How to Cure Wood Faster
Firewood is used in many homes as the primary source of heat or as a backup or supplemental source of heating. It can be a cheap source of heat, but needs to be dry for it to burn cleanly and efficiently. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Chainsaw
- Hand ax
- Debarking chainsaw attachment
- Hydraulic log splitter
- Pressure-treated 4-by-4s
- Concrete blocks
- Metal roofing
Instructions
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Cut the logs into equal lengths that work best for your fireplace using a chainsaw.
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2
Debark the firewood with a hand ax. This allows the air to circulate all the way around the wood so it will dry faster. If you do not debark the wood, stack it with the bark side facing down. This keeps the bark from acting like a lid and trapping moisture.
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3
Split the wood with a log splitter before you stack it. This allows for air circulation around the wood, which will allow it to dry faster.
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4
Set up the firewood rack so that the wind will blow through the stack and not at the end of the stack. This allows the air to circulate through the stacked firewood to dry more quickly.
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5
Stack the wood off of the ground in a clear, well-drained and sunny location. This helps to keep moisture, mold and insects from getting into it.
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Stack the logs on an elevated platform. Use a few pressure-treated 4-by-4s sitting on concrete blocks. This also allows the air to circulate under the stack and to keep termites and other bugs out of your firewood.
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Stack the wood away from the house. The house will block the wind, slowing down the drying process.
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Stack the split wood loose on the rack. You want to allow as much air as possible to circulate around the firewood.
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Place a piece of metal roofing material over the top of the stack. This will help keep rain from slowing down the drying process. Place a couple of concrete blocks on top to keep the wind from blowing the top off.
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Tips & Warnings
Seasoned firewood can be burned along with what is known as green wood. Cut and split the green wood into smaller pieces when adding it with seasoned firewood.
Aways use more seasoned wood when burning green logs.
Restacking the wood every three months will help it dry even faster.
Always dry wood away from your house.
Always wear safety glasses when working with power tools.
References
- Photo Credit Stack of firewood image by Bambuh from Fotolia.com
