them against the stack of wood before carrying inside.
Holy cow that's lot of firewood
It’s definitely a good amount. We didn’t use all of that in one year, but I’m sure some people farther north could have.
@@SevenSparrowsFarm I live in a 4 seasoned country i got like 2 tones of oak. I love the way they look stacked. I plan to move them indoors at the end of the summer. But I'm concerned about bugs? Should i a borax sugar trap on pieces of wood?
@@Hi-levels I"m not sure if I understand. You're wanting to move the wood indoors at the end of summer? Do you mean under a covering or under a shed? I've never done that before, so I'm not sure what to advise on that. I leave it out all year and keep it like it looks in the video.
@@SevenSparrowsFarm I bought seasoned wood most are below 20 percent humidity but some have bugs. Can i store them in my house? I have space. Because in winter they will go cold how will i burn it? How much do you stock indoors during winter? I didn't buy green wood
@@Hi-levels I guess you could store it in your house if you wanted to, but I wouldn't. You would definitely have bugs because of it. I would leave the wood outside and bring about a weeks worth onto a smaller rack near your home for convenience. The summer should help dry a lot of it out, especially if you can have direct sun on the wood. Wood will still burn if it is cold, as long as it has been dried out. Hope that helps.
Pine does not gum up chimneys or creosote them. Burning not dry or high moisture content wood does. Dry the pine and it is fine.
I addressed this in the description. Thanks for commenting.
A little note ash is probably the only wood that you can cut and split and burn without have to wait a year to burn clean.
Good to know!
True! That's why Ahs seems to be the preferred wood to burn in Maine, where, because of the brutal winters, we don't necessarily have a lot of time to wait for the wood to dry properly. Cherry's another preferred wood in this state. Dries fast, burns long and hot. Oak and Maple are both great burning woods, but they do require a lot of time to dry in order for them to burn properly.
@@mainenative9762 Nice! I lived in Searsport a looooong time ago. I had a very distinct accent and we enjoyed the beautiful area!
What about using wood that is already fallen? How can you tell if it's still good to use or even if it still needs to be seasoned further? Thanks for the great video!
I’ve used a little bit of fallen wood before. You want to make sure that it’s not too punky (mentioned in the video) from termite/bug damage. If it is still hard, you should be able to cut it up and use it.
@@SevenSparrowsFarm awesome thanks. I have a lot on the property around me
@@illadeligut Nice! Sounds like you're good to go then!
I took down two large standing, dead ash trees for my neighbor last month. The top 1/3 of the trees were at 22% moisture. Near perfect. If you can find the right one you can burn it the same day.
True, there will always be exceptions. Congrats on finding those two ready to burn trees!
What size t-post?
I think these were 5 or 6' t-posts
I have 40 acres to get my wood from. Some of older trees like to shed wood for me to harvest.
Congrats on having that much land!
How soon after the tree has been cut down would it be good to split the logs? Thank you
A lot of people that I know cut it down and then pile them up until they are ready to split it. Felling a tree can be a lot of work and so is splitting logs. I don't think there is a correct answer. I think the focus should be on how long you stack/dry them.
Some trees are easier to split when fresh, compared to letting them dry in log form for a bit.
I know I’ve had cherry that was cut into rounds and was super easy to split fresh, but when I let it sit for a few weeks it became a lot harder to spilt.
Elm is very hard wood to spilt by hand, while ash and maple are fairly easy
I've gotten several zoning notices from Balto County MD about my fire wood pile. They keep telling me I have to have my woodpile over 14" off the ground but will never show me the documented law stating it. Thing is everybody else in my area has their wood stacked on the ground between 2 trees. If I wasn't currently living on SSI, I'd hire a lawyer and sue them for harassment if they don't show me a law saying it's true and then I want everyone else to stack theirs the same way.
Sorry to hear that. Government overreach seems to be growing more and more.
Tends to be the other way round here in the U.K. we have laws about absolutely everything but nowhere near enough police to enforce them, so they really only go after the serious criminals and leave the rest of us to do what we like. Most neighbours understand that there is a bit of give and take over things like fences, trees, noise, lighting etc. and don’t make waves unless it’s a real problem. Even then you talk to the neighbour first and don’t involve the law if you can avoid it - any dispute must be declared when selling the house and may put off buyers.
Hi Are those standard 6 foot Tee posts?
They are either 5' or 6'. I don't remember at the moment. Either should work for you.
Is it s bad ideal to put firewood in a shed ?
Not necessarily as long as it has airflow. In my opinion, I want sunlight hitting it and air flowing in between the pieces of wood. One other thing to consider is moisture and where your shed is located. I am in the mountains and mold can be a problem, so make sure it’s not damp.
Would any storm or strong wind not destroy it all
Good question. We’ve had a lot of heavy storms and they have been fine. Obviously something like a tornado would knock them down just like a house.
Pretty basic question, but I'm new to this having just bought a large wooded property. Once you take the tree down and cut it into 18 to 24 inch logs, how quickly can I split it? Same day? Like drop tree, cut to logs, then split and stack all in one go? Thx
Yes you can split and stack immediately. Some Species of trees season/ dry faster than others, also the time of the year the tree is cut down affect how fast it will dry. A tree cut down in the fall or winter will have less moisture in it than a tree cut down in the spring and summer.
I think @firefightingmailman answered your question pretty well!!!
@@SevenSparrowsFarm great. Thanks for clarifying. And any guidance on moisture % to tell me the wood is dried out? I bought a moisture meter to help. I'm doing this on a water access only property in Northern Ontario Canada, so it's not like I can call the local wood guy and have him make a delivery... it's me, my boat, my saw and splitter and my 9 acres.... Thanks everyone
@@chrisfuoco5474 Honestly, I never really use a meter. This drying system always worked so I didn’t have a need for one. I would take a look at a couple CZcams videos regarding reading moisture and make any adjustments needed according to your climate conditions. Sounds like you have a great property and set up!
@@chrisfuoco5474 I've heard that 25% or less is ideal. the time it takes to get there is again dependent on species among other things already mentioned
Hey, I've heard about stacking wood bark side up. So, if you split your wood into (mostly) quarters and stack it just like you have in this video, it doesn't look like you are stacking your wood bark side up or down. I take it it doesn't matter?
I’ve never done it that way and have had no problems. Maybe it improves it somehow. Not sure.
I sell all the better btu woods, which means I end up burning conifer soft woods and other low btu hard woods. Pine does not cause creosote!! Wet unseasoned wood does! I'll take 15% moisture pine any day over 25% moisture oak.
Thanks for the comment. I added some updates in the description.
Build efficient houses then you will never again need to stack wood.
There are a lot of efficient houses in Scandinavian countries, but they still stack wood. i’ve gotten comments from them.
Any concerns with termites?
I guess I haven't dealt with them very much. Most healthy trees won't have much of an issue with them. I've seen more trees that are on the ground be destroyed by termites.
No worries about termites, they add ambiance to the fire when they snap pop and crackle. Just don't store the wood to close to the house.
truth be told, that messy pile is ideal for drying wood, for about six good months then make iot pretty
EU plans to ban firewood heating in the next two years.....so will watch this with nostalgia in a while.
Big government always getting in the way. 🤷♂️
One thing I like is keeping that choped wood close buy the cabin ..... 😆
We definitely keep a little bit near the house. We have a good amount of copperheads in the area though and they like wood piles. So we keep that to a minimum and refresh when needed.
Ugh… I just bought a huge load of wood that was supposed to be ready to burn in the house… but it’s 100% fresh cut and PINE 😰 guess I’ll stack it for next year.
Sorry to hear that. ☹️ when I first started burning wood in the woodstove, I was ttaken advantage of a few times by unscrupulous sellers. That’s one reason that I put this video together. Check out the comments here because some people said that pine can be burnt in less time than hardwood. If it was freshly cut though, I’m guessing that it would still need to be dried.
Get yourself a moisture meter, they’re pretty cheap and decent one should cost around $50.
When they come spilt a bigger piece in half and check center of wood with meter, don’t test on end as it dries the fastest. Do this before they even dump the load and reject it if it’s too wet. You want 20% and under, can prob get away with 22% if it’s a non cat stove.
All I ever burned is pine. I live in a pine forest and I am not going to buy oak just because its better. Pine is often free. Free wood equals free heat. Pine is cheap, burns hot, burns fast, built up in your chimminy. I have never had a chimminy fire in 40 years. Combine pine with oak. And clean you chimminy often. Not a big deal...other then heating your house for free!
Well you have to go with whatever is around you.
👍👋
To me the bottom braces and the tin are not necessary, at least in dry regions. The bottom row acts as your platform. It freezes to the ground so you just leave it until spring thaw and it’s fine to burn. I’ve never covered my firewood with anything either. Just brush the snow off and it’s good to go.
The area of North Carolina I lived in gets a ton of rain, so the bottom logs would wind up rotting and wasting a lot of usable wood. Obviously there will be some differences depending upon environments that the wood is stacked/dried. Thanks!
How much did all that tin cost? Holy crap. I hope you got it for free
🤣 It used to be a lot cheaper. You could use vinyl or really anything else to cover the top, as long as it stays put.
You keep saying a wood stove, but my wood stove only takes 16 inche pieces. My wood heater can take larger pieces such as the 24 inche pieces. My wood stove has a firebox, ash pan underneath, 2 eyes and a griddle on top, an oven, and a warming box.
There are lots of different sized wood stoves out there. People use different terms when they say woodstove. I’m talking about a wood stove that heats your house. Jotul, Osburn, and Hearthstone are a few different ones. Some companies make a wood stove heater and also the retro style Wood burning cookstoves.
Some places, like where I am, everything is pine, spruce and birch...for the most part. So keep an eye on that creosote. Ground is solid rock. Nothing else can grow on it. *Edit: Still some useful information. Thanks for taking the time to share. (òÓ,)_\,,/
Thanks for sharing! where we live in the south east, the pine gets really wet due to the constant humidity and I’ve heard it reacts differently to Northern Pine. I think that’s where the idea of wet pine/creosote comes from here. Since posting the video, I’ve heard a lot of northern friends mention that they burn pine so I made an edit in the description. thanks again!
@@SevenSparrowsFarm That certainly seems logical. Thanks for the indepth reply bud. 👍
@@bangdingow1414 Thank you for watching!
@@SevenSparrowsFarm No thank you! ...and so many of your knowledgeable subscribers. Good to know I won't have to clean out my chimney every few days. My first stove so I'll be keeping a close eye on it.
@@bangdingow1414 You'll be good. Talk with some locals that have owned stoves for years. They'll give you tips on the type of wood and how to get the most out of your stove. Most people in my part of North Carolina clean their chimneys once a year if they clean dry wood. You can also buy a cleaning log that you burn, and it helps clear up the creosote. Hope that helps!
Seasoned Pine DOES NOT "gum up" chimneys !!!!
We live in the southeast and a lot of Southern Pine is very moist which then causes more issues with chimneys. That’s why I made the statement. You can check the description for some added thoughts after hearing from people who burn pine outside of the southern part of the United States. There is also a lot of debate regarding pine burning with less heat or lasting as long as hardwoods so that’s why I mentioned that. iI you live in a place where pine is the main option, then go ahead and burn pine as long as it as well seasoned.
Bark side up always an it does matter
Great tip! I've not heard of it, but I'll add it to my toolbox!
When you say the 'best' way, can we take it you have tried the dozens of OTHER ways ?
I’ve tried lots of ways to dry firewood. Have I tried every single way? No. This has resulted in the best way to keep wood dry that I’ve experienced. Ultimately an opinion is subjective. Thanks for your comment!
Who's your dad? What do you mean it doesn't have to be perfect?
I’m not sure what you mean. What part of video are you referencing?
And then he mauled it,
I could have spun it around and Darth Mauled it.
@@SevenSparrowsFarm sAXvage my friend.
I guess you could say people are split in their decisions and you get a different answer depending on who you axe. You could get mauled for choosing to use an axe vs. maul though. 😀
Oh, good grief. Pine, nor any other softwood, will not "gum up your chimney." If anything, pine will burn hotter, producing a higher exhaust gas temperature, which reduces creosote build-up. The only time you will get excess deposits in a chimney is if you are burning wood that isn't sufficiently dry. That's it.
I added a section to the description adding some new information about pine.
😂 yeah but when all you got is pine you burn pine
True. And after some additional research, I found that Southern Pine (where we live) tends to stay wetter and then doesn’t burn as well. I’ve heard people mentioning outside of this area they regularly burn pine so I made a note in the description. Thanks for watching.
@@SevenSparrowsFarm am here in southeastern idaho, not much choice out here on what you burn. Great video and thanks for the reply back
Thanks for the encouragement and for watching!