I like to cut at least a year ahead and then I stack almost a cord in my stove room to act as a kiln to finish pulling out the last little bit of moisture. A pro tip I've learned over the years is to cut in winter time so you don't get loaded with ticks and chiggers. That's here in Arkansas, anyway.
I do the same thing up here in the northeast. I bring about a face cord into my wood stove area of the basement and do the same thing with my wood stove. Finishes drying it out since it very hot and dry with my stove 8’ away. I’ve been doing it for years. About 5 days of supply during the coldest weeks of winter.
Very nice. Thank you for sharing 65 years of actual experience. I'm 74, and we still heat exclusively with wood. I have come to many of the same conclusions you have. I built my woodshed oriented east and west. We live inland from Lake Michigan about 15 miles, and there is almost always a good breeze out of the west. That seems to help the drying even more than the sun. Keep the video's coming.
Great vid, FYI, I watched one other you tube video where the guy said that he used a third of the quantity of wood when he aged it for at least 3-4 years. So think about it. If you can collect a massive amount of firewood this year, more than what you need for 2 years and let it really age, you will end up burning a lot less in years 3 & 4.
Thank you Mark, this is very informative. I am fairly new to this and I have an 1800 sf house that I will be using a Woodstock soapstone wood burning stove to heat. It is rated for 1800 sf. I have access to juniper wood from a cabin we have in the mountains in Idaho. We have used wood on cold times of the year there, but have never been there in the winter as it has no winter access. I have been trying to figure out how much wood I need to heat the house. It has a full unfinished basement that I will not be heating. I have a good shed to put the seasoned wood in that is open on both ends. If I understand you right, the wood has to be split and kept outside for 6 months before stacking in the shed? Do you have any idea of approximately how much I would need for winter heating?
Dawna Thanks for the kind words....They make those Woodstock stoves not far from here, they are very efficient. It's difficult to say how much wood you will need because the variables are numerous and far ranging. Things to consider are: 1. the insulation properties of your house 2. effects of sun and wind 3. median winter temperature for your area 4. what temperature do you need to be comfortable 5. properties unique to individual stoves and chimneys...a lot to consider....but one thing is for sure, get all the wood you can, because there will be another winter coming when you can use it...and you'll know more then...than you do now...all the best
I keep mine outside under a canopy year round, cinder blocks on the bottom, 2x4's on each end in both holes. Stacking the wood between the 2x4's has been really successful for me. No mold or rot issues, and no critter issues. I'm fortunate where I am on ly 2 cords a year are required. I can take 4 cords a year from local forests with a $20 permit from the rangers. I like how organized your piles are. Even that part of the work is easy on the eyes. Good work sir.
V Star 1300 Adventures Is that hard/soft wood, $20, here in the UK it's £60 for 3 months with a 1 tonne limit, no power tools allowed. Stealing has increased significantly as a result, it used to be cheap for a permit like in the US.
You can take either, but you can't take anything still standing normally. It has to be fallen or dead. You can take 4 cords of wood a year and in my area a typical winter will only cost you two cords to heat an average size home. If you have two good years cutting and drying You might be able to take that third year off, and only start cutting again on the fourth year when you are on the last part of your stockpile. I'm trying to talk my friend into going with me to do that since he has the truck that would require. It sounds like a great way to heat a small work shop to me.
V Star 1300 Adventures, I store my wood the very same way for a few years now. The only thing I had go wrong with it once was I had a stack ( 8’ long and about 6’ high) fall over. Not really sure why, not sure if the wind didn’t do it or the ground underneath it shifted somehow. I did have some moles tunneling around kinda close to it so we’re thinking that could have caused it. But this year I moved them to a gravel based part of the yard and braced them up better so we’ll see.
where I live in the states you can harvest 10 cords a year for $20. most people on average need 5 cords to get by a year but my house is small and well insulated and I can get by with 2 though it's better to have extra just in case
I use a similar shed and the same gorilla wagon but I get two days per wagon on a vermont castings heating a house way bigger than you would expect-super insulated.
Wood drys from each direction the ends being more while in the pile but there are always holes for the wind to go through to get to the sides to dry it
Nice video. This is very similar to my process. Though I don't have a shed it is a pole barn. stacking wood just between exterior poles leaving the interior clear for the tractor. The pole barn may lack the protection but more than makes up the difference with air movement. Also the wood I store outside on racks stays outside put isn't used till the next year. Here in Virginia we don't get that awesome freeze drying effect that you do. I'm heating a house half the size of yours. Been using a wood stove for 28 years and have it down to a science. It is a lot of work but maintaining the woods around my house requires me to do something with the wood. Also friends and neighbors usually ask me to remove trees for them and that leaves me with more wood than I want to have around. More than two years of wood invites rot and bugs. I didn't recognize the brand of heater fluid you store but I'm sure it's dependable. I store the primary heater fluid near the splitter for encouragement.
WSMC Mc A pole barn with room for a tractor would be great. You're not kidding about the freeze dried effect... That's why we need the encouragement..lol.. thanks for checking in
nice video thanks from the UK - i now realise why the centre of my wood stack has started to grow mould - I need to stack it properly not keep it in a builders bag. cheers
Very impressive stack 👍👍.. I have been working on my stack as I write this. Good video, thanks. PS here on my farm I am blessed with a South facing lean 2 that I stack in, lean 2 size 30x50
I am your exact age and have been heating house just outside Detroit with wood for 15 years.I burn a a cord n a half. Beautiful,awesome,nothing quite like it. That said. It is an enormous endeavor and won't get any easier going forward. Florida living is looking better all the time.
@@markum5094 I haven't given Arizona any consideration,perhaps I should. I have looked at the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee where the elevation keeps temps down in summer and winters are mild and "fall" like. Each piece of wood I put in burner I have picked up and set down 11 times already during the gathering,moving,splitting,stacking,moving etc,etc. Too much of my time is spent working just to keep myself warm. I'm thinking of it like this. Say I am healthy and live for another 20 years. In Michigan that's 20 summers,in Florida I get the equivalent of 40 summers. I mean just today I spent 6 straight hours dedicated to removing this six inches of wet snow. I have worked hard my entire life and want to be less of a laborer.
I keep my wood in a sunny and windy meadow. I stack it on pallets and cover the top only and bark up. I'm guessing the wood dries fastest during the summer more than spring
Great jo on your first video! looking forward to your tips and tricks for heating with wood. I heat with an outdoor boiler here in Ontario Canada. Seems like its a never ending job of cutting and preparing. Ive tried girdling me trees with a chainsaw so they are dead standing until I have time to get them cut down. Works pretty good. Hope you are going to make some more video's! Would like to see how you heat your place and your process for cutting trees and hauling them back. Do you use a tractor/atv?
6 below havnt seen that in years.. wiconsin i get 5 above now. when i was a kid 20 below was normal . i go thru about 2 cords . used to go thru 7. good vid.
Ken Soo We had 5 above just yesterday... 19 was the high for the day... very early in the season for that kind of cold 🥶 thanks for the kind words and take care
Greetings from Mass! Whereabouts do you live in Vermont? My wife and I got married a year ago in Grafton (we're about to head back up there for our anniversary this weekend as a matter of fact). I'm trying to convince her to move there some day. We absolutely love it up there. Great job on the first video! We just had a wood stove installed in our home so I'd love to see your methods of harvesting your wood, burning it, etc...
Just ran across your video Jan18, 2021. Cut up my own logs and heated whole house with Jøtuls for over 40 years in Morrisville (Lamoille County). Good first video. Cheers!
You've at least got shelter. we still stack it out in the open at my folk's place where it gets rained and snowed on. I've got a feeling we'll start using dad's old trailer tarps to cover the mounds. a shelter like yours is great.
Alvin Dueck I started out the same way... when I got a little $$$, I bought some 2x6 spruce lumber for rafters, helped take down an old barn for free steel roofing, got some used cedar boards for free and built my shed. Point is if you check around your area, you may find much of what you need for very little money...And your wood will burn more efficiently. Best regards and thanks for checking in
Those are some nice stacks outside. Like they're square and uniform. Your wood shed is well thought out as well. Personally I'm considering building a wood conveyor to just pile wood into a shed that I haven't built yet but will have several doors to get wood at different stages In drying. It won't be nearly that nice but hoping by little conveyor at an empty place and filling to the ceiling will be easier on me being I've had several back surgeries and not supposed to be doing it anyway.
Phil Lowman I knew a fellow who had a similar set up to the one you're thinking about. It worked well for him because he could get his driest wood at any particular time...And not stacking did save time and work. His shed was much larger than mine but held the same amount of wood. Unstacked wood takes a lot of space.. thanks for checking in and best of luck with your project.
I too heat with wood and as far as I'm concerned it's the only way to heat. Now my woodshed will hold about 50 face cord of wood and as soon as I cut and split it it goes into the shed I've never had a moisture problem doing it that way. I'm just eliminating a step. Y'all got nice lookin wood there. Stay warm 👍👍
Mark May Well I cut my wood from 20"-24" long We call it a "face cord " and that's the way we sell it here. Hope that makes sense to ya. Happy New Years
Doug Niebergal Believe it or not I do understand measures of firewood. I’ve been in it for about 55 years now. I don’t use all of it but I have family across the road that never have enough dry wood. He’s 87 years young this year so I stock up just in case
I stack mine in 7 bush cord Holz Hausens, let season 2 years, and then burn. Never had a problem with wet or punky wood. Might be more work, but seems to stand up better to the elements.
I tried the Holt Hausens but felt the wood didn't dry as well as regular rows... it looked great and took up less space...may try it again... Thanks for the info
Thanks for sharing that Mark. Here in England it's mostly wet winters and most people are on mains gas. I use a wood burner to heat my home on account of the wood being free and I enjoy the process of cutting and logging. Do you find that doing it out of necessity takes away the enjoyment?
I really enjoy working with firewood... some years I buy log length wood, block it with my chainsaw, and split it with my 8 lb. maul... good for the mind and body....with it comes a sense of freedom and independence from the oil companies
That's a great video for a first timer. And that's a lot of wood! I only burn about 1 rick per winter for atmosphere and fun in a traditional open fireplace. But I 'm thinking about creating a woodshed. Did you give any consideration to having the large opening on the lee side of your prevailing weather? I'm thinking about doing that. Again, yours was a fun and informative video! Good luck from Louisville, Kentucky!
RodintheVille thanks a bunch 👌🏼my opening is pointing easterly Most of our weather is from the northwest so I actually did consider that...I visited Louisville once during my college years and loved it. It was during the spring .. late May. All the best and thanks again
Ok, I have a few questions. 1) what are you using as a method of knowing that the wood is seasoned? Do you use a moisture meter to check the moisture content or what? 2) do you cut all of that wood yourself or do you buy it? 3) what type of wood are you talking about here because I’ve heard drying/seasoning time is different from one type to another? All my questions are for my own Curiosity as I see so many different options on here.
Jay Davis I use a moisture meter, My goal being 18% moisture-20% is what most people consider dry I used to cut and split via a maul all my own wood but now I buy it split and delivered. You’re right, drying time depends on many variables one of which is type. I use some ash which dries rapidly but most of my wood is maple, beech, and birth. They have more BTu’s per volume than ash but take longer to dry out! Hopefully this answers your questions.. happy new year 🎊
I'm about your age - that would be a lot of work cutting all that wood. We burn about a cord a year, but I live in the mountains east of Seattle, it rarely gets below 30 F, and we have a fairly small, well insulated house. See my video on how we heat with a fireplace.
hello... i burn about 3 cords per season.. Got a ques. may seem silly but do you or anyone here reading this have problems with carpenter ants in the pile? I keep my wood in rows of 4' H x 8' L x 3' W.. I put a piece of plastic to cover just the tops layer.. Seems to always be a home for the ants.. Remedies? Or just let the ants eat what they like?
Good note about the bark and the dry stackIng with the bark up! I do the same. I also try and dry my wet wood for +1 year 2 if possible but use a lot less than you. By the way what's the measurement of a chord of wood? Wood when purchase in Australia is by the Tonne. Can some explain please? NSW in Oz
devin y thanks my wife has been using cut wood all her life and she thought that you were referring to an English singing group from the late 1970s called The Chords
WSMC Mc thanks, eventually I did find it watching Utube. Someone else just gave out the measurement, one thing you don't have to worry about here is snow and covering your wood in anyway, just the odd spider ( less than you think). After ten plus years of cutting and stacking this year was the first I've come across one in a tight pile of cut wood (never ever seen this type before and had to look it up, because it was so darn big, and I do mean big) an "eastern mouse spider" according to my grown up son clearly visible from well over 30'ft away when it took off ( and his words "It looked like it could carry a pick of wood with it.")Appreciate the reply.
Stephen Malone Yes we have a good share of black widows and brown recluse here but I don't have them in the wood piles. They tend to like hiding around water resistant items that aren't moved regularly. They are quite timid so you aren't likely to see them around an active house unless you let other spiders nest around your outdoor lights or windows. Nice chat.
may as well be watering all your piles with a garden hose once per week. based on the size of those pieces and the length of them, the type of operation and amount you go through, obviously you have a wood furnace or boiler of sorts which is going full blast
I have an OWB the good thing is you can put it semi seasoned wood covered in snow in the bitch. You can leave the wood on pallets all winter right next to it.
When you say you're drying or seasoning your wood for 6 months outside I assume you're referring to green, fresh cut living lumber as opposed to standing dead lumber. Please explain. Thanks for the video.
Daniel Wilkins Not speaking for Mark, but I don't consider seasoning to start till the wood has been split. in log form, even cut lengths, the wood releases very little moisture and in fact promotes insects and rot. if you want a tree to rot away quickly just drop it to the ground and leave it alone.
Daniel Wilkins You're right... the wood on my pallets outside is freshly cut and green..My shed holds about 2 years of wood ...so it seasons for about 6 months outside and then year in the shed.
Nice wood shed. Big enough to hold lots of wood. What are the dimensions of you wood shed? You only need one that size where I live to hold a couple of years worth of wood. Then put the newly felled outside like you mentioned to dry.
Wood loses its moisture through the ends of the wood. No matter etcher it’s Milled into boards, cut to firewood etc. example: wood bow makers always cut their bow staves and then paint the ends with something to seal it so it dries slowly and doesn’t warp or crack. Regardless of how you stack firewood it’s going to eventually dry. Main thing is just have ventilation. Get air movement to it. Don’t like it in a barn and close the door where it’s hot and humid in summer and no air moving. Different woods dry at different rates because of how tight the grains are. So oak will take longer to dry than soft maple etc.
Probably not because wood heating doesn't jive with the "Green New Deal". But, this is necessary when the wind does not blow and the skies turn cloudy.
Rob M that's a fact... I'm heating 2500 square feet plus water...in Vermont, 2 days ago the high temperature was 11° F..last night it was -14... I know some farm houses that will burn 8-10 cords especially if they are located on a windy slope or a deep valley.. thanks for checking in
I do the same. I know better airflow is good. Sometimes mine is stacked outside until I can haul it in in the spring. I store it in a shed that is 24 x 48, enclosed on three sides. One bay is 12' wide x 24' deep. I burn from one end this year, replace wood, burn from the back side next year. Works really good for me. Wood is really dry. So I guess I dont really have to have the extra airflow. Just my info for others.
As one who suffers with my Lungs. I hate wood. Its an environmental hazzard. Its expensive. Here in Ut they want to switch wood fire place over to gas. Much cleaner. At least those of us who suffer breathing we could breath better. I remember my dad and uncle and grandpa getting loads of wood and coal ready in Germany. Not the best alternative. But your pile is definetly impressive.
Modern wood stoves are much more efficient and produce a lot less particulates. Having properly dried wood helps a lot. You know fracking to get that gas out is a real environmental hazard.
Mark it is built out of structural steal panels that allows air to move around in it & the lid is the same open to the east enclosed on the other sides. When the sun hits the roof temp inside goes up but I all so live in a dryer climate than you do here in the rocky's. The wood we have here is pine.
That sounds like a good design for drying...as you know our wood is hardwood, Maple, beech, birtch; if I stacked it with space between my rows, it would dry but not as fast as 3 months outside...plus I like to pack every inch of my shed with wood...that gives me a 2-year supply ... thanks for getting back to me
I like to cut at least a year ahead and then I stack almost a cord in my stove room to act as a kiln to finish pulling out the last little bit of moisture. A pro tip I've learned over the years is to cut in winter time so you don't get loaded with ticks and chiggers. That's here in Arkansas, anyway.
I do the same thing up here in the northeast. I bring about a face cord into my wood stove area of the basement and do the same thing with my wood stove. Finishes drying it out since it very hot and dry with my stove 8’ away. I’ve been doing it for years. About 5 days of supply during the coldest weeks of winter.
Wow - you are way ahead. Wish I had that much firewood in prep for the next season. Great system you have.
Very nice. Thank you for sharing 65 years of actual experience. I'm 74, and we still heat exclusively with wood. I have come to many of the same conclusions you have. I built my woodshed oriented east and west. We live inland from Lake Michigan about 15 miles, and there is almost always a good breeze out of the west. That seems to help the drying even more than the sun. Keep the video's coming.
Jim Bos thanks for checking in and confirming some of my thoughts... have a warm and safe winter season
Very interesting details, thx from Sweden 😊👍
Great first video ! I enjoy it very much !
Great vid, FYI, I watched one other you tube video where the guy said that he used a third of the quantity of wood when he aged it for at least 3-4 years. So think about it. If you can collect a massive amount of firewood this year, more than what you need for 2 years and let it really age, you will end up burning a lot less in years 3 & 4.
Thanks for a good video and for giving us the benefit of your experience.
Excellent.....
Thanks for sharing
Love the liquid courage, much needed at 8below!!! First winter in Maine, October now so wish us luck❤️
All the best... you’ll do well in Maine...👍🏼
Great video! Really interested in seeing your wood stove heating setup
Great video. We're getting ready to build on 5 wooded acres and I'm eagerly awaiting that wood furnace video!
such a good video! you should do one on your furnace, sounds like an awesome setup.
The fire wood is a mixture of birch, beech, and sugar maple...beech is my favorite because it makes huge coals which last forever
Thank you Mark, this is very informative. I am fairly new to this and I have an 1800 sf house that I will be using a Woodstock soapstone wood burning stove to heat. It is rated for 1800 sf.
I have access to juniper wood from a cabin we have in the mountains in Idaho. We have used wood on cold times of the year there, but have never been there in the winter as it has no winter access.
I have been trying to figure out how much wood I need to heat the house. It has a full unfinished basement that I will not be heating. I have a good shed to put the seasoned wood in that is open on both ends. If I understand you right, the wood has to be split and kept outside for 6 months before stacking in the shed?
Do you have any idea of approximately how much I would need for winter heating?
Dawna Thanks for the kind words....They make those Woodstock stoves not far from here, they are very efficient. It's difficult to say how much wood you will need because the variables are numerous and far ranging. Things to consider are: 1. the insulation properties of your house 2. effects of sun and wind 3. median winter temperature for your area 4. what temperature do you need to be comfortable 5. properties unique to individual stoves and chimneys...a lot to consider....but one thing is for sure, get all the wood you can, because there will be another winter coming when you can use it...and you'll know more then...than you do now...all the best
Dawna ...also, and maybe most importantly in the "how much wood is enough" equation is the BTU value of your wood
That's a nice setup and system. Thanks for sharing.
Adam Holbrook thanks for checking in
Awesome first video! I enjoy watching and making firewood videos! Subscribed!!
Excellent first video!!
Craig Arndt Thank you SO much, Craig... I really appreciate your comment.. And thanks for stopping by
Great video lot of helpful information
Well done... From (1) Vermonter to another. :~)
I like locus it makes some
awsome heat and love it
Ooohhhh!! 03:01 .... softcore, tantalization! I feel like I should hide this from my wife! IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL!
I really like your wood shed
Great video. Thanks. Got some good ideas from it.
I keep mine outside under a canopy year round, cinder blocks on the bottom, 2x4's on each end in both holes. Stacking the wood between the 2x4's has been really successful for me. No mold or rot issues, and no critter issues. I'm fortunate where I am on ly 2 cords a year are required. I can take 4 cords a year from local forests with a $20 permit from the rangers. I like how organized your piles are. Even that part of the work is easy on the eyes. Good work sir.
V Star 1300 Adventures Is that hard/soft wood, $20, here in the UK it's £60 for 3 months with a 1 tonne limit, no power tools allowed. Stealing has increased significantly as a result, it used to be cheap for a permit like in the US.
You can take either, but you can't take anything still standing normally. It has to be fallen or dead. You can take 4 cords of wood a year and in my area a typical winter will only cost you two cords to heat an average size home. If you have two good years cutting and drying You might be able to take that third year off, and only start cutting again on the fourth year when you are on the last part of your stockpile. I'm trying to talk my friend into going with me to do that since he has the truck that would require. It sounds like a great way to heat a small work shop to me.
V Star 1300 Adventures, I store my wood the very same way for a few years now. The only thing I had go wrong with it once was I had a stack ( 8’ long and about 6’ high) fall over. Not really sure why, not sure if the wind didn’t do it or the ground underneath it shifted somehow. I did have some moles tunneling around kinda close to it so we’re thinking that could have caused it. But this year I moved them to a gravel based part of the yard and braced them up better so we’ll see.
where I live in the states you can harvest 10 cords a year for $20. most people on average need 5 cords to get by a year but my house is small and well insulated and I can get by with 2 though it's better to have extra just in case
Good job ! all it needs is a cover on top and no need to move it, stand alone gets more sun and air circulation than trapped en mass in a shed
Thank you for the information.
I use a similar shed and the same gorilla wagon but I get two days per wagon on a vermont castings heating a house way bigger than you would expect-super insulated.
Nice video! Your right bark up or down makes no difference to drying. Wood drys from the ends anyway.
Wood drys from each direction the ends being more while in the pile but there are always holes for the wind to go through to get to the sides to dry it
How do you know this for a fact ?
nice wood shed, great info thanks!
Tom F thanks Tom, glad you stopped by...
Nice video. This is very similar to my process. Though I don't have a shed it is a pole barn. stacking wood just between exterior poles leaving the interior clear for the tractor. The pole barn may lack the protection but more than makes up the difference with air movement. Also the wood I store outside on racks stays outside put isn't used till the next year. Here in Virginia we don't get that awesome freeze drying effect that you do. I'm heating a house half the size of yours. Been using a wood stove for 28 years and have it down to a science. It is a lot of work but maintaining the woods around my house requires me to do something with the wood. Also friends and neighbors usually ask me to remove trees for them and that leaves me with more wood than I want to have around. More than two years of wood invites rot and bugs. I didn't recognize the brand of heater fluid you store but I'm sure it's dependable. I store the primary heater fluid near the splitter for encouragement.
WSMC Mc A pole barn with room for a tractor would be great. You're not kidding about the freeze dried effect... That's why we need the encouragement..lol.. thanks for checking in
Nice video. That's a lot of work.
Love it great job with the video man
Thanks for checking in. Happy holidays
Dobra robota - good job!:-)
nice video thanks from the UK - i now realise why the centre of my wood stack has started to grow mould - I need to stack it properly not keep it in a builders bag. cheers
Gaz UK Oh yes...air circulation is crucial... thanks for stopping by... Merry Christmas
Very impressive stack 👍👍.. I have been working on my stack as I write this. Good video, thanks. PS here on my farm I am blessed with a South facing lean 2 that I stack in, lean 2 size 30x50
Great video, nice shed.Making firewood (cutting, splitting, etc) is a dry satisfying thing.Surprised Robert Frost never wrote a poem about that.
Tom Fischer thanks for checking in...Good point about Frost.. if he’d only taken a different road
“Out, Out-“ was a good one, but sad.
I am your exact age and have been heating house just outside Detroit with wood for 15 years.I burn a a cord n a half. Beautiful,awesome,nothing quite like it. That said. It is an enormous endeavor and won't get any easier going forward. Florida living is looking better all the time.
johnmichael karma Florida or Arizona 😀
@@markum5094 I haven't given Arizona any consideration,perhaps I should. I have looked at the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee where the elevation keeps temps down in summer and winters are mild and "fall" like. Each piece of wood I put in burner I have picked up and set down 11 times already during the gathering,moving,splitting,stacking,moving etc,etc. Too much of my time is spent working just to keep myself warm. I'm thinking of it like this. Say I am healthy and live for another 20 years. In Michigan that's 20 summers,in Florida I get the equivalent of 40 summers. I mean just today I spent 6 straight hours dedicated to removing this six inches of wet snow. I have worked hard my entire life and want to be less of a laborer.
I keep my wood in a sunny and windy meadow. I stack it on pallets and cover the top only and bark up. I'm guessing the wood dries fastest during the summer more than spring
Learned a lot!
Thanks for sharing
Looks great ‘ u must be a fit 65 year old ‘ working at timber is a great way to stay young and keep fit ‘ a few years firing there
Very nice! Wow. Lots of wood. Get that video of the furnace up!
Great jo on your first video! looking forward to your tips and tricks for heating with wood. I heat with an outdoor boiler here in Ontario Canada. Seems like its a never ending job of cutting and preparing. Ive tried girdling me trees with a chainsaw so they are dead standing until I have time to get them cut down. Works pretty good.
Hope you are going to make some more video's! Would like to see how you heat your place and your process for cutting trees and hauling them back. Do you use a tractor/atv?
Great video 👍👍👍
John Kane I I I Thanks so much... glad you liked it
6 below havnt seen that in years.. wiconsin i get 5 above now. when i was a kid 20 below was normal . i go thru about 2 cords . used to go thru 7. good vid.
Ken Soo We had 5 above just yesterday... 19 was the high for the day... very early in the season for that kind of cold 🥶 thanks for the kind words and take care
Good Job On Your Video !!!
Greetings from Mass! Whereabouts do you live in Vermont? My wife and I got married a year ago in Grafton (we're about to head back up there for our anniversary this weekend as a matter of fact). I'm trying to convince her to move there some day. We absolutely love it up there. Great job on the first video! We just had a wood stove installed in our home so I'd love to see your methods of harvesting your wood, burning it, etc...
Well dang. Your first and only. Didn't do bad.
Very useful information and nicely presented. Kudos.
Philip thank you... thank you very much
Just ran across your video Jan18, 2021. Cut up my own logs and heated whole house with Jøtuls for over 40 years in Morrisville (Lamoille County). Good first video. Cheers!
Hey Phil.... Thanks and Happy ‘21
You've at least got shelter. we still stack it out in the open at my folk's place where it gets rained and snowed on.
I've got a feeling we'll start using dad's old trailer tarps to cover the mounds.
a shelter like yours is great.
Alvin Dueck I started out the same way... when I got a little $$$, I bought some 2x6 spruce lumber for rafters, helped take down an old barn for free steel roofing, got some used cedar boards for free and built my shed. Point is if you check around your area, you may find much of what you need for very little money...And your wood will burn more efficiently. Best regards and thanks for checking in
Realy nice
Those are some nice stacks outside. Like they're square and uniform. Your wood shed is well thought out as well. Personally I'm considering building a wood conveyor to just pile wood into a shed that I haven't built yet but will have several doors to get wood at different stages In drying. It won't be nearly that nice but hoping by little conveyor at an empty place and filling to the ceiling will be easier on me being I've had several back surgeries and not supposed to be doing it anyway.
Phil Lowman I knew a fellow who had a similar set up to the one you're thinking about. It worked well for him because he could get his driest wood at any particular time...And not stacking did save time and work. His shed was much larger than mine but held the same amount of wood. Unstacked wood takes a lot of space.. thanks for checking in and best of luck with your project.
When's the furnace video coming? Good stuff,
Thanks
Good video; good info; good clarity and exposure; good sound. Only negative is shakiness. You might have used a tripod for some of that video..
I too heat with wood and as far as I'm concerned it's the only way to heat. Now my woodshed will hold about 50 face cord of wood and as soon as I cut and split it it goes into the shed I've never had a moisture problem doing it that way. I'm just eliminating a step.
Y'all got nice lookin wood there. Stay warm 👍👍
John Myers 50 face cords...so that's about 12.5 cords? I agree, wood heat is the best. thanks for checking in..and keep the home fires burning
Mark May
Well I cut my wood from 20"-24" long We call it a "face cord " and that's the way we sell it here. Hope that makes sense to ya. Happy New Years
@@johnmyers6097 en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Face_cord
@@johnmyers6097 that works out to 3,200 cubic feet of firewood.
Doug Niebergal
Believe it or not I do understand measures of firewood. I’ve been in it for about 55 years now. I don’t use all of it but I have family across the road that never have enough dry wood. He’s 87 years young this year so I stock up just in case
You're welcome.. hope it's useful
Never did show the furnace to bad
I stack mine in 7 bush cord Holz Hausens, let season 2 years, and then burn. Never had a problem with wet or punky wood. Might be more work, but seems to stand up better to the elements.
I tried the Holt Hausens but felt the wood didn't dry as well as regular rows... it looked great and took up less space...may try it again... Thanks for the info
Raymond Stefan firewood should dry in that length of time unless it's subjected to moisture in some way. Good luck, I hope you figure it out
Nice setup! I'd like to see your furnace setup.
I will video my furnace set up at some point... Thanks
Furnace video are u going to do one
Vermont Country we need to see the furnace!
That is a lot of wood. Nice stacked up.
RG Tree 🌲🌲Service thanks for looking in
Great
Mark, great video.... also, great screen name, apropos....11 'ums' in the 1st minute
it's Maple, beech, and birch
Would love to see your wood stove sometime.
Thanks for sharing that Mark. Here in England it's mostly wet winters and most people are on mains gas. I use a wood burner to heat my home on account of the wood being free and I enjoy the process of cutting and logging. Do you find that doing it out of necessity takes away the enjoyment?
I really enjoy working with firewood... some years I buy log length wood, block it with my chainsaw, and split it with my 8 lb. maul... good for the mind and body....with it comes a sense of freedom and independence from the oil companies
Nice 1st video . . . hiding your bottle in the wood shed . . . you sure you only go out there once per day? :)
That's a great video for a first timer. And that's a lot of wood! I only burn about 1 rick per winter for atmosphere and fun in a traditional open fireplace. But I 'm thinking about creating a woodshed.
Did you give any consideration to having the large opening on the lee side of your prevailing weather? I'm thinking about doing that.
Again, yours was a fun and informative video! Good luck from Louisville, Kentucky!
RodintheVille thanks a bunch 👌🏼my opening is pointing easterly Most of our weather is from the northwest so I actually did consider that...I visited Louisville once during my college years and loved it. It was during the spring .. late May. All the best and thanks again
Ok, I have a few questions.
1) what are you using as a method of knowing that the wood is seasoned? Do you use a moisture meter to check the moisture content or what?
2) do you cut all of that wood yourself or do you buy it?
3) what type of wood are you talking about here because I’ve heard drying/seasoning time is different from one type to another?
All my questions are for my own Curiosity as I see so many different options on here.
Jay Davis I use a moisture meter, My goal being 18% moisture-20% is what most people consider dry
I used to cut and split via a maul all my own wood but now I buy it split and delivered.
You’re right, drying time depends on many variables one of which is type. I use some ash which dries rapidly but most of my wood is maple, beech, and birth. They have more BTu’s per volume than ash but take longer to dry out!
Hopefully this answers your questions.. happy new year 🎊
Vermont Country Yes Sir, thank You
I'm about your age - that would be a lot of work cutting all that wood. We burn about a cord a year, but I live in the mountains east of Seattle, it rarely gets below 30 F, and we have a fairly small, well insulated house. See my video on how we heat with a fireplace.
Im interested in the furnace video.
pretty good coking
hello... i burn about 3 cords per season.. Got a ques. may seem silly but do you or anyone here reading this have problems with carpenter ants in the pile? I keep my wood in rows of 4' H x 8' L x 3' W.. I put a piece of plastic to cover just the tops layer.. Seems to always be a home for the ants.. Remedies? Or just let the ants eat what they like?
How much wood is that total?
When’s the next firewood video coming out?
Great video. What kind of wood is that?
Philip DiCicco Birch, Maple, Beech
Good note about the bark and the dry stackIng with the bark up! I do the same. I also try and dry my wet wood for +1 year 2 if possible but use a lot less than you. By the way what's the measurement of a chord of wood? Wood when purchase in Australia is by the Tonne. Can some explain please? NSW in Oz
devin y thanks my wife has been using cut wood all her life and she thought that you were referring to an English singing group from the late 1970s called The Chords
Stephen Malone 4' X 4' X 8'
WSMC Mc thanks, eventually I did find it watching Utube. Someone else just gave out the measurement, one thing you don't have to worry about here is snow and covering your wood in anyway, just the odd spider ( less than you think). After ten plus years of cutting and stacking this year was the first I've come across one in a tight pile of cut wood (never ever seen this type before and had to look it up, because it was so darn big, and I do mean big) an "eastern mouse spider" according to my grown up son clearly visible from well over 30'ft away when it took off ( and his words "It looked like it could carry a pick of wood with it.")Appreciate the reply.
Stephen Malone Yes we have a good share of black widows and brown recluse here but I don't have them in the wood piles. They tend to like hiding around water resistant items that aren't moved regularly. They are quite timid so you aren't likely to see them around an active house unless you let other spiders nest around your outdoor lights or windows. Nice chat.
Ah to be 65 again.... 8^)
John Manning 😂
may as well be watering all your piles with a garden hose once per week. based on the size of those pieces and the length of them, the type of operation and amount you go through, obviously you have a wood furnace or boiler of sorts which is going full blast
Thanks for sharing, look forward to seeing more.
therianstrauss thanks for checking in
Mark May thanks for sharing. The neatest wood piles / stacks on RUclips.
I have an OWB the good thing is you can put it semi seasoned wood covered in snow in the bitch. You can leave the wood on pallets all winter right next to it.
When you say you're drying or seasoning your wood for 6 months outside I assume you're referring to green, fresh cut living lumber as opposed to standing dead lumber. Please explain. Thanks for the video.
Daniel Wilkins Not speaking for Mark, but I don't consider seasoning to start till the wood has been split. in log form, even cut lengths, the wood releases very little moisture and in fact promotes insects and rot. if you want a tree to rot away quickly just drop it to the ground and leave it alone.
Daniel Wilkins You're right... the wood on my pallets outside is freshly cut and green..My shed holds about 2 years of wood ...so it seasons for about 6 months outside and then year in the shed.
WSMC Mc Totally agree with you
No lumber was hurt in this video. LOL
Nice wood shed. Big enough to hold lots of wood. What are the dimensions of you wood shed? You only need one that size where I live to hold a couple of years worth of wood. Then put the newly felled outside like you mentioned to dry.
CaseyJones the size is 8' x 20' and it averages about 9' high.... thanks for stopping by
Wood loses its moisture through the ends of the wood. No matter etcher it’s Milled into boards, cut to firewood etc. example: wood bow makers always cut their bow staves and then paint the ends with something to seal it so it dries slowly and doesn’t warp or crack. Regardless of how you stack firewood it’s going to eventually dry. Main thing is just have ventilation. Get air movement to it. Don’t like it in a barn and close the door where it’s hot and humid in summer and no air moving. Different woods dry at different rates because of how tight the grains are. So oak will take longer to dry than soft maple etc.
I got a Woody watching this
When you say cord. full cord or face cord?
James Martin full cord..128 cubic feet
How big is your shed ??
Danny Wakeman the shed is 10' x 20' .. it's about 10' high in the front and 8' in the back... thanks for checking in
It's time for you to make a vid on your stove. Let's see how you clean, fill, start a fire, and maintain a burn.
Did that wood feel the Bern?
Probably not because wood heating doesn't jive with the "Green New Deal". But, this is necessary when the wind does not blow and the skies turn cloudy.
@@tooterooterville Wood burning is carbon neutral... unlike gas, oil, and coal... trees grow back.
J Dee ...House is 2500 square feet... wood is my only source of heat here in Vermont
19 50 one stove?
Ben Poliquin wood forced hot air furnace
the dimensions are 10' X 20' X 9' tall
plan on building a wood shed next spring...I like the style of your shed.
Can you do a video on your stove
Meditation Channel ... I’m in Arlington, TX hopefully until the end of the month... when I return, I will grant your request... thanks for checking in
Bark to the sky to keep your wood dry...
5 or 6 cords thats a lot of firewood to be burning!
Rob M that's a fact... I'm heating 2500 square feet plus water...in Vermont, 2 days ago the high temperature was 11° F..last night it was -14... I know some farm houses that will burn 8-10 cords especially if they are located on a windy slope or a deep valley.. thanks for checking in
Stacking more than once is awful. I keep two seasons worth under a roof so one years worth is always seasoned ready to go
I do the same. I know better airflow is good. Sometimes mine is stacked outside until I can haul it in in the spring. I store it in a shed that is 24 x 48, enclosed on three sides. One bay is 12' wide x 24' deep. I burn from one end this year, replace wood, burn from the back side next year. Works really good for me. Wood is really dry. So I guess I dont really have to have the extra airflow. Just my info for others.
I forgot to say that only one bay is used for wood storage. So its still pretty open to dry I guess.
SPACEMAN?
you know if you yous the wood it kooks the food
would not wanna be in there if all that came tumbling down
As one who suffers with my Lungs. I hate wood. Its an environmental hazzard.
Its expensive. Here in Ut they want to switch wood fire place over to gas.
Much cleaner.
At least those of us who suffer breathing we could breath better.
I remember my dad and uncle and grandpa getting loads of wood and coal ready in Germany.
Not the best alternative.
But your pile is definetly impressive.
I have C.P.O.D and heart disease. And I burn wood all winter long, with no plans on stopping.
Modern wood stoves are much more efficient and produce a lot less particulates. Having properly dried wood helps a lot. You know fracking to get that gas out is a real environmental hazard.
This inside wood will dry in one season, saying it won't dry under cover is incorrect
I heat my house with wood but I stack it in the shed and it will dry out thru the year because my shed is built like a solar kiln.
I would like to see your wood shed
Mark it is built out of structural steal panels that allows air to move around in it & the lid is the same open to the east enclosed on the other sides. When the sun hits the roof temp inside goes up but I all so live in a dryer climate than you do here in the rocky's. The wood we have here is pine.
That sounds like a good design for drying...as you know our wood is hardwood, Maple, beech,
birtch; if I stacked it with space between my rows, it would dry but not as fast as 3 months outside...plus I like to pack every inch of my shed with wood...that gives me a 2-year supply ... thanks for getting back to me
Mark my shed holds about 12 cords. It is close in design to yours other than the posts where new cross ties when we built it but have since dried out.