Splitting and Seasoning Oak

[openspaceman]

5 hours ago, Stubby said:

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

Yes oak does fry slower than most and if left in the round hardly dries at all but cut and split for firewood and left under cover in free moving air it will dry below 20%  mc in any of the months May till end of August in UK.

 

As has been pointed out the air has to be able to move through the stack and a log tightly packed deep in the stack may not dry very well but, as long as it cannot be re-wetted, over time it will reach an equilibrium with the surrounding air of less than 20%.

 

Most of my stack gets well below 20% in a year, I have no space to store more, but I still pull an occasional log which I can see free water from as it burns.

[Muddy42]

Another tip is to split a log before using a moisture tester to get a true measurement of the water still trapped inside.

 

In the uk, if you start early, split very small, stack outside for a bit, then bring undercover for a bit more, but still exposed to sun and wind, you might just season wood enough to burn that winter. But this is hard work if doing it by hand and a longer would always be safer.

 

Also you really tell what your wood is like with an open fire and the hissing, stoves burn any old wood.