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Stratford Fireplace Installation and Operation Manual
Here are some things to consider in estimating drying time:
Firewood takes a long time to dry;
•
Firewood bought from a dealer is rarely dry enough to
•
burn, so it is advisable to buy the wood in spring and dry
it yourself;
Drying happens faster in dry weather than in damp,
•
maritime climates;
Drying happens faster in warm summer weather than in
•
winter weather;
Small pieces dry more quickly than large pieces;
•
Split pieces dry more quickly than unsplit rounds;
•
Softwoods take less time to dry than hardwoods;
•
Softwoods like pine, spruce, and poplar/aspen can be dry enough to burn after being stacked in the
•
open for only the summer months;
Hardwoods like oak, maple and ash can take one, or even two years to dry fully, especially if the pieces
•
are big;
Firewood dries more quickly when stacked in the open where it is exposed to sun and wind; it takes
•
much longer to dry when stacked in a wood shed;
Firewood that is ready to burn has a moisture content between 15 and 20% by weight and will allow
•
your fireplace to produce its highest possible efficiency.
3.2.6 JUDGING FIREWOOD MOISTURE CONTENT
You can find out if some firewood is dry enough to burn by using these guidelines:
cracks form at the ends of logs as they dry
•
as it dries in the sun, the wood turns from white or cream colored to grey or yellow,
•
bang two pieces of wood together; seasoned wood sounds hollow and wet wood sounds dull,
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dry wood is much lighter in weight than wet wood,
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split a piece, and if the fresh face feels warm and dry it is dry enough to burn; if it feels damp, it is too
•
wet,
burn a piece; wet wood hisses and sizzles in the fire and dry wood does not.
•
16 __________________________________________________________________________
You could buy a wood moisture meter to test
your firewood.
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