There is no fire that will light and burn reliably if the firewood’s moisture content is high. Freshly cut wood can contain up to 50% water and therefore NOT suitable for burning.
Heating your home with wood? Do you build campfires for fun,
warmth or grilling food?
Entertaining family and friends by a fire pit on your deck,
patio or backyard?
YOU NEED DRY WOOD!
HERE ARE A FEW WAY’S TO HELP DETERMINE IF YOUR FIREWOOD IS DRY ENOUGH TO BURN.
1. OBSERVE THE COLOR As wood ages it becomes discolored. It darkens into shades of gray. This is a good sign of dry wood (See pic below).
2. LOOK FOR CHECKS OR CRACKS. If the wood is dry, you will often see checks or cracks on the ends of the logs (See pic below).
3. USE A MOISTURE METER
Simply press one of these tools against your firewood logs and it can
determine its moisture content. Remember that 20% moisture is optimal.
4. LOOSE BARK Inspect the firewood. If the logs have loose
bark or no bark at all, this is a good sign that the wood has aged.
5. SOUND When you strike
two like pieces together, dry wood will sound hollow with a sharp “crack”. Wet
wood will sound like a dull “thud”.
6. WEIGHT Dry wood
is much lighter than wet wood (same species).
7. SPLIT FIREWOOD is better.
Un-split wood dries very slowly. But when wood has been split, more
surface area is exposed which leads to faster drying.
8. Last but not least…. TRY BURNING SOME! If the wood is wet with a high moisture content, it will sizzle and bubble at the ends. This is NOT good.
HERE’S ANOTHER WOODBURNER PRO TIP:
It’s one of the best ways to “season” firewood.
First split the wood. Then stack it outdoors and off the ground for at least 1 year. Cover the top of the wood pile only and place it in a location where it is well-ventilated and exposed to sunlight. Bingo! There you have it…. the most efficient way to season your firewood supply.
But there’s more… stay tuned to The BZ Blog for upcoming articles with our best tips on how to season and store your wood supply.
BZ
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