# Can Firewood Be TOO DRY ??



## Ductape (Jul 7, 2008)

Had a conversation with a neighbor the other day. He told me his supply of firewood for last year was too dry, and that it burned too fast and hot... like kindling. His wood (mixed hardwood) had seasoned for several years. This year his wood has only been drying for abut a year, so he felt he would get the appropriate heat out of it.

Now, i've been burning for years..... and my parents burned wood for heat when i was teenager. I've never thought there was such a thing as wood that was "too dry". I've always felt ...... the dryer, the better. I'm not talking about wood that is punky or anything.... just good hardwood that has stacked and drying for several years,

Anyone want to offer an opinion ??


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## Zodiac45 (Jul 7, 2008)

It's not something that most people complain about very often, but yes, wood can be too dry and burn faster than would be the case at an optimal 10-15% MC. While I don't measure, I find that staying 2 yrs out gives me a good fuel with everything except possibly red oak which can dry longer.


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## Wood Scrounge (Jul 7, 2008)

Zodiac45 said:


> It's not something that most people complain about very often, but yes, wood can be too dry and burn faster than would be the case at an optimal 10-15% MC. While I don't measure, I find that staying 2 yrs out gives me a good fuel with everything except possibly red oak which can dry longer.



+1 

I think the only way wood can become too try if it is an barn or something sitting outside I would think it would rot before getting too dry (I believe).


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## woodbooga (Jul 7, 2008)

Here's a good explanation: http://www.mvfirewood.com/can_firewood_be_too_dry.html 

In a perfect world, I'd only burn 2-year seasoned wood. Given that I don't have much land and rely on a variety of sources for my fuel, I burn everything from grade-A seasoned on the stump red oak to stuff that's obviously past peak. 

For me, the bottom line is that it all burns. I use the real good stuff for sustained burns and toss in the too dry stuff when we're cooking or otherwise need a burst of heat. That said, too dry stuff is great kindling - whiffer wood, we call it because it goes so fast.


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## max2cam (Jul 7, 2008)

I don't consider it a problem and don't know anyone who does. 

"Dry" rot wood is another matter....


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## shokidq (Jul 7, 2008)

Guy I know likes to burn beech but he soaks it in a wheelbarrow of water for a day before he puts it on the fire


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## timberwolf (Jul 7, 2008)

> Guy I know likes to burn beech but he soaks it in a wheelbarrow of water for a day before he puts it on the fire



That does not say it makes good sense though.

Any moisture in wood must be driven off in order for the wood too fully burn, turning water to steam takes energy away that could otherwise be radiated.

Dry is good, but if the wood starts to have loss of mass though decay then your also loosing potential energy.

Crackle better than hiss.


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## shokidq (Jul 7, 2008)

timberwolf said:


> That does not say it makes good sense though.
> 
> Any moisture in wood must be driven off in order for it too fully burn, turning water to steam takes energy away that could otherwise be radiated.
> 
> ...



He's just tight and would rather buy less and have the logs burn longer the heat they put out is not the main priority for him, we give him grief over it all the time.


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## woodbooga (Jul 7, 2008)

shokidq said:


> Guy I know likes to burn beech but he soaks it in a wheelbarrow of water for a day before he puts it on the fire



I've not heard of this particular approach, which sounds extreme. Some of the oldtimers in backwoods NH-Maine will keep a bucket of water handy to dip both ends into to intentionally slow the burn of well-seasoned wood. 

Sometimes that which is counter-intuitive is actually the best approach. Personally, I'd have a hard time imagining myself manually putting moisture back into my fuel given the efforts I take to get it out in the first place.


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## timberwolf (Jul 7, 2008)

If you have no way to control the air supply or venting of the combustion, then suppose water could work. Though it would be more efficient from a fuel prespective to build a smaller fire and feed it more often.

Some times old timers just do things because that is the way it has always been done, hey works for them or at least the feel it does... Don't not always need to make sense.


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## Mike Van (Jul 7, 2008)

As long as there's a damper of some sort on the stove, I don't see a problem with 'too dry' I've cut up old [50+ years] lumber that was stored in barns, old nail ridden beams, etc. Full of powder post beetles. If it's burning too hot, you close the damper some.


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## cabinman (Jul 8, 2008)

*freeze*



shokidq said:


> Guy I know likes to burn beech but he soaks it in a wheelbarrow of water for a day before he puts it on the fire



How does he keep it from freezing, if he soaks it for a day? cabinman


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## shokidq (Jul 8, 2008)

cabinman said:


> How does he keep it from freezing, if he soaks it for a day? cabinman



Where we are it doesn't stay that long below freezing we tend to get 2 or 3 days then a mild spell and then she'll freeze up again, if it's gone to ice he will just burn it as it is


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## Zackman1801 (Jul 8, 2008)

Mike Van said:


> As long as there's a damper of some sort on the stove, I don't see a problem with 'too dry' I've cut up old [50+ years] lumber that was stored in barns, old nail ridden beams, etc. Full of powder post beetles. If it's burning too hot, you close the damper some.



exactly if its burning too fast choke off the oxygen and it will slow right down, you cant have fire without oxygen.


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## jemclimber (Jul 8, 2008)

_Here's a good explanation: http://www.mvfirewood.com/can_firewood_be_too_dry.html _

A prime example of not to believe everything you read. Wood needs oxygen and moisture to rot and it is almost impossible to reach 0% MC without lighting it on fire. If what this site was saying was true it would be impossible for people to keep furniture or other wooden objects because they would rot. 

The dryer wood is the more efficient it will burn and the less energy it wil take to remove the moisture from the wood. Like many have said, control the oxygen and you control the rate in which the heat is released.


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## abohac (Jul 8, 2008)

Ductape said:


> Had a conversation with a neighbor the other day. He told me his supply of firewood for last year was too dry, and that it burned too fast and hot... like kindling. His wood (mixed hardwood) had seasoned for several years. This year his wood has only been drying for abut a year, so he felt he would get the appropriate heat out of it.
> 
> Now, i've been burning for years..... and my parents burned wood for heat when i was teenager. I've never thought there was such a thing as wood that was "too dry". I've always felt ...... the dryer, the better. I'm not talking about wood that is punky or anything.... just good hardwood that has stacked and drying for several years,
> 
> Anyone want to offer an opinion ??


I don't think it can. Shut the draft of and slow it that way.


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