How long do logs last?

[Daniël Bos]

Is nobody going to mention that birch will be useless in a year, no matter how you store it?

 

Nonsense!

Birch will rot very quickly indeed, but if you cut it, split it, stack it and keep it dry, it'll keep for a few years.

I've had birch stored for over five years with no rot.

[Chunkymunky]

From experience birch will rot very quickly if in contact with the ground. Uncle has about an acre of silver birch and when the trees fall they start deteriorating in weeks unless cut and covered.

[KGBFINGAR]

We have wood in the yard that's years old , burn it before it rots !

K

[Spider pig]

What about sycamore how long does that last I can get hold of quite a lot at about £25 a cube for cord but don't no if it's worth stocking up how does it burn?

 

 

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[Daniël Bos]

Most if not all wood will keep well if split stacked and kept dry.

 

Sycamore burns lovely, easy to process as well.

[New Forest DEAN]

It's all stacked in a bonded fashion to let air through and covered with tarp.

 

I guessed that the silver birch wouldn't last as long as the oak or beech, but forgot to tell the missus who, being from Yorkshire, is in charge of stacking (dry-stone wall style - I've convinced here she's best qualified).

 

So we have one pile that's mixed, although this is earmarked for burning winter 2014/15.

 

Mostly I try to separate piles into species, because I'm a bit OCD....

 

Looks like most logs will last for, say, three or four years?

 

Cheers - DEAN

[richardwale]

Hi Jon, lots of folk say oak is this and oak is that, but knotty, dry oak in my burner is simply put, miles better than any other wood I burn, and I've tried them all.

[mendiplogs]

Hi Jon, lots of folk say oak is this and oak is that, but knotty, dry oak in my burner is simply put, miles better than any other wood I burn, and I've tried them all.

 

HI RICH oaks good but only if very dry :thumbup1:and the only to do that split into logs mate we had 3ft butt down for years plus still wet inside :laugh1:jon

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

when ventilated and dry any log should be fine for years.

most fungi need water though some like the wild version of the dry rotter, serpula himantoides dont mind the dry cavities of Oaks