How Long Does It Take To Season Red Oak Firewood

[@dustinpotter8312]

In southern Michigan red oak will not dry if left on the ground. I always use pallets or sacrifice firewood to raise the stack off the ground. Always tarp the top with a dark tarp black preferably. Wood will dry in humid conditions if you can keep moisture off of it. Use a tarp long and wide enough to drape over the edges of a stack. If you can get air flow underneath the stack you can use a full drape configuration otherwise never try to go beyond 1/2 of the height of the stack but always use a dark tarp to cove with. Inside of a wood shed the wood still needs to be off the ground so every year all the fallen bark etc has to be removed to permit air flow. Rain in summer can blow into a stack. Snow will blow into a stack at that point you need a full drape to prevent snow blowing into a stack and warming and then refreezing otherwise you will just be putting ice into your fire box (outdoor boiler not indoor wood stove). Effort always has to be made to keep the wood from getting re-moisturized. Black walnut is notorious for water retention and is harder to dry than red oak while only having about 75% of the btu content when both are properly dried.

[@Man-Time]

Excellent tips and tricks!

[@davecalvo6418]

This is a loaded question but the short answer is one season will do it pending: It was cut before the sap ran into it in the spring It was stored in a sunny spot to dry over the summer and off the ground ( I use plastic pallets) The split pieces are not too large It was tarped only on top come fall or brought into a wood shed

[@bobbyjuice3935]

Agreed

[@Man-Time]

Excellent points!