Seasoning Firewood

See also • The Best Firewood For ... for the Best Firewood for Burning In Your Woodstove
Follow us on Facebook: / theamericanoutdoors.net
Our webpage: american-outdo...
Pinterest: / pins
Twitter: / americoutdoors
You can also browse out Etsy Store for lots of rustic, vintage primitives and cast iron cookware right here: www.etsy.com/s...
american-outdoo...
Methods, descriptions and how to information for basic firewood storage and care,

[@iamthatguy1169]

I am an advanced wood burner, splitter, and seasoner, but I sat through this because it was very comprehensive and clear. This is the perfect video for people just starting out burning wood for heat... well done!

[@seantango2754]

We recently put in a wood burning fireplace to burn all the wood we've collected from fallen branches and trees, etc, on our property. This has been helpful. Thank you.

[@josephcooper5576]

Western North Carolina, Appalachian Mountains! Hardwood Heaven! The common Yellow Field Locus, really a brier brush tree, grows into one of the hardest, densest and hot burning wood on the planet! I'm blessed with it and a variety of Hardwoods on my property and wish everyone had a supply to try out for a winter! Happy and Safe Burning to y'all )

[@darleensargent8070]

I like the video overall and it has a lot of good advice for the novice. Just want to make one correction, ELM is considered a hardwood. The main reason for keeping wood of the ground is it will absorb moisture which not only promotes rot but also supports all kinds of bugs and other critters. Since I have two wood stoves which use different lengths of wood. I use a wood shed for one size and the other I stack on pallets covered with reused metal roofing. I used to use tarps but they tend to slow down the drying process. Just some thoughts from an old geezer that has been burning wood for over 60 years and still going strong.

[@Gnomehome14]

Man this is hands down the greatest video ever

[@vikingrobot4179]

I literally just started another side gig this year splitting firewood. We had a drought about 20 years ago and I can remember an arborist telling me in about 15-20 years all the oaks will be coming down because the drought dried up their tap roots and only the surface roots will be active plus root rot will settle in. Man was he correct. they started coming down during hard and heavy storms about 15 years later but this year makes about 21 years and the red oaks have been coming down like crazy. It seems after a hard , saturating rain and some wind the red oaks are toast. Some white oaks also. That all being said I kept getting people asking me to come cut up their trees so I decided to start hauling it off and now I’m pretty much actively getting some as I see them come down locally. Some people won’t let me take them because I don’t feel like taking the branches and renting a chipper shredder and cleaning it all up while others are happy to let me take whatever I want and they’ll deal with the rest. So far I’ve chopped 8 cords this summer with about three more cords of rounds that need split. I do it all with a maul and it goes pretty quick. Ive been keeping them on pallets and stacking the ends crisscross for stability. Ive been stacking them bark up which someone told me helps them hold up against rain. I tray to stack each cord between two trees so I can stretch a taunt rope across the top just above each cord pile to drape a tarp over and let it hang down the sides in a sloping manner. It keeps the rain off and allows for great airflow. I just use tent pegs and rope to tie off the bottoms of the tarps. Also I have a couple cords of poplar and red maple that I’m going to keep separate and give roughly a half face cord away with every cord I sell as fire starter wood plus I think customers will like that.

[@maximaniac7231]

I live on the Colorado Front Range. It's bone dry here in the summer. Lower than 10% humidity is not uncommon for weeks at a time with full sun. Winter can be the same way with very little snow. Heh, it's probably the best place in the US other than Phoenix to cure wood fast. Oh and everyone around here burns pine or nothing at all and you never here of chimney fires.

[@SteveTaylorTheLocalLeadPro]

Same here in the Eastern Sierra...

[@Glockdad]

You can burn pine. Or any soft wood. It needs to be dry

[@utasecretariatcharlevoix8604]

With your moisture meter, if you measure the surface, you will get the surface information. And it's always dryer than the interior. It is therefore better to resplit the log and measure the moisture in the middle of the log.

[@American-OutdoorsNet]

Thanks for watching and yes, you are correct. It is always best to check moisture at the heart of the wood.

[@beebob1279]

Thanks for the insight.

[@thejerseyj1636]

I might be a little nutty, but I brush off my wood before bringing it in. Leave the dust and loose bark outside. Also, for when company is over I stock core pieces or what I call the "filet mignons" just cause they look nicer, in my humble opinion. 😄 Yep, I'm nutty. ✌

[@louisgevas6783]

8

[@Northof25A]

Lmfao same OCD at its finest..

[@richtomlinson7090]

Some people show off there Paper Birch, with that white bark and they save it just for show in the fireplace. Burns great, but the bark is so resinous that it's a shame to not use it as a fire starter.

[@CascadeGriz]

Just discovered and really like the couple of videos I have seen so far.

[@2005Pilot]

Outstanding Job!! Thanks

[@falfield]

This is a good and thoughtful video, but for those buying in wood in quantity and hoping to burn it immediately, it would be good advice to add that a moisture meter may give an un-representative measurement unless a few samples are split and the inside surfaces are measured. The surface of a freshly cut log can dry very quickly in windy weather and you can have logs that look and feel dry and have plenty of early fine surface cracking, and yet are still 35-40% water on the inside. That's why you need a moisture meter, and to split a few pieces. Caveat emptor (buyer beware!).

[@daphlavor]

falfield I don’t pay for firewood anymore, Craigslist always has it listed for free, a lot of folks don’t want or can’t use it, so when a tree is taken down, it’s often listed, or sometimes while after severe weather, huge trees fall, and the power company subsidies will cut it up and leave it on the side of the road! I just acquired a van full of beechwood, and the next day was oak. Thanks

[@nmflash1665]

Wow, very impressed with this video. Very informative. Thanks for your time and effort putting this together.

[@ivygarcia9525]

That's ok. It was very informative "rambling". Thank you

[@danielanthony9621]

Really good video, I enjoyed the simplicity and your knowledge. The terminologies in my neck of the woods differs a bit "Appalachia" we say cured wood. Cured wood has been cut, split and stacked for 9 months to just under two years. Its good for burning but not for smoking. Now seasoned wood has been cut, split and stacked for two seasons "years". This wood is good for burning and smoking meats. And as far as non hardwoods go, burn it in your campfires but not in your homes unless your desperate and never cook or smoke with it.

[@danbradshaw9802]

Great video. Installing a woodstove in garage. Was going to buy a small lean to style shed to store wood

[@life-longpatriot8258]

I've read that the pins of a moisture meter should be placed along the grain, not across it. And always split a log and test the inside, since the outside of a log will dry much faster than the inside of the log.

[@JustMe-999a]

A face cord is 16" deep. It's 1/3 of a cord. 48/3=16.

[@dudeofwaybackwhen3878]

hey like your vid, no filler, direct and to the point. informative. new to burning, around here juniper is the wood of choice.

[@victoryfirst2878]

I tip my hat to you Sir. What you said is just right on, period.

[@rv3089]

I opened up a tree cutting business back in april and didnt save wood up until october. It’s good to learn it has to dry a while before burning it. 😕 Thank you

[@paulness8352]

Some fir trees like douglas fir, are pretty dense for coniferous trees. Woods lsuch as this and spruce burn just fine. Just need to allow them season for a few years. If you burn them hot, they dont generate creosote.

[@nightshade2979]

Paulness I cut down about a dozen fir trees about a month ago. left them in meter lengths + I split them in half... will I be able to burn them come November

[@SteveTaylorTheLocalLeadPro]

@@nightshade2979 Yep

[@thejerseyj1636]

Informative and enjoyable video about my favorite outdoor activity, processing my own firewood. The satisfaction of working with and burning your own wood is something I cherish. Nothing like coming into a house where the wood stove is burning. The scent is so pleasing. Another practical advantage is in case of power outage you have heat, and can boil water and cook on your wood stove.

[@adejaxon6350]

Very informative video, thanks.

[@rogervandergriff1851]

Great video

[@manuelmorales5729]

I appreciate you making this video. And yes... I learned a thing or two lol

[@tassiehandyman3090]

If you live in Scandinavia, you don't have a choice - it's softwood, or freeze to death. That said, those guys burn really dry wood. And BTW, nice Lopi heater you have there...!

[@warrencorcoran9824]

I love burning Pine, dry pine, I do heating for a living, engineering, "Burnham" boilers puts out a conversion hand book, it has a section on BTU

[@spencerwood2093]

I would use pellets to dry and season tons of firewood from February to June to October to December to July.

[@TheSanctuarySpace]

Thank you for the great info. i didnt know you had to season wood! Always Learning

[@hickoryhomes6838]

Great video and great information. I appreciate the info and guidance.

[@sidneybear]

Thank you so much, I've been thinking about why my condo fireplace wood is not getting much heat...it was never seasoned !!!

[@joshthomas7999]

Thanks for the good info! (elm is a hardwood, though)

[@applejack120]

Very hard wood at that and twisty hard to split.

[@franktoledo6342]

The buyer can also rotate the wood and stock up guarantee to continue seasoning. Good points. Great points on where you live.

[@soulplane7320]

I can definitely say I learned something. Thanks!

[@daryldecamp6295]

Thanks thought me a lot being a new wood cutter

[@trajan6927]

Good info. Thanks.

[@ericsloane1844]

Very informative . Thanks

[@motorzeit24]

really well explained !

[@brianwalker1933]

Just subscribed to you’re channel and learnt many good pointers from it. Very informative indeed. Your never too old to learn something new, thank you.😀

[@jso2332]

Gave a like for the intro song

[@Bryan46162]

Don't know why you're so against softwoods. Here in Alberta, we've been burning spruce and poplar for decades. We inspect the chimney regularly and have never had a buildup of creosote or anything else. A load of spruce in the firebox lasts anywhere from 4-6 hours and generates tremendous heat. Sure, hardwoods last longer but they also cost far more. Folks should feel free to use what's available. Next, folks should be aware that newer wood stoves are far more advanced than even those built 10 years ago even if they look the same to the casual observer. We had a top of the line Osburn originally and when it finally wore out after about 20 years of hard use we replaced it with a Droulet that happened to be on sale at Costco. The salesman gave me the same line that new models were far better now as they had to meet new emission standards. I didn't pay much attention but darned if he wasn't right. I would estimate the new stove get about 40% more heat out of a load of wood and it burns longer to boot. The take-away here is that if you've got an older wood stove that you use as a major heat source for your house, you really should investigate getting a new one. It will pay for itself quickly. Finally, I don't know what regulations are in the USA but here in Canada they really discourage the 90 degree elbow in the chimney's. They're just not all that safe. Straight up and out is the safest way.

[@martinbyrne6643]

Spruce dry is a great fuel it grows quick and is the cheapest wood one cab buy’ it lights up quick and gives out it heat faster than hardwoods ‘ it does not last as long ‘ hardwoods should be left standing and left to mature and not sawed down Willy nilly just because some wranglestar wannabe wants to show off his chainsaw skills’ there plenty of windfall hardwood to be gathered just lying rotten on the ground’ just get out there and gather it

[@SteveTaylorTheLocalLeadPro]

I have burned 6 cords a year of softwood in a wood burner for 25 years...would love hard would but not what we pay in our area

[@softailspringer9915]

Thank you!

[@michaelbook2019]

Sometimes wood with higher moisture is good if you want a long lasting slow burning fire, I mix it in with dry wood to make sure it at least burns

[@0wen1066]

Michael Book just started getting in to this and realised myself this was apparent. I normally stack a barrel bonfire with starter, scrap (like planks and bark), dry soft wood, dry hard wood, then fresh unseasoned on top with a bit more scrap. As the fire climbs and gets stronger / hotter, it burns slower and slower. The flames licking upwards burn the smoke from the fresh wood and dry it out. It’s normally still giving off loads of heat hours later without touching it

[@michaelbook2019]

Owen Adlam that’s great. I’ve noticed that a blazing hot inferno requires a ton of maintenance and eats through wood like nobody’s business.

[@0wen1066]

This is just a small oil barrel fire for us to sit outside in the evening with in the garden. For anything bigger I find myself hauling wood around more than I do sat down lol

[@midwestbd7144]

You can also throw on a round of unsplit wood to last through the night

[@Mytyweav]

Thank You.... I live in NorCal and have 19 acres of Oak. I have been guilty of stacking incorrectly and not neatly at times. I will follow your thoughts today getting wood up onto my porch for the winter. Thanks!

[@peter_kelly]

The softwood / creosote thing is a total myth. Burning hardwood produces creosote as well, just make sure to clean your (hopefully lined) chimney once or twice a year. Softwood or hardwood should be dried to 20% or under moisture content.

[@beebob1279]

You’re absolutely correct

[@ishure8849]

G'day AM ODRS, when you where describing the dimensions of a cord of wood at 1:40 did you mean 8 inches wide or 8 feet ?

[@American-OutdoorsNet]

Lol, yes 8 feet.

[@ruthwhiteman114]

Thank you

[@kencanoe]

nice vid ...great info...hey at 9:08 the moisture meter is running with the grain

[@PBS-nm1uu]

thank you great demo well informed

[@chadtalbot810]

Cut and burn dry wood even pine, chimney is still going to need cleaned no matter what. Love hot pine fires when it's below 0-F!

[@802louis]

Nice 👍

[@fike301]

I split the wood then check the fresh split face for the moisture reading

[@Chuck88keys]

That is the only "true method" for accuracy. Some people will use the meter on the outside, but they don't realize that after even only a few weeks, the outside is basically all dry readings will be no more than 5% but usually 1 - 2 %

[@larrybrockman5676]

Glad someone elsed pointed this out! This is an absolute must, that is you need to test the freshly split side of the wood to get a true reading when using a moisture meter. It is the best way in my opinion to know if you are burning seasoned wood or not.

[@slide4180]

How would a pallet, which is made of wood, keep bugs etc from climbing into your logs?

[@American-OutdoorsNet]

It is a sacrificial piece that eliminates ground contact with your firewood, thereby reducing insects and moisture/rot.

[@BAKERHUSKIE]

Very informative

[@HansumGent]

Nice video except for when you talked about the size of a full cord versus a face cord. A face cord is 1/3 the size of a full cord. Face cord = 8 ft. Length 4 ft. tall and 16 in. deep. Full cord is 8 foot long, 4 ft. Tall, and 48 in. Deep. Why can’t people seem to remember this? It’s important when selling the right amount of wood to a customer.

[@Chuck88keys]

Most people do know the 4 x 4 x 8................but i wonder about the guys who SELL the firewood to the unknowing customers. 90% of the time they deliver "short cords" which ends up being about 95 cu ft instead of the "cord " which is 128 cu ft. They KNOW it but won't tell you that. A few months back i ordered 3 full cords. Finally got it stacked up and guess what?.......................each cord ended up being close to 95 cubic feet ( i stacked the loads seperately )...........so i called the state and reported SHORT CORDS. They got after the guy who sold me that wood and V OILA!...................he came by a few days ago with a "FULL CORD PLUS" as directed by the state of CT. Don't let the cheaters get away with it. Call your state "Weights & Measures" office and report the seller. You will get RESULTS. I did.

[@dennisdunne588]

I think sometimes they call it a full cord because the inside of the container/box truck measures 128 cf. However if the truck is loaded with a FEL or conveyor belt it will be loosely stacked and lots of air.

[@davidwood9595]

A face cord is 4x8... It isn't a legal measurement. If you buy a 16" face cord, you're getting 1/3 of a cord. A 12" face cord is 1/4 of a cord.

[@fergusb2440]

It's easy to tell people to " only burn hardwoods" but remember, forests vary. In the boreal forest, there isn't the variety of tree species available that there is in the Carolinian forests of much of the US or southern parts of Canada. As others have mentioned here, they burn the best they have available!

[@WireMan-rg1kc]

Keep in mind balsa and poplar trees are hard wood (disiduous) and tamarack is a soft wood (coniferous).

[@danthedewman1]

the trick to seasoning firewood is get at least 2 years ahead..im at 3 years ahead

[@franktoledo6342]

Because of power outages people understand the value of wood.

[@Mytyweav]

Screw PG&E!!

[@blairhawkins7490]

When you're in the garage next to the Ben Franklin stove (fireplace insert originally), you say you measure dimensions of the firebox to size the wood pieces. No. The door width is usually 16 inches. You can jockey in skinny 18 inch pieces when firebox is 20 inches...2 inches on either side of the door. But a fireplace can take 18 or 20 inch pieces. Sellers will say 16-inch AVERAGE which means most pieces won't fit. Stove wood is AVERAGE 12 inches. 16 inch is maximum for most stoves. One cord of stove wood = 128 cubic feet (4'wide x 8'long x 4' high in 3 rows 16" x 8'...one row is a face cord) volume of (a) neatly stacked off the ground (b) dry (c) seasoned...dry on the inside (d) split (e) hardwoods (f) AVERAGE 12 inches. One third of cord volume is space gaps among the pieces. Wood on the ground is not firewood. It's compost wood, won't dry out, rots and becomes half dirt, breaks in your hand, won't burn in as little as a year. On Craigslist lots of wood for sale as firewood. Now I know the difference. Almost never do Craigslist ads for firewood actually deliver firewood. Best to load your own from a wood barn. Lumberjacks don't usually cut down trees with firewood in mind. You need a firewood opreation.

[@brucebannerman6848]

There is no such thing as a face cord,just made up by dis honest wood sellers

[@dennishayes65]

Blair Hawkins : I have a 25” deep wood stove with a 11 3/4” x 11 3/4” door opening. So I cut most of my wood between 22” - 24” long !

[@In_time]

I understand it’s best to burn only seasoned wood for the most part, but if you do have wood that’s not completely dried out, wouldn’t throwing it in the fire dry it the rest of the way? Similarly to throwing a damp shirt into the dryer to finish drying? Just curious! Thx!

[@American-OutdoorsNet]

Using your example, the shirt isn't the heat source, the dryer is. Here, it is the wood rather than the stove. The moisture in damp, unseasoned firewood will result in lower temperatures, which means a high amount of creosote forming in the chimney pipes. Using damp wood in the stove in this video for example, you may struggle to maintain temps of 350F with a wide open flu, where as using dry, seasoned oak may greatly increase the operating temp and allow you to begin closing your flu and allowing for longer burn times.

[@blairhawkins7490]

Once the unseasoned wood dries out above the kindling, it will burn hot. The stove heat also will dry out pieces stored near the stove.

[@dougw6211]

Best stoves made don't have flu's/dampers. The stoves I've built don't, & work wonderfully even when 80% full of ashes. That's 2 construction wheelbarrows full of ashes, in the one I built that takes 4' lengths, chimney on the far side from the door, put totally green wood under the chimney side, then seasoned wood inside the entry door, No air control in stove, or damper in pipe, only the little bit of air that can get in around stove door. Next morning the seasoned is gone, the green wood was seasoned, left the door open for 10 minutes, burned the pipes out, good for all day. This is heating a 30x40ft shop. This is with a 16-20ft metalbestos chimney, & the trick is to burn the chimney out every morning, even after burning seasoned wood, as the creosote accumulates inside the pipes, & if not burned out everyday will most likely start on fire by itself & could get out of control &/or burn your place down, very common if you can't afford a metalbestos chimney. Just leave the door of the stove open, draft open if you have one, & let those pipes burn out, if they get out of control, have a bucket of salt next to the stove & throw handfuls of salt on the fire. If you don't have clean pipes & have never cleaned them, DON"T EVER TRY THIS, YOU WILL HAVE A CHIMNEY FIRE, MAY BE YOUR LAST!!!!!!!!!All this is old school, my relatives/uncle did this everyday, no electricity, kerosene for light, northern canada, never a problem, ever, same with me, I'm 68 years old.

[@WatchRichRebuildsChannel]

No thank you for the great video

[@Chuck88keys]

Some of that wood in the picture has "stuff" growing on it. Not good

[@paulfarrar6115]

Geez guy, the best way to check moisture content is to press the wood against your cheek. You'll know immediately. It's quick and easy and FREE.

[@0wen1066]

Paul Farrar going to start trying this, that is I hope you’re not messing with us newbies

[@MangosColorados]

that's very nice but I honestly do not have access to hardwood. basicly just pine and eucaliptus.

[@Mytyweav]

Eucaliptus is Good wood for heat. It burns very hot and you need to let it go once in awhile to burn off the oils that might be collecting.

[@Mavoc400]

eucalyptus is great firewood lots of btu output and is a hardwood. make sure you split it wet. once dry which happens fast with the rapid oil ascension it is one of the hardest woods to split due to the grain structure. I have a (as we call it eucky U-key grove) I planted on my property for this reason. it grows fast in almost every climate and is a great house warmer!.

[@ishure8849]

G'day Greg have you got any 200 year old Ironbark grown on Ironstone ? I've got plenty not sure of the BTU rating but it will burn out your fire box every two years 👍🇦🇺.

[@richtomlinson7090]

@@Mavoc400 I've seen pictures of eucalyptus plantations where the trees are huge for such a short time. It doesn't grow in zone 5 though.

[@markojenko8022]

Thankyou very much for this video I’m from the UK, were about to purchase our first Log burner, I don’t want to buy seasoned wood, I want to purchase unseasoned wood and do it all myself and get the full experience. When purchasing Unseasoned wood can I cut it straight away and then let it dry for 12-18 months? Also I’m going to store some logs on pallets in the garden and some logs in our coal house, would you advise the coal house? It’s cool and dark will the slow down the drying process? Many thanks

[@American-OutdoorsNet]

Yes, you should start splitting right away. Airflow and light are important to drying times. Thanks for watching.

[@markojenko8022]

Thankyou

[@stephengrimes257]

I’m from the UK too. Don’t store it in the coal house. It may never dry.

[@TeamTopKick]

We only got pinion and ceder here.

[@richtomlinson7090]

If it's growing along with pinion pine, your cedar is the dense juniper family of cedar. I'm sure it smells great 👍 We have our Eastern red cedar on the east coast and it's under appreciated and rarely allowed to get big, because it can be a problem for local Apple trees, since it's a host for something that damages Apple trees.

[@marknussbaum8394]

I'd recommend you build a woodhouse. Your wood will look prettier and have way less bugs and dirt. And you can keep carryover firewood into next year just fine. Men don't seem to care that much about firewood looking pretty and having few bugs. Women do care very much. And women do NOT want bugs crawling out of the firewood when company is over. Not trying to be sexist, just my observations. Build a woodhouse.

[@American-OutdoorsNet]

Thanks Mark. I agree. We have added several lean toos and a couple small wood sheds on skids since this video, so done and done. ;>)

[@vikingrobot4179]

Ive been wanting to do this as well. Wish I had a sawmill. Lumber is outrageous .

[@drovavse5153]

Отлично всё понятно, какие должны быть дрова

[@fernnan6981]

Hey I’m stacking wood for the first time this year I’m just covering the top of the the pile is that ok if rain wet the “sides” of my stack which is not covered

[@charliekendall4288]

Yes. The ends will turn black and thats okay.

[@chief5981]

Good airflow is important, so stacked orderly and off the ground 👍🏽 The rain won’t hurt it

[@billrichardsjr]

Buy a moisture meter on Amazon. Under 20% and you are good.

[@makincash3337]

Do you rotate the wood while it's seasoning?

[@Motoko1134]

no, that is insane

[@mexifry222]

Lol heck no. That would be insane

[@mosesstrange9753]

Did he say 4’x4’x8”?…..

[@henryholliday1]

elm is not a soft wood

[@redcanoe14]

Your are indeed correct, I split many tons of 30" rounds in the UK and it is very hard and difficult to split. It was traditionally used for making the hubs on wooden carts.

[@henryholliday1]

holy shit man 30" rounds I split 12" for the first time this season and that was a bitch I split three of the 5 rounds with my 8 lb splitting maul 3 wedges and my axe the last two I "noodled" with my chainsaw cutting them in to 4 pieces which was way easier my saw sank into the rounds like a hot knife through butter but dulled the hell out of my chain

[@redcanoe14]

Yeah, that was 30 years ago after Dutch Elm Disease decimated the beautiful, big Elm trees in England. I still have the 7lb Stubai Maul and 'Grenade' wedge. The Elm was very 'sinewy', fibrous wood, it burned very clean with a bluish flame and a nice odour leaving very little ash.

[@ishure8849]

G'day woodsman spirit what a splendid poet you are .

[@ryatar6988]

Can u season wood in a basement?

[@hockeyslade]

Not a good idea. You need airflow.

[@fljetgator1833]

🤔 the moisture from the wood then wicks into the air.. 😐 NOT good for the basement which will get 'musty' .. & certainly not good for house above 😎

[@Jemalacane0]

I still don't get why firewood isn't sold by weight. Coal is.

[@baronratfish3865]

Because it would have to be weighed. If you process firewood, or use it to heat with. You'd know how impractical that would be.

[@richardmack1194]

Because wet firewood weighs more than dry wood, so heavier weight, would cost more but be less good.

[@mwnciboo]

In a word "Water"...1 ton of seasoned wood, weighs the same as 1 ton of green wood. Yet the amount of fuel could be 1/4 less for Green wood because it may have 25% water...So you only get 75% of the weight of fuel. With seasoned wood you get close to 100% weight of fuel.

[@BrendonHoppy]

Where I live, ( Spain) Everyone buys and sells firewood by weight except for me, I am the only one that sells firewood by the cubic metre, firstly because it's a pain to weigh every load. Also some of my competitors say they deliver a 1000kgs when in fact it's only 500kgs they deliver that way they pull customers in easier by advertising, say 1000kgs for 100€ when it's really worth 150€ but as they only really deliver 500kgs. It's very hard for me to compete with liars and cheats to attract new customers, but by me doing the cubic metre for 75€ people slowly work out that my deal is better although it sounds more expensive as they can compare the size of their supposedly 1000kgs by eye. Thankyou for the video, I love to see how other people do things, and you are absolutely right about the truckload deal and how big a truckload,, it's a common con here too

[@midwestbd7144]

There are some places that sell by weight, if all of your wood is dry it makes a lot more sense than selling my volume.

[@santana9154]

Bii dat you?

[@johanntilli5640]

apparently we Finns do everything wrong

[@inplumbumnosfides3883]

That's not nice Rae West. The only Finnish word I know is Moti. Has something to do with firewood as I remember. Here's an American saying the Finns got that right in 1939 and 40 against the Soviets.

[@dennisdunne588]

I'm curious what you do differently. For some things there are more than one correct way to accomplish a goal.

[@RichardAmuir-f2l]

DUDE ALL WOOD FIBRE BURNS AT THE SAME TEMPERATURE. HARD WOODS ARE MORE DENSE.

[@warrencorcoran9824]

The dryer it is the better it lights fire,, it also burns better and hotter, soak a piece of wood in a bucket of water, another bone dry, see which piece burns hotter, seasoned, vs fresh cut, soaked in bucket of water, metaphorical for unseasoned firewood. Softwood has more BTUS per dry pound, more BTUS per pound means its burning hotter. Goggle it, look it Burham boiler helper guide book

[@mikemb123]

what a waste to cut down a living tree just so you can have your polluting fire.

[@Devoneakapimp]

You sound foolish. God created natural resources for this purpose.

[@josephhecht573]

Wood heat is the most environmentally friendly source. Its carbon negative. Any carbon produced by burning is already present in the tree and is released as it rots. You can’t say that for oil or propane.

[@maxhole2]

mikemb123 , one tree down gave you a fit huh? I guess what we do would truly give you nightmares. LOL!

[@whoisit123456789]

Storm damaged or dangerous trees are plentiful and free where i live.

[@randym3351]

Cutting down a tree opens up the forest floor to sunlight meaning that new trees can grow thereby providing food and cover for wildlife. In MN, an acre of clear-cut forest can result in up to 60,000 poplar saplings. Deer love them, grouse love them and they make great paper. Wood burners have the best of both worlds. It's called forest management.

[@Robjmar7]

Great video. Thanks

[@9carcottrell246]

Great video

[@USAlien234]

Terry Pratchett - 'Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life.'

[@copperheadh1052]

Whenever I go to Harbor Freight, I usually fill my truck with free pallets. I split my wood and stack on the pallets which are placed out in the sun and wind. The wood burns great 12 months later. (Oak and hickory). I have wood stacked all over because I am a firewood hoarder, and always will be.

[@thejerseyj1636]

It gets in your blood doesn't it ?

[@218philip]

A little known fact is that a pound of dry wood produces equal BTU’s regardless of density (species). Softwoods are good if dry and burned hot enough, stoves should not be damped down to quickly. Wood moisture will reduce the efficiency, cool the fire and result in creosote. If trying to burn frozen green wood your efficiency will be reduced as much as 80%.

[@RedPetrol76]

We`ve never had any problems with softwood in our masonry heater. We have a compulsory chimney sweeping every year and chimney`s always been in a good shape. A masonry heater burns the wood much hotter than conventional fireplace. There won`t be much of coal even when burning hardwood as large amount of coal is a sign of inefficiency

[@beebob1279]

You’re so fortunate to have a masonry heater. I e read about those for quite some time. I’d like to replace or upgrade the fireplace to a masonry heater. And you’re right. My readings show that the complete burn of the masonry heater doesn't allow creosote to build up. It gets burned off

[@clarencerswann1360]

Some "hardwoods" are rather soft, like Cottonwood and Tulip Poplar, and some "Softwoods" can be hard, such as Australian Cypress (which is harder than White Oak). Also, not all conifer trees are evergreen or are deciduous, like Larch, and not all broad leafed trees are deciduous or shed their leaves, like Live Oak or American Magnolia. Additionally, the term softwood comes to describe the seed, as in many confers, the cones are soft; whereas in oak for example, the acorns are hard. Lastly, you can burn pine, spruce or fir wood just fine so long as it is properly dried and seasoned. I mean folks in the Pacific Northwest have been doing it for decades, and what about the folks in Northern Europe and Scandinavia.... they've been burning conifer for much longer. Burning wood that is too moist is what causes creosote buildup. You can get terrible creosote from burning oak that isn't dry enough, and we all know how long it takes to season oak.

[@geoffgwyther7269]

Thought you might like to know.. In Scandinavia , very few people burn conifers. Always amongst the pine type trees are birch and willow. alder etc. .Birch is always the prefered firewood. Cuts easy ., splits easy . burns superb. Most Scandis buy it in the spring , split and stack for one summer and burn in the same winter. The climate is very dry in Sweden, where I used to live,. split logs dry very quickly. Not like in the west of the UK where I am now . I always work at least 2 years ahead. Every house in Sweden has to have it`s chimney swept every year by law. They are paranoid about fire hazard. another reason they won`t burn softwoods. because of the tar in fresh pine.

[@simplytk5251]

Lots of great information. Top notch video. Thank you!

[@786otto]

Nice video.