how long to season maple firewood

Maple is an efficient species to use as an overall firewood source here on the island. This is one firewood you don’t want to let season very long because it tends to get a funny smell and will rot. Nut bearing trees like oak and, start your fire using small kindling, even splitting some of that, These devices use two or more electrodes to, Hardwoods such as maple, oak, ash, birch, and most fruit trees are the, Kiln seasoning accelerates the process of seasoning by using external energy to drive out moisture. At the high end would be Eucalyptus at 34.5 million BTUs per cord and Osage-Orange at 32.9 million. Creosote is nothing more than a condensation of small, unburned particles contained in the smoke that coats the chimney surface as it exits. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. Maple falls somewhere in the middle in terms of BTUs per cord. An interesting article on maple wood. Depending on the species they will either have 3 or 5 “fingers”. Click to see full answer Considering this, how long does it take maple firewood to season? For wood to be “seasoned” basically just means that it’s thoroughly dried, and you should always plan to burn firewood that is completely seasoned. Glad my article was helpful. Down To Earth Homesteaders is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Readily available all across the United States. If they are dark in colour and cracked, they are dry. All Maple trees drop their leaves in the winter. It's definitely sweet, and has the right consistency, but it tastes more like generic "pancake syrup" than like maple syrup. Is all maple good for Smoking and seasoning chips in smoker. A cord of firewood is equal to 128 cubic feet of wood. Hardness. The best burning firewood is not only dry but dense. Maple can take anywhere from 6 months to a year to season properly. Sugar Maple is the source of most maple syrup. In general, firewood will take at least 6-8 months to fully season and for denser hardwoods, this process can take even longer. Dry seasoned wood is lighter in weight than wet wood and makes a hollow sound when hitting two pieces together. What is the best moisture meter for firewood? Bring a supply of firewood indoors one or two days before you need to burn it. Working with green wood is a significant time commitment, because you need to dry the wood slowly to prevent it from warping or cracking. Red Maple is a popular choice in both urban and forest landscapes. Maple is all I burn now. It normally grows to 110 feet in height. Never use wood … Keep reading to learn more about Maple and what makes it a great choice for firewood. To season wood means to give the wood time for the water to evaporate out of it. Leaves: Maple tree leaves are shaped similarly to a hand. by Merl (Marlton, NJ,USA) I have two questions. Where is the best place to keep firewood? For wood to be “seasoned” basically just means that it’s thoroughly dried. Shape. Well, much like oak, it will take a year, sometimes two to dry so it’s safe to burn. The cross pieces will be at right angles to … Silver Maple grows fast and is used primarily as a shade tree. But you should season oak for at least a year before using it. All Maple trees drop their leaves in the winter. Some people say it smells like maple syrup. Copyright 2020 FindAnyAnswer All rights reserved. The strange thing is that my syrup has never tasted very maple-y. Exactly how long it will take your maple firewood to season will vary depending on where you live and your climate, the weather, how you are drying the firewood, and how it was split. Doesn’t really have a lot of cons. Burns nice. What's the difference between Koolaburra by UGG and UGG? Maple trees are a hardwood and are known for their beautiful fall colors as well as the fact that they are used to make maple syrup. Be prepared for the drying process to take a year or longer. There are many different types of Maple trees native to North America, but only five are commonly seen across most of the continent. But 36inch diameter pieces of green silver maple could weigh 200plus pounds a piece even cut 15inches. Buy an inexpensive easy to use moisture meter like this one, to ensure your split wood is ready for the fire. Asked By: Lucette Althanss | Last Updated: 1st January, 2020. As wood dries, it loses its moisture content and becomes lighter. One of the best things about heating your house with firewood is the aroma that comes from the wood. How far should you keep firewood from your house? Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Air-Drying Wood Tip #2 – Target 7-9% Moisture Content. What is the fast method for seasoning of wood? I live in Eastern Canada, where winters are quite cold. Green wood tends to smoke and smolder creating the possibility for creosote to form in the chimney. Leaves: Walnut leaves are feather-like and mirror each other on opposite sides of the leafs axis. The sap will get all over your gloves, work clothes, shoes, and chain saw. The oak in that area might take about two years to season. A lot of people like to use Maple wood to smoke their meat because Maple wood has such a great aroma. Boxelder is the most common maple in mid-western North America. Only challenge I hear is tree diameter. On average a cord of Maple is equal approximately to the following common heat sources: BTU stands for British Thermal Unit. Success! Late winter and early spring are ideal times to cut … Maple: Found in different regions of the nation, this hardwood is a popular one. . 5. The trunk is about 20" in diameter. For example, oak is a very good choice for wood burning furnaces, because it's dense and it burns hot. Maple is good firewood because it is readily available and it provides good heat. Quick to season too. I am surprised you had trouble with oak. Oak: When very well seasoned, oak burns slowly and steadily for a long time. Depending on the species, Maple produces anywhere from 18.1 to 26.8 million BTUs per cord. It is a pretty decent firewood all around. Let’s say you live in the midwestern part of the United States, somewhere in Michigan. Sugar maple (used for maple syrup, also known as hard maple… Oak- usually splits easily. I was also interested in its use for smoking food for consumption. Hawthorn: This wood will burn slowly and hot for your wintery fires. It is the most massive of North American maples. It all depends if you have a soft or hard maple. Bigleaf is found on the Pacific Coast. In the fall its leaves usually turn a pale yellow. As I already told you, it needs to at least 6 months to dry the wood. Does Hermione die in Harry Potter and the cursed child? Bigleaf Maple Firewood … Cherry: Season this wood well and you'll have a slow burning wood that smells wonderful. My question is: How can I get the wood to dry enough for use in March? In regions with some kind of a heating climate (as I do), wood needs to have a 7% to 9% moisture content to prevent projects from warping and cracking during the driest part of the heating season. Ideally it should be seasoned to about 20% moisture content or less. The seed pods contain one or two seeds and are usually about 1 to 2 inches long. I know that these things can be confusing some times. I was curious about creosote and this helped me out. Is Maple a good wood to burn in a fireplace? Yum! Not only Maple trees, but also some species of Birch trees can be tapped for syrup. Size: Maple trees usually grow to 50 to 75 feet high in the wild, but when they are used for home landscapes they stay around 20 to 30 feet tall. Sugar Maple is an entire different wood. Bark: Their bark may vary bet… This will be fun to cut with the 16" length bar on my Shandaiwa 488. Its leaves turn yellow in the fall. The roots are shallow and are known for causing property damage. In the fall, the leaves turn golden yellow. Like any wood some can be easy but some sugar maple is a bear. It all really depends on your location, as this is what usually dictates the drying times of your firewood. When properly seasoned it will produce long and steady burns. Maple firewood has a pleasant smell and not too overwhelming. That’s why fall and early winter are the best time to split firewood. Yuck! If your wood is green, it should be left out uncovered exposed to the sun and wind. Seasoning Firewood. We are the Johnsons and we are building our off-grid homestead in North Idaho from scratch. A tree typically has to be 40 years old to be big enough to tap for maple syrup. What is the moisture content of dry firewood? Most people cut firewood into 16 inch lengths and tightly stacked it in three rows, 4 feet high and 8 feet long, totaling 128 cubic feet. I learned a lot. The temperate and calm weather is suitable for splitting firewood. It can grow to be 150 feet tall or more, but more typically grows to 50 to 65 feet in height. On the low end you have Ohio Buckeye at 12.1 million BTUs per cord and Linden Basswood burning at 13.8 million. So if you plan to burn wood, you need to split wood at least 6 months ago. This site is owned and operated by Martin and Julie Johnson. You can reduce the amount of creosote by properly seasoning your firewood. It can take about six months, but if you fancy piling your wood or you just have a lack of space, this is a relatively fast way to dry your wood. So as you can see, properly stacking firewood and allowing air drying must occur before it is burned in a wood stove. Give Firewood Time to Season– If you are planning on cutting firewood for the fall and winter, you need to cut it down in the late spring to give it the time it needs to dry out. Your email address will not be published. Lay your slabs out on your cross pieces. Leave the wood uncovered so the wind and sun can dry it more quickly. I was afraid to split such large pieces but your information gave me the impetus to try. For optimal burning, firewood should be dried until its moisture content is less than 20 percent. Not sure of the gear or splitter you have, but that size will definitely require … I’m looking forward to enjoying the smell. Burns very hot. Carpenters sometimes use Maple wood to make furniture, baseball bats, bowing pins and butcher’s blocks. Instrument companies sometimes use Maple wood to make Violins, violas, guitars and drums. You should expect it to take 8 months or more to season Cherry firewood. One exception would be the Vine Maple that is known for being very difficult to to cut or split. Maple firewood typically burns very clean with little smoke and typically no sparks either. Drying wood becomes harder, making it more difficult to split or dent. Maple trees are a hardwood and are known for their beautiful fall colors as well as the fact that they are used to make maple syrup. Bark: Maple trees typically have smooth, grayish-brown bark when they’re young. Maple- splits fair to easy. You should expect it to take 6-12 months to season Maple firewood. Most people who burn Black Birch say it has a pleasant wintergreen smell in contrast to Cottonwood that smells like cat pee when burned. Weight. Image via Pxhere. However, not all of the options will be available to you since some trees only grow in certain parts of the country. Remove branches from cut trees using a machete, bucksaw or chainsaw. This can take from 6 months to over a year, depending on the wood and your firewood drying conditions. That’s great Judy! One BTU the amount of energy required to heat one pound of liquid water by one degree Fahrenheit. The others are found regionally. Wood that makes the best firewood for a fireplace is seasoned wood not green wood. If I can how long and at what temp. How Long To Season Maple Firewood. Thanks for the clear, concise comparisons and the personal perspective. If you're choosing from trees on a wooded lot, cut down the trees that are crowding other trees from growing. Furthermore, how do you season firewood quickly? Cut Early, Burn Late The old farm adage was "cut in spring, burn in winter." Firewood with a moisture content higher than that may eventually burn, but it is difficult to light and hard to keep burning. All wood creates creosote. Thank you for the information. The creosote will stick to the sides of the chimney and can ignite, causing a chimney fire. Not sure why he agreed. There are many different firewood species to choose from. Leaves: Maple tree leaves are shaped similarly to a hand. Hard Maples may take two years to get nice and seasoned, while Red or Silver will easily be seasoned in a year. While you may not always have the luxury of choosing what wood to use, some types of seasoned firewoodwill provide better results. Maple is technically considered to be a hardwood, however the Big Leaf Maple we find on the island is on the softer side. There are many different species of Walnut trees but they all have a few common characteristics that make them stand out from other types of trees. It has a lower density than other hardwoods like Oak, but it is overall a very user friendly firewood to use because it burns clean, splits well and has a great aroma! Size: Maple trees usually grow to 50 to 75 feet high in the wild, but when they are used for home landscapes they stay around 20 to 30 f… Totally worth the wait though. I have compiled an in depth list of the top 3 ways to season or dry your firewood FAST. Stack the pile. Maple has a lower density than other hardwoods like Oak, so you will need to use more of it, but Maple dries quicker than most woods. How to tell the difference? You can use the top layer of wood first and next layer will get a chance to dry enough when you are done with that first layer … The timber is stacked in the same way as it is for. What cars have the most expensive catalytic converters? Best to burn it the season you split it. Stack the first layer of boards. Big leaf, silver, red or any other type of maple is really soft compared to sugar maple. Overall it’s a great choice for firewood! If there is any green colour visible or bark is hard to peel, the log is not yet dry. Maple Maple is ok for home heating and holds a relatively high BTU rating of around 17.6 - 23 million BTUs once the house is warm. It is fast growing and may grow up to 80 feet tall. What happens if you burn unseasoned wood? Most Maple trees split easily. 2. In order to get the most heat from your firewood, the moisture content should be 20% or less. Split It - Splitting the firewood allows the air to reach all sides of the wood, speeding up the amount … By seasoning and storing wood properly, you’ll have wood that burns cleaner, produces less smoke and creosote and yields more heat more efficiently. Just so, how can you tell if wood is seasoned? Bigleaf maple firewood produces only a moderate amount of heat. It is a hardwood although it has fewer BTUs than a lot of other hardwoods. That's pretty much true -- it can take nine months to a year for some firewood to properly dry or "cure." When it comes to seasoning firewood, things can get a bit tricky. Click to see full answer Considering this, how long does it … It normally grows to around 50 feet and in the fall its leaves usually. Hard Maples may take two years to get nice and seasoned, while Red or Silver will easily be seasoned in a year. I have an electric smoker and was wondering if I can season wood in the water tray of my smoker. Green or unseasoned wood is hard to ignite, smolders, burns poorly and doesn’t produce heat. Sugar maple leaves turn yellow, orange, and red in the fall. It takes 110 gallons of Birch sap to produce 1 gallon of Birch syrup. Arbutus Size: Depending on the species Walnut trees grow to be around 33 to 131 feet tall. Bigleaf Maple is a large deciduous broadleaf tree that grows mainly close to the Pacific Coast from Southern Alaska to Southern California. The sugar content will soot up a chimney real fast if not properly seasoned. Thank you, You’re very welcome. Some quick tips about stacking firewood of all kinds. It takes 40 gallons of Maple sap to make 1 gallon of Maple syrup. Splitting wood speeds up the drying process. When wood is cut, it’s green and has a water content of 60 percent or more. Maple trees are pretty clean especially when compared to Pine trees. Well, soft maple has a greyish smooth bark and a hard maple don’t, that’s the basic difference. In my opinion, Maple is a great choice for firewood because it is found all throughout the United States and provides a relatively high heat. Freshly cut firewood or "green" firewood has a moisture content of 50% or more depending on the species. Drying time varies with the cut; 2-foot pieces (a standard firewood length) will dry in … Green Wood or Unseasoned Wood. Find firewood as soon as you arrive at camp. According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America, fresh green wood may be composed of roughly 45 percent water content, which makes burning it difficult or impossible. When I was gifted a large amount of maple rounds (12-30”) I wasn’t sure of the value. Is all maple wood good for smoking or only sugar maple? Like all good firewood, you have to wait it out and you’ll be rewarded. Walnut trees are a hardwood and are known for the tasty nut they produce. 1 Burning the wood after this period will yield the best results. But now I have about 2 cord of green, uncut wood in my driveway. Carefully set the first layer of wooden boards on top of the stickers, … Tell me what your favorite type of firewood is in the comments below. 4. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. You can check it out here, How to split wood by hand. Everyone else on wood value/quality is right on. Takes a long time to season due to it's density. Split the Firewood – When you split the wood rather than leaving it in logs, you will find the wood … For optimal burning, firewood should be dried, or “seasoned,” until its moisture content is less than 20 percent. Needs at least 12 months split to season properly. 3. Maple is clean when matched up to Pine. My maple wood heat is all I need to keep my home toasty warm and I do not have any creosote issues, just don’t close your damper too tight. Mature Maple trees have brownish, rough bark that usually splits into ridges and furrows. I’m glad I was able to help out. Learn more. I was fortunate enough to convince the person cutting down my neighbor's tree to give me the wood. Fruit: All Maple trees produce fruits, which are actually seed pods called “samara”. Depending on the species they will either have 3 or 5 “fingers”. Burns hot and has a beautiful blue flame. After cutting green wood, allow it to sit outdoors for six to 12 months to allow it to properly "season," or dry. Seasoning Maple Firewood. It’s a year-round task because firewood requires anywhere from six months to two years dry out. Thinning out a crowded area will allow more sun and nutrients for the remaining trees. Burn Wise is a partnership program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that emphasizes the importance of burning the right wood, the right way, in the right appliance to protect your home, health, and the air we breathe. Hardwoods, like Maple, burn slower and lower, so the smoke lingers longer inside the chimney, creating more opportunity for creosote build up. Its best to split Maple very quickly and get it off the ground. To identify well seasoned wood, check the ends of the logs. I've been tapping a few trees and making maple syrup for about 4 years, always with the same 3-5 trees. FREE!!!! In general, firewood will take at least 6-8 months to fully season and for denser hardwoods, this process can take even longer. On average, it will take about one season for the firewood to dry out and be ready to burn (six months, for most people). Prepare ahead of time when cutting Pine! It can grow to 80 feet tall.

Gosund Device Is Unresponsive, Gsap Text Animation Codepen, The Ballad Of Sara Berry Musical, Cute Roblox Avatars Girl, The Art Of Mindful Living Book, Bigger Than Any Mountain, Club Penguin Figures, Testudo Erat Numen Meaning, Kvss Art Contest,