Amandabee

Any ideas how to dry out some wood quickly??

We bought some pine logs a while ago for the fire, but its newly cut. (we're new to this whole fire thing!). Anyway apart from using LOTS of lighter fuel to keep the fire going I could do with some ideas how to dry it out quickly. So far we've cut it into thinner bits and have it in the garage stacked up like a game of Jenga, and apart from putting it in the oven on low I have no idea.

Also any ideas that reduce the likelyhood of me burning the house down would be good

Bill_S

1. I don't know of any way to season firewood quickly.

2. Pine is lousy firewood.

3. If you want to burn right now, look for seasoned Osage Orange.

cranners99

You need 8 months to season pine according to this: http://www.wikihow.com/Season-Firewood
Alternately, buy some seasoned...

C

Amandabee

ooops its not pine... its oak.. we did have pine and it was rubbish, so got oak instead!

Thydney

I think it's much as Cranners says buy seasoned now and use this years next whilst seasoning the year afters. Or pay loads of money for a kiln

another bloody yank

You're SOL, buy some seasoned and save this batch for next year. Burning green wood in a smokey, smouldering fire will increase your creosote problems as well.

jumping doris

Buy some seasoned wood as everyone has said. We use locust wood.
I was told not to stack it in the garage incase of termites etc.

another bloody yank

We stack ours about 100ft from the house and bring it down to the rack on the front porch a few days worth at a time.

farmerwife

Are you burning in a fireplace, or in a woodstove?

If in a fireplace, not a lot you can do.

If burning in a woodstove, get some seasoned wood to start your fire off really hot. Then everytime you add some wood to it, and are using your unseasoned wood, pull all your stops out to get it really blazing for ten minutes, before you shut it down. If this makes the room too hot, open a door for a while.
Then make sure you have your chimney cleaned professionally once a year.
Also agree with not storing it in a garage because of insects etc.
(Obviously, get seasoned next time!)

jumping doris

So do we. Well I should say "so does he".

another bloody yank

It's my 9yo's "job"! He's not a big fan of heating with wood...

jumping doris

Every time the wood is delivered I feel optimistic that this will be the day my teenagers step forwards and say "Let us do that" but then I realise, pigs don't fly.

Actually, my eldest will stack the wood but she's gone to college. I quite like stacking it but I couldn't this time as I had just had a manicure. (Well timed, I thought)

BritGuyTN

Hmmm

I think you are taking the wrong approach, instaed of hoping they will do it

tell them to do it

if they don;t like it tell them to find somewhere else to live

Bill_S

I was thinking the same thing. Doris' teenagers are probably optimistic about their parents doing the laundry, buying the groceries, cooking the meals, etc. Maybe it's time Doris relieved them of their optimism...

jumping doris

They are good at laundry and cooking, not too happy at grocery shopping but then we have very dull grocery stores here. They were always happy to go to Tesco etc.

The thing with the wood is that it may have insects in it. I know that here in PA the bugs are fairly small but they are much bigger than the UK and that's the problem. Add to that the fact that I got bitten quite badly by a spider and that has put them off all things outdoors. (I should add they are all girls so bugs are a big thing)