11 MISTAKES PEOPLE MAKE WITH FIREWOOD!

[@imaseeker100]

Been heating with wood for 45 years. Excellent advice all around. Well done.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks!!! Keep cuttin'!

[@jameschandler2776]

We have a 24X 42 ft. shelter house that holds about 60 cords of wood. We used to keep it about 1/3 full of wood but when I was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, I filled it up so if I passed, my wife would have wood for at least 6 years. Lukily, I am in remission, but we still have a lot of wood on a concrete floor with a metal roof. It will keep indefinitely there. Great information. I have delivered to people that have their wood sitting on the ground next to their shed and don't know why it rotted in 2 years.

[@stephenc2296]

Prayers

[@InTheWoodyard]

Keep fighting my good man! Nice wood supply!

[@craighellberg4366]

I have some health issues and did the same thing for my wife. But I think the “wood therapy “ is keeping my issues from getting more serious. Keep up the good fight.

[@artcogswell6752]

😅

[@artcogswell6752]

😅

[@johnsandell4501]

This episode was a true graduate course in wood burning. Clean out your stove regularly #12. Your episodes are so thorough 👍👍👍

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks 👍 That is a good one! More of a systems topic...I might do a video on that some time! Thanks!!

[@chloezapata4152]

​@@InTheWoodyard I have been using my ashes to lightly fertilize my lawn, sprinkle generously to kill poison ivy and even use it with water to brighten up my concrete.

[@OpenAirAdventure]

"The right amount of wood is more wood" best advice ever.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yes, that is the right amount! Thanks!

[@AmericanRusticWoodworks]

However before fifty years ago not one person dried their firewood they split it as they needed it the winter they were using it so......​@InTheWoodyard

[@justindeming3553]

This is the best information about wood I have ever heard! It’s the same facts I try to tell everyone,and as most of the comments prove, not many listen because they know better. What happened to people listening and learning. Great Job, In the Woodyard!

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@Sambaman66]

Very good video. You are a natural presenter - good pace, spoken clearly. Thanks!

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks for watching!

[@jeffcarinda1719]

Nice video Chris. I’ve burned wood for both heat and just enjoyment and I would say the BIGGEST single mistake most people make is not waiting for their wood to properly SEASON.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Great point! Dry is good!

[@Stacked3403]

Absolutely, I go out hiking looking for shed antlers every spring and make mental notes of what trees have came down over the winter, I usually wait at least 2 years before I bring them home. I usually burn ash and they are ready to burn when I bring them home and split it

[@portervaughan4828]

​@@Stacked3403do you find your chain dulls quicker on the dry wood vs green wood? I do with hickory and oak...

[@Stacked3403]

@@portervaughan4828 interesting, with ash I haven't noticed a big difference but I really don't cut much green wood, I also hand file my chain at the start of each day so that makes it especially hard to tell since it's usually cutting good

[@piobmhor8529]

Having your wood near where you’re going to need it is important. When I was a kid, we used to cut in the fall and stack it in the woods to age. We’d come out the next fall, cut next year’s wood and haul out the stuff we cut the previous year. One fall, we went out to find that somebody helped themselves to the wood we took all our sweat equity and time to cut. This was on Crown Land so anyone had access. I heard my dad say some words my 10 year old ears never heard before. We cut green wood and hauled it out to season in our garage, then we had to buy some seasoned firewood for the upcoming winter which we could hardly afford. From that year onward, we usually kept two years worth of wood in the fall, split and stacked. Learning from that, today I do the same. At any one time, I have two years worth of wood on hand; half green wood for seasoning and splitting, and one ready to burn. I also try to have 1/2 cord of wood inside the house in my basement so that my wife never needs to dig wood out from a frozen rack outside throughout the winter. Keep warm my friends.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Sounds like a good system. When I was a kid the rule was more is the right amount.... so we cut as much as we could as often as we could. Most of the time we had 5-7 years worth at a time.

[@ChadFinney]

Bar none, the best home heating source is wood. After a day of heating my home with wood , the floors and walls keep the heat. I burn 24/7 cold months. House will even stay warm for a couple days when box needs cleaned. Your videos motivate me to get out of the house and cut when I feel lazy, that I very much appreciate. Keep it up!!

[@InTheWoodyard]

Totally agree...keep cuttin!

[@walterbuller9171]

Excellent video. Thanks for making the time to do it. However, you failed to mention one important fact relative to whole house wood heating as we practice: There can be times when you just can't cut and split your wood as soon as you should for proper seasoning before burning. Such reasons can be sickness, your work schedule, family problems, equipment issues, etc. So, you therefore need to reduce drying time as much as practically possible. You do that by splitting the wood into smaller pieces, as you mentioned, but then stacking it 4 square in a well ventilated area. Put an old piece of tin on the ground, or anything else that won't quickly rot. Place 2 pieces of split firewood facing each other, about 15 inches apart or whatever distance will allow you to then place 2 more pieces at right angles on top of those first 2 pieces. Then just repeat this process until the stack is as high as it can reasonably be without fear of it falling down, about 4-5 feet or so. Doing this allows the air to pass through this stack of wood much easier than is the case if the wood is just stacked tightly on top of itself as is typical of a cord or a rick of firewood. All that extra air wicks away the moisture in the wood much more efficiently. You could even have a fan blowing on it to speed up the process. I have used this drying method on wood that I needed to burn in only a few weeks with no problems at all. Our cast-iron wood stove is a Kressno from Canada.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks for the input!

[@wayneprescott5648]

Excellent video. Information that took me years to pickup from different sources in less than 20 mins. One thing you may want to add: I have seen people using moisture meters at the end of logs. Correct me if I am wrong but the best way is to split the logs you are thinking of burning and check the centre of those. A log with 15% at the end of the log, when split and tested 'internally' can show as 25%. Thanks for the video - subscribed 🙂

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yes, I split the wood open and check the INSIDE!

[@cliffjenkins6419]

Very good sensible info Chris. It never fails to amaze me how many people do so much wrong when it comes to home heating with wood. On some of the wood burning industrial boilers I worked on you would see the fuel feed screws(18 inch screws) slow by up to fifty percent when good dry sawdust/shavings/bark etc was introduced to the furnace. On the biggest boiler, this constituted a saving of 400+cubic metres a 12 hr day. Just shows 9000 btu/pound is measured @ 20% moisture. We sometimes burnt twice as much for the same 45 mw output. Cheers from HB NZ

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup, lots of details in wood burning!

[@kenbrown2808]

one thing my brother pointed out and I see so much of now that he called it to my attention, is wasting the chaff from the splitting. operation. he fills ventilated baskets with the shreds of bark and slivers of wood a mechanical splitting process invariably produces, and never has to make kindling. personally, I take branch wood, and crack one end, to let air into it, and stack it with my regular firewood, to have a ready supply of kindling.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup, for personal use that is great...but for commercial production it is not a good use of time and is not worth the effort for the little $$.

[@TinaMarie869]

I'm old and my granddaughters were down to visit. Told the 11 year old to tell grandpa to get me some kindling and she stopped and said. I don't know kindling 😂 love her heart she thought it was a person

[@kenbrown2808]

@@TinaMarie869 aww.

[@johnsonr9]

I like to split mostly on the smaller side but in my stove I generally mix a variety of size and species depending on the outside temperature and how long I want the fire to last. Great review of the important points.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Sound like a good system! thanks!

[@hermancm]

Great video! I’ve been heating my homes for 15 years now and I live in a northern area where free scrounge hardwood is easy to find and acquire even if it’s not on your property as it’s often on a neighbors land or you can clean up smaller wood left behind in the woods by loggers.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Free is good!

[@Alstigen]

Great video Chris with advice worth its weight in gold. I'm a householder in central Sweden and I've been felling, cutting and splitting for heat for 45 years now. I tell people: "I'm starting to get the hang of it." You never stop learning and improving if you keep your eyes and ears open. I'm 73 but I've still got a lot to learn about firewood. Keep up the good work! 🪵🇸🇪🪵

[@InTheWoodyard]

Absolutely, having an open mind and ears lets more knowledge come in!

[@TinaMarie869]

I agree! Common sense is a lost thing and most do not want to learn. I am grateful for the one's that do

[@rogerbelanger295]

Top video on firewood. Good clear message.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks!!!

[@mvblitzyo]

another great video on firewood , im just an arborist but I do firewood as a hobby for myself n the Mrs n friends ..

[@InTheWoodyard]

That's awesome! Thanks for watching!

[@zlvirag]

Very good info., and very well presented. Thanks. But I must say I have to smile whenever I hear or read "moisture meter readings"(percentages etc...) I'm 78. Lived on farm as a kid. Heated our 2400 sq. ft home with wood for many winters when my own family was young. Now, at our cottage we again have a wood stove and I cut wood for it every fall. And I do follow: -keep pile off ground, no tarp, just rain/snow canopy, split right away(sone kindling, some medium size and some bigger pieces to keep fire going during the night), use only dry stuff. But I still do not have a "moisture Meter".

[@InTheWoodyard]

Awesome! Yes - if you are using all the wood for yourself you do not "NEED" a moisture meter..you know what you have, how old it is and how dry it is. I sell 220-250 full cords every year and I need to know if it is good to go for my customers and to deliver a good product and the meters help me to know where the wood is at for moisture content. Thanks for watching!

[@tdarassp]

I have my moisture meter so I can check when local wood sellers are trying to scam me with upcharged "seasoned" wood. If I see 30%+ moisture on my little money saver machine, I tell them I don't want it.

[@joeahopelto8032]

Speaking of thinking burning wood, my grandfather was one who cut corners to save pennies. He had a wood furnace in the farmhouse, but set up a 55 gallon barrel in the center of the first floor and burned as large a round as he could wrestle into the barrel! It so hot you could see the flames through the side of barrel and the heat would blister the varnish on nearby wood trim!! It was a miracle that house didn't catch fire. By the grace of God we were spared becoming literally roasted humans.

[@joeahopelto8032]

I forgot to mention we harvested mostly ironwood to use for heating.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup, you where very lucky!!!!

[@InTheWoodyard]

That is hot burning wood for sure!

[@jeaneaton2731]

😮

[@kenappel6149]

​@@kennethjansen9002are you drunk?

[@andrewmuller269]

Great video.Having witnessed years of stockpiled firewood turning into something like a lava pile in the summer bushfires here in Australia. A good tip is to make sure firewood heaps are kept away from buildings and infrastructure with good clear access when stockpiling.A lot of good firewood wasted over here in the 2009 2020 black summer fires.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Maybe where it is stored matters a bunch... we are in a crop field...no forests around.

[@chloezapata4152]

Good tip thank you

[@bryantcochran5065]

Great information and good reminders. I have to build a new wood shed.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks for watching!

[@AirborneEclipse]

Thank you, it’s been decades now since my years cutting and managing wood for heating and cooking with a wood stove and I’m about to install a cooking wood stove. All these reminders were extremely helpful. Blessings to your family.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Glad I could help! Thanks for watching! There are over 1600 videos on my channel and a new one every morning!

[@andrelanglois4960]

Very informative video, Here in Yukon Canada, wood dries fast thanks to very dry climate and 24 hour sunlight days in summer. Unfortunately, we don’t have hardwood but split Aspen dries in four months and burns well as I heat my whole 2800 square foot house in winter . Even by 40 below, spruce, pine and aspen does the work. Thanks for sharing

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup, all wood burns! And you burn what you have!!!

[@timrydman-mr5hp]

Very good info to get the most out of the wood you have.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks 👍

[@privateuploads-geo2625]

Nice points. I cut my wood to 16” and split small enough so that I or my wife can easily pick up a log in one hand- much easier for making and feeding the stove and less likely to drop one on your foot! I use drying racks that others have shown on KZbin- i cut rounds may 1st that measured 28% moisture. By July 3 i split a few again and most measured 12-13%. My wood gets air, wind, and sun. Before winter i move some of it into my firewood shed nearer the house- those that remain on the racks through the winter i do tarp, but the lower part is uncovered and I’ve have no moisture out mold issues.

[@InTheWoodyard]

It sounds like you have a great system and in turn have great firewood! Good work!

[@jimlyndoe2927]

Your advice is very good , wouldn't do it any other way. Thanks

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks Jim!

[@larryvankirk7423]

Nice talk Chris. I agree with everything you are saying. Only thing I would add is to stack or pile the wood so that everything is going to be dry at the same time. Not so important to separate by species but it all needs to be ready/dry at the same time or as close as possible so that you can burn/sell the whole stack at once. GNI

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup, for selling that is true!

[@raymair7294]

Great information, you confirm many of my observations

[@InTheWoodyard]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@TheCreditShifu]

great video, a lot of good info in here

[@InTheWoodyard]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@noel3065]

Hay, now you sound like the old Chris. Glad to see your over your cold. I probably did tell you but because of you I don't have the so call night logs anymore, because I can get more in my firebox and easier to get my 8 to 10 hours burn time with it dampered down and get a hotter fire. thanks Chris

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup, pack the stove and damper down to slow the burn and get more heat out of your wood with DRY wood!

[@coreyriley7160]

G’morning Chris. Mistakes, I’ve made ‘em. Mistakes, I’ll keep making ‘em. Great videos, you certainly make ‘em !!! GoodNightIrene

[@InTheWoodyard]

I mike a lot of mistakes too! If you don't make mistakes you are trying very hard to improve anything.

[@ChrisLaughlin-e7x]

Thank you so much for this video! You just saved all my firewood.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Glad I could help!

[@manormouse1410]

Great channel. Best advice Ive found so far. Can`t beat experience

[@InTheWoodyard]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@unite4freedom185]

I found if you have the room in your basement load it up with split wood ready for the stove and use a dehumidifier with the heat to get the right moisture content. It may take a few days to a week. But it will cure your whole pile at once

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup, that works well, my brother does that, I have done videos of it at his place in the past a few times.

[@davidedwards3734]

Great video!! One of the problems we have in my area of SE Georgia, people sell green wet wood!! Stay Hydrated and Have a Safe Day

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup, wet wood is not good to burn!

[@JesseLJohnson]

Think that is a problem all over.

[@chrisjones350]

Great info Chris ! Must say I learn lots of your channel for my wood yard in the UK .

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks for watching from across the pond!

[@woodman8261]

I'm in northern Wi. and always have 2 to 2.5 years of firewood on hand,that's great advise.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup, winter is long and cold up there!

[@davidself3169]

We have made the mistake of cutting our splits too small and not accounting for the shrinking when it dries out. We have split green wood to the size we want to sell. But when we come back in six months, it shrank to a really small size. So now we split our wood into pieces that are bigger than we want to sell know that it will shrink to the right size. David

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup, wood shrinks a little when it dries.

[@michaelswartz8698]

Excellent need to know info, Thanks!

[@InTheWoodyard]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Shane_Reynolds85]

Pendleton Wool; a man of class!

[@InTheWoodyard]

Good eye you have there! You nailed it!

[@JesseLJohnson]

I have a pair of shoes made with Pendleton pair of Nike AF1. When I saw them I had to have a pair

[@TheCookster64]

Good stuff. Another thing is to stack your wood. It will get more exposure to air and sun and the bottom of the pile won't rot. Try to put your wood racks facing the South side for more sun if possible. I moved all my wood racks inside a shelter I used to use for my 2013 Challenger R/T (I had a garage built so I no longer needed the shelter). Works great and I can split wood in the rain if I need to.

[@InTheWoodyard]

I have piles of wood in pallet bins LOOSE and it dries much better than stacked!

[@TheCookster64]

@@InTheWoodyard I can't see me building that right now, I'm selling and going to NH next Spring.

[@roncaron-l1r]

Good morning Chris good to see you again ( Ty Ron

[@InTheWoodyard]

Good morning!

[@BertsCustomCuts]

I could see covering pile to ground after it's dry just before winter to keep the blowing snow from getting in. The other things I have seen are woodsheds that dont have vents to allow wood to dry properly.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup, good call Mr. Cuts!

[@michaelleduc219]

Good summary. I sell also, and see these same mistakes over and over.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks for watching!

[@jackdawg4579]

I would add "Make sure you can access your seasoned wood easily ". My father has two 3 x 3 garden sheds he keeps his split wood in. The stuff at the back is probably 10 years old because he burns the stuff from the front each winter, then just fills up the gaps he made with more wood in the summer. Then he whinges his wood is "smokey" I keep telling him to just stack along each wall of the sheds so he can access the older wood at the back, but no, not him, he only sees one thing - the right amount of wood is "more wood" !

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup, you are right...first in first out! More is the right amount.

[@DanielAtkinsFirewood]

When i am stacking directly on the ground, I go bark down. Since Douglas Fir bark is really thick, it makes a nice insulator between the wood and ground. 8 months later, bark stays behind, and the wood itself is nice and dry.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Interesting! Thanks for the info...I like it!

[@toddpacheco4748]

Another excellent piece of advice Chris and video 😮😊❤

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks again!

[@vincentperiolat4610]

thanks for the information, I definitely learned a few things. ✌️💫

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks for watching!

[@martinv.-]

These are the kind of videos I'm here for! Let's gooooo 🙌

[@InTheWoodyard]

Glad you like them! I will do more in the future.

[@wittsend1961]

Good morning Chris... I'm currently 3 years ahead and have 2 cords sitting in rounds to be split next trip home... Luckily we only need 1.5 -2 cords per year to heat..Oak snob here 😂 so time is definitely needed to dry

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup, oak is slow drying stuff!

[@karenbenning2166]

Fantastic video!!!! I learned a lot. Thk u very much.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks for watching Karen!

[@bobbysoza3798]

Thanks for sharing the knowledge this Monday Chris appreciate it..

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thank you for watching Bobby!

[@frontyardfirewood]

Good video, i took 3 cords out today, have my pile on the ground, 100% waterlogged wood on bottom foot of the pile. Growin mold and mushrooms. Its ok tho, tossed em to the side, casualty of war. Will go to pallet depot this fall and revamp the whole yard. First year of mass production is going great. Thanks for the tips tricks and tactics

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup, gotta get it off the ground and dry!

[@FredFlintstone21]

I had a similar situation. Previous owners of our house, left a big pile of wood on the ground, this spring, I finally got to it, dug it out of the ground, very heavy wet wood. I split it all and it's dried nicely this summer. It's perfect wood for bonfires outside! That way I keep my good wood for the wood stove!

[@attitudeadjusted9027]

Great vidio and we always cut in the winter for the next winter and everything drys nicely for a year. We use ash and elm to light off our hotter wood red oak when it gets down into the lower twenties. Then we switch to black locust and mulberry till it gets down to zero. Below that we switch to hedge (Osage Orange) mixed with locust. We heat a 2800 sq ft four bedroom two and half bath two story with one centrally located wood stove. We use about six cord or seven in cold winter, a season. Currently have 14 cord cut last winter split and stacked so we're ready. A wood we are really happy thats overlooked is mulberry. Splits easy, drys fairly quick and burns fairly hot if cured right. Just found your channel so ill sub. Excellent vid and keep your powder dry and your pantry stocked young man 💪😎🙏🏻

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks so much for watching and the info on your firewood system!

[@jkeane39]

Well , the more I watch the less I know but always learning I have learned a lot from your channel. Thank you .

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup, me too, the older I get the more I realize I don't know much!

[@robreece4927]

Very useful information - thanks for the learning experience. I enjoy watching your videos . . .

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thank you for watching!!

[@stevengardner7216]

I was building a wood shed this year and ran out of time/material so wrapped my carefully collected stash of Jarrah in an airtight tarp weighted down with logs and old bricks. Couldnt have got the wood wetter if Id tried. I'll try do better next year, thanks for the advice🙂.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup, it has to breath!

[@kevinholbrook7174]

Hey, Chris I came up with another scenario for #12: Buying wood from someone else that said that is ready to burn and they just cut it and split it last week. Awesome 😎 information!

[@InTheWoodyard]

Good one!

[@JohnWoodbury-xk2cb]

While I understand what you’re saying that generally applies only to green wood. When the wood comes from a standing dead tree generally you won’t have that problem. If there is an exception to this it mostly happens from the trunk wood closest to the stump of tree.

[@draganarc0131]

@@JohnWoodbury-xk2cbI have cut standing dead elm that has been dead for a few years, no bark left on it and when splitting it, the water is squishing out. All the way to the top of the tree. Capillary action at work. It still took a year to get down to 20% moisture.

[@TwinCityFirewood]

Great video! Pretty sure I’ve made all these mistakes 😂😂. But I’m making less and less after what you’ve taught me!! Appreciate ya Mr. Chris!! 👊🏻

[@Andrew_From_NB]

🔥💯👍🤜🤛

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks, how is the tooth pick supply doing?

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks!

[@TwinCityFirewood]

@@InTheWoodyard 😂😂. It’s always stocked, but I do have trouble remembering to refill the toothpick holder I keep with me. I’ve packed it around for over 10 years. Thanks!!

[@songsfromthelord888]

Thanks, Chris! God loves you - love Him too 🙂

[@InTheWoodyard]

yup!

[@outdoorswithlarryrobin]

Good Morning Chris, Right on Brother! 👏🪵👍🏼🇺🇸

[@InTheWoodyard]

Good morning! Thanks, I wanted another brother!

[@tesoro2250]

Lots of good info here. Thank you for training those that need it.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Glad it was helpful!

[@PhillipDrumz]

Great tips, thanks so much Chris. Would you have a resource or book reference to learn all the type of usa woods

[@InTheWoodyard]

Sorry no, It is all in my head....however there is a lot on line and I have a few videos about wood ID.

[@PhillipDrumz]

@@InTheWoodyard I’ll check those out! Thanks

[@Andrew_From_NB]

Great vid Chris! 🔥💯👍. Always appreciate these types of vids you do! 🤜🤛 See you soon! Andrew from NB :)

[@InTheWoodyard]

Appreciate it! Thanks!

[@Andrew_From_NB]

@@InTheWoodyard you bet! 🔥💯👍🤜🤛

[@GarrettDeacon]

Hey chris, i have a big pile of 70 cords on pallets. it has been sitting since december/ january. i dug into the pile today and the bottom 5 feet in soaked in water. any recomendations on what to do about this for next season. Thanks love the videos

[@InTheWoodyard]

Smaller piles. 2 pallets on the ground. better drainage. more open area....It needs to breath and drain for sure!

[@jasonlwatson4226]

I would also say that having a little space for some rotting what is not necessarily a bad thing once it had completely dry out maybe like sawdust consistency. It would make a good firestarter or kindling for when you wake up in the morning and all you have is hot coals in the ashes of the firewood.

[@InTheWoodyard]

maybe so.

[@thefirewooddoctor]

I enjoy watching your older videos. Shows that you came from himble beginning with a box store splitter, stacking by hand, and no tractor. All the tools you have now are nice, but not many small guys can afford them. Their mistake, if they do it, is to buy log koving equipment and a processor to keep up with you BEFORE they have the client base to support the sales necessary to warrant the expense of such equipment. Wish I could afford a small tractor. Would be able to move logs to be split and cut right where they will be stacked. But a decent conveyor to load the truck for me then take to stacking could double production. But that takes time to find a good farm conveyor to use for firewood. Patience is the key in the firewood business when it comes to the equipment that makes life so much easier.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup. I just keep moving forward and reinvest the money into better tools.

[@swingbelly]

Well, Chris so much for our firewood supply. Last week here in Toronto we had 2 days of non-stop torrential rains, some 35 inches/90 centimeters (anathema!) No where for the water to go. The ground was saturated. The creek that bisects our property overflowed.The raging current swept away 2 fully dried cords of mixed hardwood PLUS all of the freshly cut maple, birch and mulberry limbs and trunk rounds. They are now probably floating in Lake Ontario on their way to New York State! Damn, a heart breaker! Surprisingly, the stone firepit was unscathed. Fortunately, one of my neighbours has a backyard FULL of unsplit maple that I can have. Gonna be a busy summer and fall harvesting that stuff. Chain saws are aready and need some exercise. Especially the Jonsered and the Echo. The Stihl will sit as backup. Also, a good excuse after cutting, transport and stacking for a few "wobbly pops" (beers - Canadian ones). Life couldn't be better! Cheers, Norm 🇨🇦🍻🍻🍺🍺.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Wow, tragedy! Wood supply floating away!! Sadness!

[@SamFlintstone-m3c]

I have found over the years of heating with wood full time with a in door stove. The smaller splits are a hole lot easier on the grates. Once the grates are glowing hot the weight of the wood is what warps the grates faster.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Great tip! Thanks for that one!

[@Trevkongable]

I appreciate the words of wisdom friend. I subscribed and will continue to watch your other high quality videos. Thank you sir

[@InTheWoodyard]

Welcome aboard! Thanks for watching, there are over 1600 videos on my channel waiting for you!

[@Trevkongable]

@ I’m looking forward to them! Thanks so much

[@billobermeyer660]

Great advice Chris and GNI

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks Mr. Bill!

[@barondavis5692]

Great advice! Thank you

[@InTheWoodyard]

Glad it was helpful!!

[@michaelmichigan9254]

Thank you! Always enjoy your videos and have learned a lot from you😊

[@InTheWoodyard]

You are so welcome!

[@scottshearer735]

Tips #1-11 have wood ready. So helpful.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Glad it was helpful!

[@phillhill9792]

43.5 years here heating. Never split till it dry cracked. I would split it then if more than 22 inches. Less pieces = less fumbling & handling. Older now, make that 16 inches now, maybe 14" next year. P. S. 10" or less I use a 12" electric sliding miter chop saw. Got tired of mixing fuel & sharpening chairs 30 years ago.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Sounds like you made heating wood for yourself....I sell wood to people that want dry, consistent size pieces for fireplaces...they give me money to get what THEY want and lots of it. I have only been at this for 55 years now and I only cut split and sell about 250 full cords a year...just a beginner and I have lots to learn.

[@phillhill9792]

@InTheWoodyard yep, heating only. sold wood a couple of times when asked. It was when you mentioned drying a couple of years that the cracking came to mind. Yes I too mention to people that drying standing trees is not only ez but store easier also. Great video. & effort ? You helped a lot of people

[@stevenkukene9970]

I cover the top of my stack with tar paper (stapled down) allowing rain and snow to run off but air still circulates under and through the pile. Cinder blocks, landscape timbers and 2x4’s keep it dry as can be

[@InTheWoodyard]

Sounds great!

[@randydavis8053]

Very useful information

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks Randy!

[@GregPrince-io1cb]

Good Morning Woodhounds!! Rain in Ashville Ohio...yea!!! needed it

[@InTheWoodyard]

Morning! Good to hear!

[@kennethbriody8396]

In a pinch you can cover your spilt green wood you can cover it with nlack plastic and it'll dry real fast ,kind of like a solar over

[@InTheWoodyard]

The sun and wind dry wood.... in the open the best.

[@vincentnail2881]

Very good video Chris!

[@InTheWoodyard]

Glad you liked it!

[@edisoncarteresq9111]

Saturday- brought to house as poles, 1 week- cut to size, 2weeks- split stacked stored, Ready for winter! Bring it on!

[@InTheWoodyard]

Nice!

[@edisoncarteresq9111]

@@InTheWoodyard interesting! All the wood was cut to length using my electric Royobi ten inch blade wood saw! Believe it or not!

[@Edgy01]

I’m the splitting process the bark comes right off our wood. I break that stuff into reasonable sized chunks which I in turn run through my commercial sized chipper shredder…..turning into a nice pile of material to use for ground cover…keeps weeds down, etc. use everything.

[@InTheWoodyard]

okay.

[@keithvincenttucker9923]

I live in northern Alberta. We basically have 2 choices. Poplar or Spruce. There is birch around, but it is far less common. Pine and Tamarack also grow here, but even less so than birch. Basically, unless you are lucky, its just the two. When I used to burn wood, I would try to mix the poplar and spruce to even out the heat and burn time.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup, good thing ....all wood burns!

[@aldredske6197]

Good afternoon Chris!!😀😀

[@InTheWoodyard]

Hey there Mr. Al!

[@kirkbrown8189]

I agree with everything you said! 👍

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks for watching!

[@TittleCreekOutdoors]

I like to spilt my wood into 1-2" thick planks about 6-8" wide. I did this last year and most of our wood was good and dry in 9 months. I put two stacks of fresh, cut red oak in a metal building with a fan this summer and in 6 weeks the internal moisture content is right at 30% so far. I figured 4-6 more weeks and it will be around that 20% mark.

[@InTheWoodyard]

I hope so...oak dries slow. Does it get any air flow besides the fan??

[@deanrambler9006]

I am trying to split the thinner slabs also. This gets lots more DRY wood in the firebox at a time.

[@TittleCreekOutdoors]

@@InTheWoodyard there are a few vents in the bulding to allow the hotter moister air to rise and go out. The hottest part of a sunndy day the temp will be between 25-30 degrees warmer inside. It acts like a kiln in a way.

[@TittleCreekOutdoors]

@@deanrambler9006 it definitely helps. The only thing that sucks about the thinner splits is you have to do more handling of the wood.

[@rednhrailroad]

I stack all my out door wood bark side up so all the wood acts like individual umbrellas (instead of bowls) in case snow or rain gets on the pile. That way of stacking might alsohelp the logs fit together so the stack won’t topple in high wind or if it’s bumped or pulled while taking wood off the stack.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Okay! Good work!

[@lewis9888]

Loggers left a lot of branches that are small enough that I will not have to split the logs. It may take three years to dry, but I can not see splitting it. I know a guy who cuts a tree down, cuts it up, splits it and deliverers it. A friend of mine that bought wood from that man always had trouble burning the wood because it was too wet.

[@InTheWoodyard]

You are right! Dry is much better than wet!

[@jessefarrington6029]

I am glad someone else thinks the same way I do! Big chunks are no good. Variety is good. Green oak takes up to 4 years to dry . Ash dries quickly. Poplar is only good for kindling. Beech goes by real quick around here. White birch also. Mostly oak.beech. rock maple. Ash . Yellow birch . White birch. Cherry. Here in Maine.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Right on! All wood burns and all wood is good!

[@dog_guy-c8x]

Where I live in northern Ontario Canada all I have is pine spruce and poplare they all burn just fine and heat my house just fine so no there not just used for kindling wood.

[@jday6421]

Great video, glad I came across your YT page. I am still new to the firewood game, about 1.5 yrs, but know very little yet. Damn near impossible to find any kind of mentor, not many folks splitting firewood down here in the panhandle of Florida. I own a Beach Bonfire company and burn most of it for that. Since starting I have found myself in a nice position to grow tremendously, just need to gain the knowledge and unfortunately I learn better in person/hands on. This gave me a feel that I am greenhand by your side learning the things I acutally need to be! I find/burn oak for my customers at the beach bonfires but will admit that I hardly know for sure. I can usually say its some species of oak, although often when I split some logs and see the meat, I am not so sure. I started on a whim when I found a 13ton single wedge splitter $700 off at lowes, which has saved me about $35-$45/per fire running about 7-10 fires a week! Good machine to start with but need something more efficient and quality to start supplying a few restaurants and businesses that have reached out to me. If you ever had a moment to share some knowledge on where to look and companies you recommend I would certain love to talk! Thanks again for this video, I look forward to seeing more from yas!

[@InTheWoodyard]

Sounds like you off to a great start! There are over 1600 videos on my channel here all about firewood...everything you need to know is right here and another new video EVERY morning! Thanks!

[@The_Alpha_Channel]

Well said. Thank you.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks for watching!

[@davidcaldwell3681]

Thanks for the good tips.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks for watching!

[@MyClutteredGarage]

Great tips! Thanks!

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks for watching!

[@michaelharris1486]

What is the moisture content of the different types of wood that would be appropriate for burning. I winter camp and use a wood burning stove for heat and cooking inside my cotton canvas tent. You may not like this, but I have found the pressed sawdust is great for winter camping. Menards has it in brick form. It leaves very little soot in the stove pipe; smaller amount of ash and it gives out more heat for its size. I do still enjoy cutting and chopping my own wood.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Below 20%

[@TittleCreekOutdoors]

You always want 20% or less. The lower the better typically. The sawdust bricks are great but just don't let them get wet or they'll be useless.

[@mikemoore3750]

A good way to start a fire in a wood stove is to use dryer lint and kindling. Works great.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup, I have done that too!

[@nospam3409]

Wood dries through the exposed surfaces which do NOT include the portions covered by bark. Spitting it, even just splitting it in half, drastically increases the surface area available for drying. The faster you can get the moisture out, the longer it will last on the wood pile because the moisture will promote bacterial growth that helps the wood break down (ie helps the wood rot). Small splits can burn slow if you shut down the incoming airflow BUT as the fire starts to burn out, there won't be much of a bed of coals left. This means that if you're splitting your wood small and filling your firebox, you really need to be available to add more wood in about 8 hrs or so. If you mix your wood with a variety of sizes, including a big knotty piece, you can come back in 16 hours or more and still have a bed of coals buried under the ashes. Railroad ties are really good for keeping the wood off the ground if you can get them pretty cheap. You can put a pair down to stack on, or you can split one in half with a saw and stack the firewood across both halves. Be careful cutting RR ties. The saw dust is toxic. The cages off of IBC totes (275gal) are great to stack wood in if you have a loader or tractor with forks that you can use to move the full cages around. They aren't cheap, but they last a long time and make for a really easy way to move firewood from point A to point B assuming the ground is either dry enough or frozen enough to use equipment in your yard. Standing dead trees start off with a LOT less moisture in them. They aren't dry, but they can often be dry enough to use right away (not ideal). If you have to cut live trees, cut them in the winter after the leaves have fallen. The leaves actually suck the moisture up from the root system. When the leaves fall off, the moisture (and nutrients) return to the roots and get stored for the winter. Cutting a live tree after the leaves fall off will reduce the initial moisture content quite a bit. It's not nearly dry enough to use right away (like standing dead timber can be), but it's still better than a tree that was cut in August when the leaves were still green. If you have to cut a live tree while the leaves are still on, it needs to be cut into firewood lengths and split ASAP. Cutting it and stacking it without splitting can end up causing the wood to rot before its actually fully seasoned. That's a disappointing lesson to learn the hard way...

[@InTheWoodyard]

You ....my good man .....are not just another pretty face in a crowd! Spot on! Keep cuttin'!

[@larrywheaton7037]

Some good advise . What's your take on hackberry ?

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks...hackberry is good firewood above average.

[@privateuploads-geo2625]

One more thing i am trying this year i also saw by other KZbinrs: when splitting your logs, instead of doing the 8 pie/ triangle shaped pieces, i split in half, then take a small piece of the end, and the middle pieces I can put into rectangular shaped 2.5” x 4.5” pieces. They stack easier on the rack and in the firewood shed; i think they will also stack better in the stove, give me a 4th side that I think will give better air flow and burning. Time will tell but its easier to stack rectangular pieces from my perspective.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yes, I make a lot of what I call slabs or shingles 2" thick by 4-8" wide...dries fast and stacks great! Nice stuff!

[@privateuploads-geo2625]

@@InTheWoodyard the system involves moving the wood a few times... Rounds and splits to drying racks... Drying racks to wood shed... Wood shed to porch... Porch to stove...I view it as getting paid to work out

[@twoboys1dad]

I hang a tarp over my slices, using bungee cords so it’s hanging about 1 foot over the slices. Keeping the sides bare allows air all round. They are also on pallets

[@InTheWoodyard]

Awesome!