Burn, Baby, Burn ... But Be Careful!

Happy New Year and welcome back.

The catalogs are coming with great frequency, winter arrived right on time and all’s quiet in the gardens of the Hamptons. Well, almost.

For 2013 we have a new disease to talk about, a new insect that may affect some of our fruits and berries, a still-festering issue with boxwoods and the latent and residual effects of Sandy, which we’ll continue to discuss in the coming weeks. But cheer up bunky, spring is only a dozen or so weeks away.

While driving around Long Island and Westchester late last year I couldn’t help but notice the endless convoys of trucks either pulling wood chippers or loaded up with logs and limbs that are still being cleaned up from Sandy. Once upon a time much of this wood would simply go to landfills and be buried, but these days it’s more likely the wood is being reprocessed as mulch, fiber products and even building materials as a few newly established lumber and timber dealers are seeking out some of the downed wood as potential materials for building projects.

One concern I have though is the wood that’s being turned around and being sold as firewood. I’ve seen some homeowners stacking up pine wood and splitting it for use in fireplaces and wood stoves. While pine burns hot, it also burns fast and has a good potential to cause chimney fires due to its high production of creosote when burned. Not a good idea and even less of a good idea when the wood is green and not seasoned for many months.

Seasoned cut wood has had most of its moisture removed through simple evaporation and can safely be used in a fireplace or wood stove. The seasoning process can take from three months to a year, depending on the method used. Green, or unseasoned, firewood (and even seasoned pine) releases creosote, a wood tar.

As the creosote volatizes, or dissipates, it moves up the flue pipe and chimney. As it cools, it sticks to the pipe and chimney interior.

In successive “cool” fires or fires burnt in which unseasoned or oil heavy woods are used, the creosote continues to build up and can result in the blockage of the chimney. In a worst-case scenario the creosote continues to build up until a fire is made that’s allowed to burn particularly hot, igniting the creosote in the chimney, resulting in a chimney fire.

When a chimney fire starts it sounds like a roaring jet engine. And in a way it is.

These fires are difficult to extinguish and often result in substantial structural damage to a home. In some cases it’s not uncommon for a chimney fire to destroy a house with only the chimney remaining in place.

When you buy firewood or cord wood (a full cord is 4 feet tall, 4 feet wide and 8 feet long) you should be told if it’s green or seasoned. If you’re told it’s seasoned, make sure to ask for how long.

Green wood contains lots of water and produces less heat output than seasoned wood, in addition to the creosote issues. Also keep in mind that unsplit wood—wood that remains in the round—can take years to dry. Any wood intended for use in a fireplace or wood stove that’s more than 8 inches in diameter should be split in order for it to dry.

How long does seasoning take? This depends on the type of wood and the way it’s beeng seasoned.

Quick seasoning can take place in a wood stack that’s solarized or covered with clear plastic in a way that allows evaporating moisture to escape from the pile instead of condensing on the plastic and dripping back down onto the wood pile. Such setups are not too aesthetically pleasing but they can cut seasoning time in half.

Generally, seasoned wood is split then stacked and allowed to air dry for six months to a year. If the wood is split in early summer, it may release enough of its moisture to be burned the following winter so long as the top of the pile is covered and rain is not allowed to penetrate it.

I like to leave my split wood under a covered wood shelter and I allow it to season for nine to 12 months.

Keep in mind also that the heartwood of different trees contains different amounts of moisture and thus can take longer to season. For example, American beech can have a 72-percent moisture content, while red oak is around 80 percent, and white ash is down around 46 percent.

The question is, when the truck arrives at your house and you’re having a half a cord or a full cord delivered, how do you know if it’s been seasoned? Do you simply trust the guy (don’t) or are there clues to look for?

Well, the quickest and easiest way is to pick up a few pieces of the wood. Does it feel heavy? Does it look like it’s just been split (very light in color) or does it looked somewhat aged (darker in color)?

The best clue of all though is if the wood has cracks in it radiating from the center or core outward. This cracking is a sign of drying and it’s a good rule of thumb that the more cracking, the more dry it is and safer it is to burn.

When storing your firewood, don’t stack it up against your house or garage. Doing so just invites rodents to live in your woodpile uncomfortably close to your living space. The closeness of the wood pile to your structure can also trap moisture and promote rot, mold and fungus.

Try to keep your wood pile at least 10 feet from your house and protect it from the elements by keeping the top of the pile covered with a tarp. Just covering the top will protect from rain and snow.

If you cover the entire pile without allowing a free flow of air, you’ll trap moisture and keep it damp. The exposed ends of the wood absorb very little moisture so just covering the top is usually all that’s needed.

When bringing wood into the house, bring in only as much as you’ll burn on a day or evening. I keep 15 to 20 pieces near my stove and about 100 pieces on a wood rack on my back porch. The rest of my wood is stacked in rows about 20 feet from the house.

Wood kept indoors is a potential issue for any insects that emerge from the stored wood and then want to find a home or a meal in your woodwork, furniture or the frames of your expensive artwork. Or even your cheap artwork.

Fireplaces and wood stoves are a great part of home ownership, but be sensible when using them and be certain that the wood you’re burning is well-seasoned hardwood. As always, keep growing.