Firewood in barn?

[joecool85]

I have been cutting trees down for my parents the last few weeks (not constantly, just a couple hours here and there), and decided to save anything bigger than 3-4" around for firewood. Even though there was a lot of small stuff, there was some alright sized stuff and we have a little more than 1/2 cord stacked outside right now. I've never done firewood for myself (I've helped others many times), so I was wondering, would it be alright to stack the wood in my parent's barn? I know it won't get the air circulation that it would outside or in a wood shack, but wouldn't it be better than just leaving it outside all winter? Most of it is pine, but there is some apple and a little alder in there as well. This is unsplit, and is 16" length.

I should note that we aren't planning on using it for firewood right off. My parents don't burn wood, but I am planning on buying a house in a year or two and would like to burn wood. I figure if it doesn't work out for us to use it, we can sell it off to someone who does burn wood.

 

[ktm rider]

pine is not that great of a firewood. It produces ALOT of creosote and could cause a chimney fire.

 

[Wood Scrounge]

Apple is very good firewood though I have a nice pile of it myself

 

[computeruser]

I'd sooner stack it in the barn than outside, especially if you don't anticipate using it for a year or so. If it's going to sit for more than a few years, I'd think about selling it off before it turns junky. But kept dry, most stuff will be viable for a number of years before that happens.

Pine burns fine, just like any other well-seasoned wood. It just burns faster, being less dense than a lot of other species. Creosote buildup has less to do with what you burn than how you burn - hot, lively fires lay up much less creosote than slow-burning, smoldering fires.

 

[joecool85]

Yeah, I figured the barn would be fine. I'll try to stack it in such a manner that it can get air circulation. Also, I am planning on selling it/giving it away if I don't use it in the next couple years, I've heard it gets junky after 3 years or so.

And ktm, pine is a fine firewood (just like computeruser mentioned) as long as it is dry. It does burn fast, but thats no biggie, you just need more wood. When over 50% of your woods are pine, you end up burning a lot of it. Luckily there is enough maple that you should be able to get enough nice night burners for the winter. But your main heat source will be pine.

 

[Stihl088stock]

Creosote is relative to operator error. There are many people in places where there is only Pine to burn, and they do fine with it. Pine is great for kindling/getting a nice hot fire, then you can use your hardwoods for an extended burn. If your pine has tons of pitch, you may want to overwinter it outside, the wet/dry cycles promote some extra fungal decay that breaks down some pitch so your wood won't burn like a roman candle when you feed the fire. I'd put the hardwoods in the barn, it will be perfect after two years.

My 3cents

 

[LarryTheCableGuy]

Pine is not the evil wood that many make it out to be. Half of my firewood is pine. I clean my chimney once or twice a year, no biggie.

Burn clean, burn hot.

.

 

[blunt]

pine is not that great of a firewood. It produces ALOT of creosote and could cause a chimney fire.

Gotta disagree with you there ktm rider. Pine is the staple firewood in NZ and as long as you get your chimney swept once a year its generally sweet. Sure it doesn't burn as hot as hradwood or fruit wood but seasoned it still heats up my 100 year country bungalow with 12 foot high stud ceiling. Thats with only one fire place and no other form of heating.

All the wood I have been cutting is pine and is worth $300 a cord delivered to the city

 

[Patrick62]

pine is not that great of a firewood. It produces ALOT of creosote and could cause a chimney fire.

This is just pine with me. Ponderosa, lodge pole, bristlecone, pinon, etc

I don't have the luxury of being terribly picky

-pat

 

[Bowtie]

I live in the heart of the country and have the pick of hardwoods. Mulberry, hedge, some hickory, Oak, locust, all kinds of fruit trees. But to tell you the truth, we have no pines in great numbers in my area, but I have and would burn cottonwood again if that was the only wood around. Cottonwood is about the lowest form of firewood there is. Interesting thread about creosote, I cleaned my flue today which has sat since last years burning. I burned nothing but seasoned hardwood last winter consisting of mulberry, Osage Orange, Oak, locust, and a lot of ash. I got about a coffee can of dry, powdery creosote when done. I was happy with those results, considering the amount of wood I burned last winter. (6 cords or so)

 

[turnkey4099]

I live in the heart of the country and have the pick of hardwoods. Mulberry, hedge, some hickory, Oak, locust, all kinds of fruit trees. But to tell you the truth, we have no pines in great numbers in my area, but I have and would burn cottonwood again if that was the only wood around. Cottonwood is about the lowest form of firewood there is. Interesting thread about creosote, I cleaned my flue today which has sat since last years burning. I burned nothing but seasoned hardwood last winter consisting of mulberry, Osage Orange, Oak, locust, and a lot of ash. I got about a coffee can of dry, powdery creosote when done. I was happy with those results, considering the amount of wood I burned last winter. (6 cords or so)

Same here. Cleaned mine a week or two ago and got the 'coffee can' full of dry, powdery stuff. That is after putting about 6 cord of Willow through it last winter.

Harry K