Silver birch seasoning time

[cornish wood burner]

Mine is stored on the edge of the wood, cut, split, and stacked neatly on three pallets, with a tarp over the top. I was hoping to leave it for another year where it is, then put it in my woodshed this time next Spring. I also have a couple of big windblown Poplars down in the wood so I was thinking maybe I'd extract those and use them next winter. Its just figuring out what to leave and what to use and I seem to have a large quantity of lower grade stuff.

Only had a small quantity of small diameter silver birch outside but mine seemed to grow fungus quite readily. As others have said best kept dry.

[openspaceman]

Only had a small quantity of small diameter silver birch outside but mine seemed to grow fungus quite readily. As others have said best kept dry.

 

The thing about birch in the round is the bark is very oily and waterproof, there is enough water in the wood, which is very perishable, to allow fungi to rot the wood inside the bark. This is why we had to stripe the bark of birch poles which couldn't be extracted till late summer. Split and stacked bark uppermost and it should be out of danger in a few summer weeks.

[Two Acres]

The thing about birch in the round is the bark is very oily and waterproof, there is enough water in the wood, which is very perishable, to allow fungi to rot the wood inside the bark. This is why we had to stripe the bark of birch poles which couldn't be extracted till late summer. Split and stacked bark uppermost and it should be out of danger in a few summer weeks.

 

Its split, but stacked bark down. Only the ends on the edge of the stack will get wet (like today, its tipping it down). No sign of any fungus yet, but I'll take a good look. the edge of the wood is windy and sunny, so it won't stay wet for too long. Even if I put it in my woodshed the ends will get wet, its a very well ventillated shed, pretty much just a roof and reclaimed pallet wood walls on the sides, open front and back.

[Woodworks]

Sound like an ideal shed. Ours logs get wet when the wind blows but not had any problems with our birch rotting. This on Dartmoor so you should easily get away with it in arid Norfolk

 

Just keep an eye on it and get it to the sheds if it shows signs of turning.

[Two Acres]

Sound like an ideal shed. Ours logs get wet when the wind blows but not had any problems with our birch rotting. This on Dartmoor so you should easily get away with it in arid Norfolk

 

Just keep an eye on it and get it to the sheds if it shows signs of turning.

 

Cheers Woodworks that sounds like a good plan to me As you say, if its fine for Dartmoor its definitely fine for Norfolk, generally very dry over here in the East.

[smiles]

I've had a good load of summer cut birch cut and split in vented bags for two years after being left in 12ft lengths for 8months,it looked a bit spalted, or whatever the patterns in the wood are! But mixed in with beech and the more appreciative customers are extremely happy with it, loads of great feedback!

[Mortimer Firewood]

I've had a pile of birch in the yard at the back it's been there over 12 months and had been sat at least 8 months in the wood it's dry as it's been sat under a load of ash. I've been meaning to get at it but more loads keep coming and I've had to keep stacking in front of it. Hope it's not to late.

[Henry Rawlinson]

Poplar is rubbish firewood, almost not worth the bother unless you have years to season it somewhere dry and don't mind that its calorific value isn't worth the thought and heatless toboot.

 

Kindling at best, after years of seasoning.

[Stubby]

28 minutes ago, Henry Rawlinson said:

Poplar is rubbish firewood, almost not worth the bother unless you have years to season it somewhere dry and don't mind that its calorific value isn't worth the thought and heatless toboot.

 

Kindling at best, after years of seasoning.

Got to disagree with most of this ( agree must be kept dry once split ) .  Very good fire wood . Dave boiled his central heating with it . 

[Acer Forestry]

An old boy I know who's been doing firewood for years advises striping the birch (and other species that hold a fair water content) as soon as it's felled to allow moisture out; an underrated firewood I reckon, excellent stuff. Sometimes people are sniffy about the low grade woods but if you have volume, and some of us obviously do, it doesn't matter if the BTU's aren't that great. i don't mind alder, again if you catch it at the right seasoning point it isn't that bad, really