Drying Leyland Cypress Wood

Cypress trees contain moisture that must be removed before you can burn it.

If you decide to cut and store your own firewood, you face the problem of moisture content in the trees you use. Leyland cypress trees are softwood trees that put off good heat and do not throw sparks or excessive smoke, but the wood must be extremely dry before you can burn it at all. The process of drying cypress firewood---also called seasoning---can take months, and must be done with carefully cut and stored wood.

Things You'll Need

• Support surface
• Axe and wedge
• Shelter
• Base for wood stack

Instructions

1. Stand the cut pieces of cypress wood on end on a solid surface 20 inches off the ground, and at least six inches wider than the wood itself. Make sure the wood piece stands upright on its own.

2. Line up an axe or wedge with the center of the wood piece. Swing downwards multiple times to split the wood as close to in half as possible. The blade follows the grain of the wood, so it rarely is a perfectly straight cut.

3. Split all pieces of wood.

4. Store the wood in an open area away from a house or stands of trees. The wood should receive a lot of sunlight and, if possible, sit under or in a shelter such as a tarp or a clear plastic shed; this increases the temperature and protects the wood from rainfall. The shelters must allow for ventilation and air flow or the wood rots and mildews.

5. Stack the split wood on top of sawhorses or a similar base that gets them at least one foot off of the ground. This increases air circulation around the wood and reduces the chance of insect infestation in the wood.

Tips & Warnings

• Cut your firewood one year before you need it so that it has plenty of time to dry.

• Many hardware shops sell power log splitters that use mechanical means to split wood. These machines are expensive, so shop around and weigh the cost of the machine against the time and energy it may save you.

• There are a variety of ways to check for dryness in the wood. Dry wood sounds hollow instead of thudding when struck. You also may use a moisture meter, which reads the basic percentage of moisture in the wood. The ultimate goal is to get the wood's moisture content below 20 percent.

• Splitting the wood exposes the interior not protected by bark, allowing more surface area from which moisture can evaporate, and increasing the rate of drying.

• Never attempt to split a piece of wood that is resting on the ground. You run a high risk of hitting your leg or foot with the downswing of the axe. Always use a base or platform.

References

• "University of Nebraska-Lincoln Neb Guide"; Heating With Wood: Producing, Harvesting and Processing Firewood; Scott DeWald; March 2005
• "University of Tennessee Extension Wood Products Information"; Moisture Content of "Seasoned" Firewood; Adam Taylor; 2007
• "New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service"; Firewood Facts; April 2003