How wood is seasonned

[Backpain]

I've often wondered what the likes of CPL and certainly wood are selling to people.

My understanding of firewood and this comes from from growing up in Canada is that after the lumber is felled its left to rest from one season to the next.

During this time the process of decomposition begins and fugi starts to breakdown the structure of the wood.  It's not a process of drying in anyway what so every, in some ways its the oposite. Its about exposing the timber to the elements. When the time is right we begin the process of splitting and drying.  This process isn't to be confused with seasonning, its about drying. This process varies for different types of timber as most artisan firewood producers will know.

So my question is, how do the likes of CPL and Certainly wood produce their firewood.  Are they kiln drying green wood? Are people actually burning kiln dryed green oak or birch.

The reason I ask this is because I've bought some bags from Home Bargains and they look like kiln dryed green timber.

Am I wrong in thinking that DFRA thinks we need MC below 20% because they've carried out a study using green wood.

Do anyone have access to the source of information they've based their figures on?

 

[SbTVF]

I can’t speak for others but in my experience the longer we can leave roundwood in the stack the better results we get in the kiln. Even better if we can process it into logs and part-season it before kilning.

Fresh from felling I can process and dry (to less than 20)a 16 loose cube load of logs in 9 days.

If I stack the wood for 3 months over a summer like we’ve just had you can take that to 6-7 days.

6 months stacked before processing and we can get 6 days no problem.

However, process it from green and stack the IBC’s outside for 6 months and it takes 3 days to complete the cycle. More than doubling output once you take into account loading and unloading the kiln with each batch.
Those logs were easily sub 25% after this years dry spell though. Burnt some that I didn’t kiln last night in the fire and they went great. But harder to light but still kept the glass clear and gave off good heat.


As long as it’s dry when processed and stored so it can start it’s natural drying process then you reduce drying times dramatically.

[john k]

This process isn't to be confused with seasonning, its about drying.

Seasoning = drying.

All you need to do to prepare firewood is to reduce its moisture content. Left in the round this happens slowly, split into logs it happens quicker.

If you’re using a kiln then the lower the moisture content when the wood goes into the kiln the less time it takes to get to your target moisture content.

There’s nothing mystic about it.