# log down for 7 months is it good firewood?



## Ric3077 (Oct 17, 2006)

If a log has been down 7 months but was just split 2 months ago will be it DRY WOOD or is it still GREEN...mostly white oak I am talking about...thanks!


----------



## trimmmed (Oct 18, 2006)

Still green


----------



## Husky137 (Oct 18, 2006)

The answer won't change over here. :hmm3grin2orange: :deadhorse: 

Wood does very little drying in log form. I busted up some oak logs yesterday that were down for two years. Very wet. Keep your split wood nicely stacked in a sunny well ventilated area and try some in the fireplace or woodstove. It'll probably burn OK, just have lots of kindling to get it going.


----------



## computeruser (Oct 18, 2006)

Green! Oak takes a long time to dry out thoroughly. Here in Michigan, it is probably a 18 month process to get all but the smallest pieces thoroughly dry. If you split it recently, figure on it being ready to burn next winter.


----------



## blis (Oct 18, 2006)

a year or two in good stack and wood is dry.. but as said before, as log with bark on it will never dry...


----------



## NYH1 (Oct 18, 2006)

I don't really know to much about oak, other then I've heard it takes longer to dry then other wood. I cut down some cherry trees 5 and 6 years ago. 99 and 00, or 00 and 01, I can't remember. It was down but mostly off the ground. I split the last of it last year (05) and it was SOAKED! It's ready for this year, but it was definitely not burnable last year.


----------



## Ric3077 (Oct 18, 2006)

WOW thanks NYH1 and everyone else...I guess wood definatley needs to be split before the drying ever starts...there is a few people selling wood that has "been down all summer" but then the don't split it till it sells and they say its seasoned...


----------



## NYH1 (Oct 18, 2006)

Ric3077, I couldn't believe it. I thought for sure it would have been dry. Like I said it was off the ground. Lesson learned I guess. Now I cut and split a year ahead. What I'm cutting and splitting this year I'll burn next year.


----------



## Husky137 (Oct 19, 2006)

Ric3077 said:


> there is a few people selling wood that has "been down all summer" but then the don't split it till it sells and they say its seasoned...



Unfortunately, way more than a few.


----------



## ciscoguy01 (Oct 29, 2006)

*hmmmmm*

I dunno about that. Like if you've got a pile of logs that's been stacked up for a couple yrs right, and when you split it, it doesn't seem to take near as long to dry. It's not quite what I'd call green, but it's not really dry either is it? For green wood just sitting out in the sun stacked with no rain hitting it, in a couple months it'll burn pretty good depending. With logs cut and down for a yr or 2 but not split, seems like they take about half the time. Anyone else notice this????


----------



## Billy_Bob (Oct 29, 2006)

So far as being considered "seasoned wood", the time clock starts ticking when the wood is *split*. So for 6 months seasoned wood, it would be 6 months from the time the wood was split - not from the time the tree was cut down.


----------



## Gologit (Oct 29, 2006)

Billy_Bob said:


> So far as being considered "seasoned wood", the time clock starts ticking when the wood is *split*. So for 6 months seasoned wood, it would be 6 months from the time the wood was split - not from the time the tree was cut down.



Good rule of thumb and a good explanation of it. Thats the way it works around here, anyway.


----------



## ciscoguy01 (Oct 30, 2006)

*Yup yup*



boboak said:


> Good rule of thumb and a good explanation of it. Thats the way it works around here, anyway.



I concur with that. Only thing is, haven't you noticed that it does tend to dry a little faster once you do split it after it's been down a while? Also, someone told me that if you leave the leaves on it and not limb it right away, the leaves will draw out alot of moisture from the tree. Any truth to this???


----------



## JohnH (Oct 30, 2006)

Ric3077 said:


> If a log has been down 7 months but was just split 2 months ago will be it DRY WOOD or is it still GREEN...mostly white oak I am talking about...thanks!


 Still green Oak takes at least a year from when its split


----------



## spacemule (Oct 30, 2006)

Hickory burns good, hot, and easy green. Burn Hickory!


----------



## rmihalek (Nov 2, 2006)

I just cut down four hickories this summer, so I'll put some in the stove tonight to see how well it burns.


----------

