Is this the wettest (firewood selling )autumn you have known !

[nepia]

Oh God; I'm repeating myself - I've already said all this 🤦‍♂️

[gdh]

I'm lucky that we can kiln dry everything but all the wood we take out goes back up to 17% in a couple of weeks even though it's in dry sheds. 

 

I thought things were improving last week but everywhere is getting cold and damp again now.

[devon TWiG]

 

It has been incredibly wet in Devon over the last few weeks / months , I notice my own supply of wood kept out of rain in a draughty log store still seems wet from the atmosphere / humidity ...keeping a few next to the fire sorts it out , but still wetter than I can remember !!!

[Steven P]

Never convinced that keeping it by the fire is a good thing by the way, OK once in the fire it is more efficient but you still loose that heat energy evaporating the water in the log that is next to the fire.... and all that water vapour makes the house damp or goes up the chimney anyway.

 

Yes, been so wet that the logs are re-abosorbing the moisture, usually it is just surface moisture now, dries up with 2 clear days and some wind.. but yes, they are more wet this year

[Stere]

 

I think most wood, especially some less durable species stacked outside, has a considerable calorific value decrease even before most visible signs of rot.

 

Some sycamore I cut up recently for someone was well past its best in less than 3 months of being left outside after the trees were felled.

 

 

The cross-cut end grain texture of rounds cut up from 2 meter lengths. was starting to go "fluffy."

 

 

I recall some mention of a term in the book Norwegian Wood for firewood past its best.

 

 

Edited December 9, 2023 by Stere

[openspaceman]

57 minutes ago, Stere said:

I think most wood, especially some less durable species stacked outside, has a considerable calorific value decrease even before most visible signs of rot.

I agree  and I think the deterioration occurs all the time the moisture is above about 25%. I think microbugs can initially respire the volatile solids in the wood and I think these contribute to the lively flame you get with birch.

 

I am burning predominately birch which was cut, split and stored within a week of being felled last March and it has been excellent, because it was dried quickly it lost very little dry matter.

 

The other thing to consider is that the rotting organisms tend to break the organic matter into water, CO2 and a bit of methane, the latter two exhaust to atmosphere but if it is cold the water condenses back onto the wood.

Edited December 9, 2023 by openspaceman
missed out initially

[Stere]

Punky is  an good  onomatopoeic word for the start of  rot & the fluffy wood fibres.......

 

 

[nepia]

That's easy for you to say

[BARNSLEY BOB]

2011 or 12 was wet.

[nepia]

Both!   And winter 2013/14 - that was the one where we were getting an Atlantic storm every other day for a period in mid-December.  Conifers found themselves trying to stand in blancmange and failed by the hundred