Splitting and Seasoning Oak

[Gabriel82]

@Stere I never burned oak logs. So , despite a shed full of birch and hornbeam ,I need an "insurance" if next winter is a classical one with prolonged cold and lots of snow! Nevermind prices for anything flamable  that have varied wildly since these russians invaded our neighbour,Ukraine. You may be right, I will tell you for sure in a few months (18 or more 😁 ). As of today I finally finnished for good stacking this load of oak. As for kindling, I use softwood and some diesel fuel. In a full heating season I use about 20 liters. Now I'm still looking at a 20 liter steel canister full to the brim with diesel and about 15 liters "spread out" in 2-2,5 liters plastic bottles! As usual hydrocarbons make life easier for us humans! 😎

 

 

Edited March 2 by Gabriel82

[Peasgood]

10 hours ago, Gabriel82 said:

Probably. I never experienced it.

You don't want to which is why I mentioned it. Those packs don't look particularly sealed and if stacked in a damp UK garage you would just have a very big pile of sawdust by next winter.

[Gabriel82]

@Peasgood Probably. I never seen wood briquettes doing that. Romania is not Uk 😁 But if that would happen or have to season wood for 3-4 years and still be damp, I would surely quit burning wood or briquettes. Natural gas, LPG or heating oil are the obvious logical choice in a permanently humid climate! I actually was looking for an oil stove to buy and "study" beeing a curios "bloke" by nature!

But the weight of these things alone is discouraging.. I would surely not be able to even move one by myself..

Nestor Martin Efel and Deville Cléo C09424 are nice.

Although Deville stopped manufacturing oil stoves some years ago. 

 

[Gabriel82]

24 march and even at 17:24 there were still about 16-17 degrees Celcius and 62% relative humidity in the air... 

I am curios what july and august months will be like this year... 🤔

no doubt the seasoning will be ok in 17-18 months from now if the weather keeps it up like this... 

And at noon I was sweating in sun today if no wind was blowing... 

[Gabriel82]

Well,hello everyone.update from july-august ; things are hot,unbearable hot around here... All summer so far has been at 35-40 celcius with 30-40 percent humidity in air... Didn't took a picture yet,but bigger split oak chunks are starting to develop small visible cracks at some ends... And they will still sit for another 14-15 months starting now... If the damn thing/oak is not VERY dry 15 months from now ( another summer like this in the open in full sun aired up and under transparent plastic sheet) then I'm willing to switch to No.2 fuel oil heating and forget about any wood 😁🙄

[Gabriel82]

a screenshot of temperatures in july, and another heatwave is coming ,36 celcius in shade... hot august too... 

[Gabriel82]

update 2 december 2024 tried to burn a whole bucket of oak that "looked" dry. not even close to the heating power of even wood briquettes... or birch... 

after the usual 3-4 hours of burn time the ceramic tile stove wasn't half hot as I was expecting... 

makes me wonder if this wood will be good to burn in about 1 year from now...

I know for sure the tree was green when cut ,+/- a week until it got to me! 

tricky firewood for sure! 

 

[Stere]

Get a moisture meter they are very cheap.

 

As oak takes a long time to dry might still be unseasoned......

[Steven P]

Sounds like the above was true and 6 months seasoning isn't enough for oak... 2 years is better.

 

I assume you are storing it outside or somewhere with a good airflow at that too - a mostly sealed garage will get damp inside for example, difference in air moisture and log moisture is reduced and drying speed slows. Don't stack drying logs to close together either, the stacks need air gaps for air flow. Last comment, taking a bucket of logs off the top of a wood pile will also take last weeks rain with it, taken from the middle might give better results.... but you'll knock the wood pile over trying to get them.

[Stubby]

Oak takes at least 2 years more like 5 ! Also I would mix it with Sycamore or similar .