Help - Moisture content in hardwood

[matthew65]

I hope you can help, I bought some timber in rounds, it has been down 2 years ( I know where it came from), it was stored outside but undercover.

 

The moisture content when split ranges from 35% - 39%, yet it feels dry and very light it is all hardwood. I have burnt it on my open fire, it does release a small amount of moisture but not much and not for long. Then the wood burns a treat !.

 

My questions is:

 

Why would the moisture content reading be so high yet the wood burns great and gives of a huge amount of heat ?.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Matthew

[StephF]

What type of timber? If it was small diameter stuff up to 8-9 inches it should definately be seasoned, if it was large diameter and had not been split down it could take longer, especially Oak. Maybe your moisture meter is not very accurate. anyway, I find at 30-35% most hardwood burns very well on a wood burner. I try to sell 30 or less if I can, soft wood is around 20 or less.

[Ty Unnos]

What moisture meter are you using? Maybe borrow one from someone else just to check yours is reading ok?

[gensetsteve]

If you can tell it is releasing moisture when burning its wet.

[matthew65]

Hi, the moisture meter is a Westfire, It does work as I have tried it on other wood I have processed .

 

The wood is a mixture, ash sycamore and some oak.

[matthew65]

What type of timber? If it was small diameter stuff up to 8-9 inches it should definately be seasoned, if it was large diameter and had not been split down it could take longer, especially Oak. Maybe your moisture meter is not very accurate. anyway, I find at 30-35% most hardwood burns very well on a wood burner. I try to sell 30 or less if I can, soft wood is around 20 or less.

 

 

Thanks for the reply, the wood is in large rounds average around 16 inches, and the moisture meter is correct as I have tested it on other seasoned wood.

 

Matthew

[shooterjim]

My wood consists of ash, sycamore, beech and silver birch. All been down for 18 months and max of 14" diameter. When split it measures 28, after a few days it's down to 20. Dries amazingly fast once split! I monitor the moisture very frequently! Best thing to do is split as much as possible and leave it to air before delivering.

[matthew65]

My wood consists of ash, sycamore, beech and silver birch. All been down for 18 months and max of 14" diameter. When split it measures 28, after a few days it's down to 20. Dries amazingly fast once split! I monitor the moisture very frequently! Best thing to do is split as much as possible and leave it to air before delivering.

 

Thanks that was the reply I was hoping I would get

 

Many thanks

 

Matthew

[Hodge]

I have alot of my timber left in lengths, I the process into my vehicle and deliver, the wood is 18mth to 2 year old, it soon dries up to about 20% and is great. Also alot of the bark has dropped off which helps.

[Logarithm]

As the others have said if you get it split and allow the air to get to it I bet that two year old wood will read low 20s within a week as long as its kept dry.

I cut around 2 cube of 2yo hardwood mix in 24inch rounds last week into billets and stacked onto a few pallets,today I cut the lot into logs and it's 20-25%.

Now the weather has been cold,dry and a little breezy so it's been perfect for drying which defiantly helped.