What Is The Preferred Way To Dry Firewood?

Recently cut wood holds lots of water, which makes igniting and maintaining a fire quite tricky. Even if it burns, wet wood offers less heat, dies swiftly, and produces more soot and smoke. Drying wood successfully does take time. So, it’s best to schedule the process at least six months ahead.

Once you chop the wood to the size needed and stack it meticulously, all you have to do is wait for the air and sun to dry it.

Below is the preferred way to dry firewood.

1. Cut your firewood in early summer or spring, so it has at the most six to nine months to dry. If you do it in fall or winter, it won’t have the correct amount of dryness until the next year. Some wood types such as oak or more significant cuts of wood can take 12 months or more to dry.
2. Cut and split your wood into the correct length and size for your wood burner. This provides more surface space, so it dries faster. Also, it means it’s good to go, and you don’t have to treat it again.
3. Outside is the best place to dry freshly-cut firewood. If you put it straight into a shed, it will take much longer (almost two years) because it’s not getting any help from the air or sun.
4. Pile firewood in a single row up off the ground so the air and sun can draw the wetness out the cut ends. Wood has a high moisture content when cut. You have to get it low, so it can adequately burn. Wood that’s too wet produces a lot of smoke. If it burns at all, it will offer very little to no heat.
5. Drying firewood can be left uncovered. But it doesn’t help if it has something over it. Nothing should be right on the woodpile. Put strips of old pallets or timber on the ground and top. This way, any cover you use is not directly on the firewood.

If you need more information or help on drying your firewood, reach out to a professional tree service company.

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