If the dry firewood contains moisture below 20%, then it is ready to use. How much time does the firewood take to be ready for use? It depends on various factors. Usually, mist woods are ready to burn within 7 to 9 months.
But, several factors can affect this time duration. The hardwood needs more time to dry as compared to softwood. It is so because hardwood is denser than the softwood. Sometimes, hardwood takes more than one year to season.
The drying time depends on the type of wood, variation in the ambient temperature, length of a wooden log, and the storage system as well as contributes to drying time. In short, there are too many variables that going to change the time for firewood to season.
If you want to have the best species firewood for no cost, then contact tree service providers in Sydney who provide free firewood Sydney. In this article, we are going to discuss some methods to determine whether firewood is ready to burn or not:
Tips To Figure Out Logs Are Seasoned:
There are various methods to find out the seasoned firewood. Before throwing firewood into the burner, you should consider various things:
- Color Of Wood
When firewood starts drying, then its color also starts changing. While the firewood drying process, the color of wood begins to darken and fade out as well.
In this transition, the bright and fresh firewood gradually loses its luster and becomes dull. The firewood color is one of the main indicators to determine whether it is ready to burn or not.
- No Strong Aroma
Take our small hatchet to cut the log of firewood. Now, smell it so that you can find out whether it is dry or not. If you find a strong aroma, then the firewood is not ready to use.
It will take more time to season. Also, if you will find out that wood is damp, then it is not ready to put into the burner. It is another indicator that helps you to find out that wood is not damp yet.
- Weight Less
Wet firewood weighs higher as compare to the dry wood. It is so because the wet wood also comprises the weight of water in it. Thus, you can determine the firewood is properly season or not by measuring its weight.
In the drying process, water levels wood and evaporate, therefore, firewood becomes light in weight. The weight of green wood is approximately double that of the dry wood.
For instance, a cord of dry oak firewood will approximately weigh 5,000 lbs. On the other hand, the cord of green oak wood weighs approximately 8,000 lbs.
- Bark Of Wood
When firewood starts drying, then bark start loosens the bond with wood and it falls off eventually. Mostly, the seasoned firewood does not have bark on it. Thus, it is a clear indication that firewood without bark is ready to put inside the burner.
- Cracks In Firewood
There is another good way to determine whether firewood is ready to burn or not. You should search for cracks at the center of the log and these cracks will be going out to the outer part of the log.
When the wood starts drying, then it starts shrinking and cracks form. On the other hand, green or fresh will not have these cracks. It is so because these cracks appear during the wood seasoned process.
- Take Help Of Moisture Meter
This is one of the optimum methods to find out whether firewood is ready to burn or not. The moisture meter will help to determine the level of water content inside the wooden log. The moisture meter is easy to use and it is comprised of an LCD screen that displays the measured value.
As it is already mentioned that firewood is ready to use when it has less than 20% moisture content. So, if your moisture meter indicated less than 20%, then you can use that wooden log as firewood.
A Little Bit About Moisture Meter:
The moisture meter is easily available in nearby electronic store or you can buy it from online websites. The meter is integrated with two different prongs at the end. To determine the moisture level in wood, you just need to place the prong at wood where you want to check.
It is recommended to take several readings to determine the precise value of moisture content. It is important to determine the moisture content in the center of the log. Cut the log with the help of hatchet and measure the moisture content.
At the center of the log, you will have an accurate measurement of moisture level. So, using the moisture meter is the best way to determine whether firewood is seasoned or not.
