What is Seasoning Wood?
Contrary to popular belief this has nothing to do with adding appropriate amounts of salt and pepper to the logs.......
The process of seasoning is reducing the moisture content to a suitable level,which is normally around 10 - 30%. This can be tested using a moisture meter which will give an approximate reading.
It is essential that the logs are split before the seasoning process to increase the surface area of the logs and therefore allow the moisture (sap) to escape.
Trees that are processed during the summer will have greater amounts of sap in them so will require a longer seasoning time. We predominantly work during the winter when the sap has dropped.
How long should logs be seasoned for?
A minimum of one summer ie April to September, although ideally 12 months or longer. Most of the logs that I sell are from trees that have blown over within the last 3 years so there is less sap (moisture) in them and then stacked and dried for around12 months.
What is the best wood to burn?
The Firewood Poem
Beechwood fires are bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year,
Chestnut's only good they say,
If for logs 'tis laid away.
Make a fire of Elder tree,
Death within your house will be;
But ash new or ash old,
Is fit for a queen with crown of gold
Birch and fir logs burn too fast
Blaze up bright and do not last,
it is by the Irish said
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.
Elm wood burns like churchyard mould,
E'en the very flames are cold
But ash green or ash brown
Is fit for a queen with golden crown
Poplar gives a bitter smoke,
Fills your eyes and makes you choke,
Apple wood will scent your room
Pear wood smells like flowers in bloom
Oaken logs, if dry and old
keep away the winter's cold
But ash wet or ash dry
a king shall warm his slippers by.
In summary: All dry wood will burn.
It is possible to burn softwood logs but they need to be well seasoned.
Can I store my logs outside?
Yes you can as the moisture in the wood is best removed by allowing the wind to blow through the log pile as this has a greater drying effect than just keeping the rain off.
I store my logs in a long wall about 2 metres wide at the top of a hill that allows the wind to blow through the wall removing moisture with corrugated sheeting on top keeping the worst of the rain off.
The logs should be transferred inside 24 hours prior to burning to allow any moisture on the surface to dry off.
Why is burning firewood considered good for the environment?
Because the trees will eventually die, fall over and release the carbon they have captured during their lifetime. By burning the wood you also extract energy (heat) from them. Provided another tree is planted in place of the one you've burnt then the process has a low carbon footprint. Generally when a tree fall over it allows the light into the spot it once stood which allows the smaller saplings to accelerate their growth which will replace the old tree.