WVUUpdate
Published as a Special Insert for Farm Bureau News Spring 2016
Processing high quality firewood
T he West Virginia Friends of Firewood project promotes the importance of high quality firewood to individuals who produce, use or sell it in our area. To produce high quality firewood, it must be split and then seasoned or treated after being cut from a larger log.
Green firewood comes from a live tree that is cut down and then cut into manageable pieces or burnable sizes. Freshly cut pieces are heavy and dense because of the high moisture content – sometimes as much as 50 % of the weight is water. Firewood in this stage should be seasoned or treated before use to maximize burning efficiency. In addition, wet wood increases smoke and the risk of creosote buildup in stove pipes or chimneys.
Splitting firewood
Splitting wood is a crucial step in the drying process to produce high quality firewood. It exposes more surface area allowing the air to penetrate from all sides, leading to faster drying times.
There are two primary options to split firewood – manual and motorized. Manual methods include less expensive hand tools, like mauls and splitting axes. Typical motorized options include hydraulic splitters that use a small gas engine to pump hydraulic fluid into a cylinder that pushes wood rounds
through a wedge. Hydraulic splitters are more efficient than manual splitters but can be much more expensive.
Hydraulic splitters are much more efficient than manual splitters.
Seasoning firewood Split firewood that has been air-dried for at least six months is referred to as seasoned firewood. Air-drying reduces the moisture content of the wood by 50 to 75 %. How can you tell when this point is reached and the wood is ready to burn? Without a moisture meter,
determining this can be difficult; however, external signs( such as ends of wood being split, cracked or checked and have darkened) indicate that the proper amount of drying has occurred. Dry wood will also feel lighter that wet wood and will make a crisp noise( rather than a dull thud) when two pieces are struck together. To properly season firewood, ensure adequate airflow and place it somewhere that has access to the sun and wind for at least six months.
Treating firewood When split firewood has been heattreated, kiln-dried or debarked, it is known as treated firewood. Heat treatments are a process that raise the temperature of the wood, usually to 140 degrees Fahrenheit for a set amount of time( at least one hour), allowing the wood to become sterile and dry.
By processing firewood in spring, you can have an adequately seasoned product in time for next winter, so get an early start!
By Rachel Harris, Project Associate, Appalachian Hardwood Center; Ben Spong, WVU Extension Specialist – Forest Operations; Dave McGill, WVU Extension Specialist – Forest Resource Management
Insert provided by WVU Extension Service and Davis College of Ag., Natural Resources, and Design Spring 2016
West Virginia Farm Bureau News 15