Anybody know where I can get some good firewood?

[BarristerCat]

I bought a load of firewood off a guy this winter. I've never bought firewood before. My dad and I always have some, but we haven't had time to split it yet this year so I just figured I'd buy some. Well, I did and I'm beginning to think none of it is worth a crap. I can't get it to burn. I've been adding coal to it just to get it to burn up. Even with the coal in there the wood still really doesn't burn on its own. It's more like it is just consumed by the coal fire after a while. Had a big fire going tonight and despite my tending to it in less than an hour it burned out leaving two whole pieces of wood barely even scorched. I'm a frustrated man.

If I knew where I could get some good firewood I'd probably either get rid of this stuff or call the guy that sold it to me and ask for my money back.

[blueboss]

Where are you, roughly.

[CitizenBBN]

Green wood. Got some once. Amazing how wood refuses to burn.

It'll dry out and burn but it won't happen very quick, at least not in my experience as a totally unexpert in this area. I'd definitely get another load and avoid the frustration. Either keep it for next year if you have the room or call the guy or build a fort. lol.

[BarristerCat]

Where are you, roughly.

I'm in the Lexington area.

CBBN, by my description it does sound like green wood, but it doesn't behave like green wood. There's no pop or sizzle. I'm going to saw into a log here in the next couple of days and check it. I think I'll also pick up a case of duraflames and see if I can get any of it going that way. If it's wet I could just haul it down to my dad's barn to let it season out, but that's a lot of hassle.

[CitizenBBN]

Not popping? Yeah that's weird. Like I said I don't pretend to know much about outdoors stuff like firewood but it's my understanding of course that you'd get popping from the moisture,, and I did with mine.

Guess I should ask the obvious question, what species is it? I know density impacts burn rate and of course too much moisture and it just about won't burn (which still amazes me when it is 'dry' to human senses) but a wood that won't burn but doesn't pop (ie have moisture) is new on me. Wonder if it's a non-pine species that is green but somehow the way the moisture is released doesn't pop and hiss.

I'm good on guns, I'm a decent fisherman by amateur standards, but you go any closer to camping or boating and such an I'm more green than that wood I bought. lol. Pardon the pun but I'm so far out on that limb here I'm standing on a compete swag.

Could let it steep in Kerosene overnight and see if it drives out the moisture. Really dumb swag is to dry out a little in the stove and see how it behaves. will at least tell you if it's b/c its green or not.

[BarristerCat]

Well it is a mix of oak, cherry, and ash. I know cherry doesn't burn very well, but I'm having trouble with the oak too. I don't know much about burning ash, but I guess that could be a problem too.

I'll tell you what I do know: if you can ever get your hands on some good beech firewood, do it. That's all my dad and papaw will put up. It's easy to light, burns hot, and lasts. Now that I'm trying to burn something other than beech I can see just how good beech is.

[blueboss]

I'm in the Lexington area.

CBBN, by my description it does sound like green wood, but it doesn't behave like green wood. There's no pop or sizzle. I'm going to saw into a log here in the next couple of days and check it. I think I'll also pick up a case of duraflames and see if I can get any of it going that way. If it's wet I could just haul it down to my dad's barn to let it season out, but that's a lot of hassle.

Reason I ask is sadly with all of the destruction from the tornadoes that southern IN saw just across the river north of Louisville last year there are a ton of fallen trees and there is firewood everywhere. I drove from New Albany to Salem today and saw dozens of signs since it's an hour and half from you it might not be feasible for you but I believe they are going for around 40-45 dollars a cord/chord sp.

There were plenty of fallen trees from a tornado outbreak in the same area a couple of years earlier so there is plenty of well seasoned wood where these guys cutting have plenty to replenish and allow to season long enough for good burning.

[BarristerCat]

Welp, I'm pretty well sure the wood is, in fact, wet. For some reason the first several logs I tried to burn didn't pop, but tonight I lit up a duraflame and split one of the wood logs and threw it on there. Popping to the maximum.

After reading up on it I think I'll just keep it. It appears that it is seasoned, but it isn't dry. So, if I'm reading all the signs right I should have a good load of wood by next winter.

[CitizenBBN]

Sounds like you have a place to put it, seems easier than fighting with the guy about it and not much lost for the discounted timing of sitting on it till next winter.

[Catfan73]

The problem with getting firewood after a big storm is that a lot of it isn't worth much--a lot of silver maple, etc.

Barrister, look at the ends of the logs. If it's seasoned and dry, there will be noticeable splits and cracks where the wood has shrunk as the moisture left.

[Doc]

Green wood. Got some once. Amazing how wood refuses to burn.

It'll dry out and burn but it won't happen very quick, at least not in my experience as a totally unexpert in this area. I'd definitely get another load and avoid the frustration. Either keep it for next year if you have the room or call the guy or build a fort. lol.

That or "hardyboard".

[BarristerCat]

The problem with getting firewood after a big storm is that a lot of it isn't worth much--a lot of silver maple, etc.

Barrister, look at the ends of the logs. If it's seasoned and dry, there will be noticeable splits and cracks where the wood has shrunk as the moisture left.

Yeah, it has the cracks. According to my papaw that means it's seasoned, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's dry. He says that after wood is seasoned it can still absorb enough moisture from rain/moist air to make it un-burnable if it isn't stored well. So, the guy sold me seasoned wood just like he promised. It just isn't dry enough to burn at the moment.

[Catfan73]

I've had the same trouble with my fireplace this year with everything so wet. My dad always cheated whenever he would start a fire. He would gather pine knots whenever he was in the woods--after a pine tree falls everything decays fairly quickly except for the knots. They're full of resin and will get a fire started even when damp. Wish I had some now.

[Doc]

I've had the same trouble with my fireplace this year with everything so wet. My dad always cheated whenever he would start a fire. He would gather pine knots whenever he was in the woods--after a pine tree falls everything decays fairly quickly except for the knots. They're full of resin and will get a fire started even when damp. Wish I had some now.

We use the burlap off our palm trees (stuff under the base of the fronds). Takes about 10 seconds to start a fire. Using it makes me feel like Cody Lundin.

[CitizenBBN]

I've had the same trouble with my fireplace this year with everything so wet. My dad always cheated whenever he would start a fire. He would gather pine knots whenever he was in the woods--after a pine tree falls everything decays fairly quickly except for the knots. They're full of resin and will get a fire started even when damp. Wish I had some now.

Never heard of that before. what a brilliant trick.