one thing no one mentioned yet. Dont stack the wood right next to your house. Buggs like wood. when there done eating your firewood they will get into your house. I use my fireplace on the weekends and burn about a full cord a year.
If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership The benefits pay for the membership many times over.
Be sure to enter the NES/Pioneer Valley Arms February Giveaway ***Smith & Wesson SD9VE 9MM***
seasoned - maybe a 1/4 cord. anywhere on the North Shore I can grab a cargo van to pick it up.
Also, get a moisture meter. They're great when you're buying wood from a new seller. My seasoned red oak that I took delivery of back in July was almost perfectly seasoned (18% to 25% water content). So by the time October/November rolled around, those percentages were almost cut in half.
Wet/green wood should not be used for burning since it will be frustrating to burn, will consume too much energy trying to boil off the water and not heat the appliance and finally, it will lead to some serious creosote problems which will increase the chances of a chimney fire.
Prep: It's a good idea to be splitting/stacking next years wood now. Folks with wood stoves are working year round, especially seeking the FREE wood, the only wood...
I do around 5-6 cord a year, storing it is the bitch but I save a few grand in oi.
one thing no one mentioned yet. Dont stack the wood right next to your house. Buggs like wood. when there done eating your firewood they will get into your house. I use my fireplace on the weekends and burn about a full cord a year.
excellent advice. a moisture meter will save you time and money--and ultimately help you perfect the craft of seasoning wood perfectly. the old-school method of judging by weight it really useless considering that different types of wood have different densities
That depends on the species too. Ash can be burned pretty much right away and it will rot quickly if you don't. Oak requires a lot more time to season.
[cerberus];2730096 said:My parents have stacked up to 6 cords of wood on the front porch of their house for as long as I can remember, and they have never had a big issue.
I have to laugh at all these posts. There is no craft or science to cutting and stacking wood just a lot of manual labor. You cut it put it on the porch and burn it. It all burns, green wood, dry wood, oak, pine, plywood whatever. If wood is your primary source of heat you do what you have to in order to get heat. in the some odd 25 years or so my parents have been heating with wood, we have never had a chimney fire or any other issue.
Ok, I am going to change the subject a little. I have done some research about a back up heat source and in my opinion there is a better choice. Coal, specifically antracite coal is a better fuel source and back up source of energy. The main reasons are that the coal you buy today will be equally good quality to your great grandchildren. It can be stored uncovered and outside. You could store antracite in a pool of water for years and take it out and light it in minutes. It provides more BTU's than wood. It will burn longer, meaning that you only have to attend to the stove once every 12 hours (depending on the stove). It is not dirty ( I originally thought coal meant bbq coal , antracite is like a rock. One ton of coal is equal to 2 cords of wood and costs the same. The only catch is you need a coal stove. They are very similar to wood stoves but coal stoves need a hopper. Some wood stoves have kits that can convert it to burn coal.
The only other catch is you have to buy coal, wood could be obtained for free.
If I were to have wood for a backup, (and I do), I'd have 3 years worth. For me that's 12 cord. We go through 4 cord a year, and 3 years drying time is about right for us. Buy it green, season it yourself, and save money. Plus, you don't have to worry that you're paying for seasoned and getting green. Keep in mind that the new EPA stoves DO NOT LIKE wet wood.
Aas far as fireplace inserts: Don't most of them need fans to blow the hot air out of the fireplace into the room? Our wood stove is parked directly in front of the fireplace, and the flue is lined all the way up with stainless. This setup works mint. Keep in mind here that the lining will probably cost as much or more than the stove.
So......if everything were to stop tomorrow, no power, oil, propane, ect., we could heat our house without doing anything for 3+ years......
One of my goals is to put 2 tons of coal aside as a reserve , and two pallets of "bio-blocks" for the wood stoves.
Sort of like ammo : I have some for shooting , but I have an amount "put away" just in case.
If things get weird i can make do with not heating areas , and make the fuel go a lot further.
I just put a coal stove in my kitchen. it's cute , it's hot. Anthracite burns with no soot , no smoke , and much longer than wood. I started a thread a few weeks ago about trying to find coal...
Coal stoves can also burn wood if that's all you got.
I live in a 1770's house. 2 chimneys , 2 fireplaces each - one upstairs, one down. The lower fireplace in each chimney has an insert with blower. I hunt free wood all spring and summer , and buy what I lack if need be come late fall. 4 cords is enough to leave the oil furnace set a notch above "off" all winter , with a warm house.
One of my goals is to put 2 tons of coal aside as a reserve , and two pallets of "bio-blocks" for the wood stoves.
Sort of like ammo : I have some for shooting , but I have an amount "put away" just in case.
If things get weird i can make do with not heating areas , and make the fuel go a lot further.
I have the land, I just got to get going on it since it does take a ton of time to cut, split, and stack.