Wet wood in a log that has been cut for years.

[dmccarty]

I did not want to hijack the Dead Tree For Firewood discussion even though it was very timely, as usual for TBN, for my firewood question.

I had numerous trees that fell during Hurricane Fran which I think was in 1996. There was a big oak that fell down, at least 30 inches at the stump. I cut the tree into 8-10 foot logs in 2000-2001 and placed the logs on some rocks so they are/where off the ground. The bark is off the the logs. This weekend I took one of the logs and cut it into sections and started to split the wood since we where about out of the firewood and we had a ice/snow storm heading our way.

The split wood was wet to the touch but not rotten. The tree has been down a good 8 years and the ends where checked. The only way water could get in would have been from rain fall.

I split most of the log up this weekend and stacked it so that there was plenty of air flow. Its a red oak and it was really red with the moisture. Yesterday I checked the wood and it was dry from what I could see. Certainly in comparison to the day before. I should have split a piece to see if it was dry inside but I did not have the time.

Has anyone seen anything like this before? I really did not expect the log to be wet. Espeically from a tree that has been dead for a good 8 years.

I'll likely try to burn some of it tonight so I'll see if any water comes out of the end grain.

Later,
Dan

 

[Boondox]

Wish I could help you, Dan, but we have exactly one huge oak on our property and it's my retirement plan. When I feel the ravages of old age are about to catch up with me I'll drop that tree, cut and split it, dry it for a couple of years and stay warm the last winter of my life!

Pete

 

[bczoom]

Dan,

Ahhh, the beauty of oak.
I would consider what you're seeing as normal for oak. Those things will last a very long time before starting to rot.
The inside is probably close to where it was the year it fell.
I cut several trees into firewood lengths but didn't split for a few years since I already had a couple years worth and wanted to slow the drying process. The oak still seemed green. The cherry and maple were dry and the maple was loosing a lot of density.

Let us know how it burns tonight. I think it's going to burn as if it were green wood.

 

[kensfarm]

I bought a load of logs from a lumber mill this year.. some huge red oaks. Not sure how long they had been down.. but the firewood looked pretty wet after splitting. The wood turns a lighter shade after drying.. but still sizzles in the fireplace. I should probably let it age a season.. but I'v been behind in my firewood chores.. and use the oak after I have a good bed of coals going.

 

[DocHeb]

When wood dries in the round (unsplit), cracks develop in a radial fashion. I thing the radial cracks will let rain go deep into the wood, while the intact Cambrium layer (outer layer of the trunk) is relatively intact resisting the drying of the wood. Over time, the water in is more than the water out.

 

[dmccarty]

bczoom,

I'll let everyone know how it burns. I have cut up quite a few trees that came down in Fran and after the first inch or so the rest of the log was still good and solid. The oak takes along time to rot even if it is on the ground.

I split a bit of wood early in the fall from some downed trees. I did the most I could with the time I had but that wood is about gone. I have litterally tons of logs put up here and there and figured that they would be dry since they have been down and cut up for years. I figured I could just grab a log and start splitting when I needed some wood.....

That plan may not work with some logs. Now that the house is done I'll have time to split wood. Next winter I won't have this problem. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I have some other logs that are smaller but the bark is still on them but I know they have been stacked up for four or five years. May have to give them a try. We have another chance at an ice storm at the end of the week. The wood stove is really keeping our house warm and knocking the power bill down. But its going to be real cold if we loose power and have no wood.

Later,
Dan

 

[bczoom]

Dan

Try the oak tonight but it may sizzle. It'll burn but may require more air (I assume you're using a wood stove).

The smaller stuff may burn better. Besides oak, what other choices do you have available?

Heck, it's wood... anything you have mentioned will burn if you really need it to in a pinch. What's bad is when you don't have any wood available.

 

[Jim_Fisher]

Dan,

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I split most of the log up this weekend and stacked it so that there was plenty of air flow. Its a red oak and it was really red with the moisture. Yesterday I checked the wood and it was dry from what I could see. Certainly in comparison to the day before. I should have split a piece to see if it was dry inside but I did not have the time. )</font>

You gotten a lot of good answers. I'll offer two additional suggestions.

1) Split enough for your immediate needs into relatively thin pieces so that it will dry faster, assuming that you are using a power spiltter.

2) Bring a supply into the house now. The humidity in a heated house in winter is usually lower than it is outside. This will also help to raise the humidity in the house which will make it feel more comfortable. Then you can mix it with some of the wood stored outside when you burn it.

 

[dmccarty]

bczoom,

Pretty much all oak. I have some hickory that is going to kill be to burn. One small tree that got wacked but a falling oak I think was Poplar. The wood is white with a tinge of green. I love splitting that stuff. One wack with the splitting axe and it splits clean and easy. I have all but burned this up though.

I have been thinking that the wood we have is not really seasoned as well as it could be. The stove is heating the house but I expected it to be hotter. The top of the stove has gotten to about 400 degrees but no higher.

We have a 6 inch PVC pipe that runs from the outside of the house, under the slab, and pops up in back of the stove. I was going to direct connect it to the stove but there is no need to do so. When the stove is burning you can feel the air being sucked into the house. Works real well.

Only a few pieces of wood that we have burned over the last couple of weeks steamed water from the end grain.

Later,
Dan

 

[bczoom]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I have been thinking that the wood we have is not really seasoned as well as it could be. The stove is heating the house but I expected it to be hotter. The top of the stove has gotten to about 400 degrees but no higher. )</font>

Yep, sounds wet and/or green. Mine struggled to get over about 6-700 degrees with wet wood but easily remains at 1000-1100 with seasoned.

If you have a manual adjustment for the air intake, just keep it open a little farther and see what that does for you.

BTW - that does sound like poplar. Doesn't provide much heat though. Where's your log splitter?!?!? Oak splits nicely but a splitter makes incredibly quick work out of it.