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Simple questions regarding firewood usage & splitting - I would really appreciate your help


Gurrman
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I had no idea there was a forum specifically for this. Needless to say, I appreciate your existence a lot. :-)

 

I helped a customer of mine split firewood the other day, out of the logs from a cut-down tree. I'm not sure how long the logs had been laying where they had, but I'm guessing a few months, perhaps even a year or so. Perhaps longer, I'm not entirely sure.

 

I've split about 75% of the wood, but I'm not sure about the usage of the remaining 25% nor the usage of all of the 75% I've already split. Some facts:

 

- Within the pile of logs, an anthill has arisen. I've left the logs closest to the anthill, as there are a lot of insects there due to the dirt and so. Might I be wrong here; should I use this wood, too?

- Some of the firewood, when I split it, has a green-ish tint to it. Should I leave these?

- Some of the firewood has/had, on its side as well as on it's top and bottom, some small funghi. I cut that away. Should I leave these pieces of wood entirely, you think?

- Some of the logs, I just cannot manage to penetrate. I've swung the axe at them dozens of time, but they just won't budge. Do you think I can get them if I keep pounding, or do some need more time to mature?

 

Also, are there cases in which part of a log has begun to rot, and I can remove this part and use the other parts of it? I feel like this partial-rottenness may be the case in some of the logs.

 

Thank you guys. Your help is more of value to me than you might think.

 

Warm regards,

Gustav from Sweden

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Step 1. Buy an electric hydraulic log splitter! 9 ton vertical, and put bigger wheels on it.

 

Step 2. Split everything in sight while listening to music from your youth on YouTube on your Bluetooth speaker. If it's really really rotten, leave it for wildlife habitat.

 

Step 3. Stack your log pile artistically to attract the ladies, or, if happily married, just chuck randomly in a pallet box with a corrugated sheet roof.

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A Swede, asking for advice on wood?  on a british forum? are you serious?  Go on, i'll bite.

 

wood with a bit of mold, fungus or insects, no problem to burn.  it suggests its still damp an needs drying more though.  rot isn't a problem either, just means it is wet and needs to dry and you've lost some energy...it'll dry very light.

 

some stuff is hard to split, knots, twisted grain or just the wood type.  you could try wedges and a sledge, or noodle it with a chainsaw.

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Hahaha your replies. Believe it or not, I won't catfish you. My question is indeed serious. ?

 

4 hours ago, neiln said:

wood with a bit of mold, fungus or insects, no problem to burn.  it suggests its still damp an needs drying more though.  rot isn't a problem either, just means it is wet and needs to dry and you've lost some energy...it'll dry very light.

 

some stuff is hard to split, knots, twisted grain or just the wood type.  you could try wedges and a sledge, or noodle it with a chainsaw.

 

Perfect, okay. So you'd advise me taking the whole god damn stack, splitting it, stacking it, and then going about my life happily? And that anything I may regard as rot, that I should leave that to the drying process once stacked?

 

The matter is just - and there's a risk that this rekindles your belief in the non-validity of this post, lol... I fear that bringing wood that has been embraced by insects for a long period of time, if they bring that wood into their house (wood that I've split), that those insects will fester in their home? Or funghi etc.?

 

Thanks guys. ❤️ 

 

/A Swede who's finally stepping out of the comforts of the 21st century, and slowly starts inhabiting his heritage

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3 hours ago, Gurrman said:

The matter is just - and there's a risk that this rekindles your belief in the non-validity of this post, lol... I fear that bringing wood that has been embraced by insects for a long period of time, if they bring that wood into their house (wood that I've split), that those insects will fester in their home? Or funghi etc.?

You don't need to worry too much about fungi as these will die once the wood is properly dry.  Most of the insects also will disappear, but it is possible some wood boring insects could remain, and maybe introduce them to the customer's home.

 

The best solution is to get it all kilned, but I am guessing this is not feasible.  So although there is surely plenty of good firewood in the logs you are referring to you are right it is possible this could introduce the odd pest or two into a house.  If the customer understands this and can keep an eye on any logs indoors  it is probably nothing to worry about, but if the customer is a little naive and would be terrified of the the thought of introducing a woodworm or two into their home it might be best to not get involved.

 

I hope this helps

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When wood dries the fungus tends to dry out

In the winter when you want to use fire wood the ants are hiding in their nests

Moving the logs off the ant nest will annoy them but they will adapt and be happy again soon enough.

If your client is like me they won't store all their winter fuel in the house, just enough for that day / motning, afternoon, evening / hour, there won't be the opportunity for a mass invasion of ants

Fungus spores - could be a problem of course, but not something I've ever worried about

Hard to split wood - if I get some that won't split at the moment, it gets put back till later and euither I'll have another go when it has dried or I'll get the saw at it/

 

And for the overriding thought - its there as firewood, why not just splity it all and use it?

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