When a tree is first felled, it is considered to be in the green state, and contains a very large amount of moisture. This moisture exists in two different forms: as free water that is contained as liquid in the pores or vessels of the wood itself, and as bound water that is trapped within the cell walls.
The moisture level can be 100% depending on the species of the tree and other environmental factors. For the most efficient burn wood needs to be dried below 20%. All the way thru the core.
It may take 1 to 2 years for carefully stacked wood to achieve this moisture level.
Here at the Cooks Dock Rd forest the wood I first cut has had only about 4 months to dry. Not good, but certain tricks can speed the process. I usually bring the wood in 2 to 3 days ahead of time and stack it close to the wood stove for that extra bit of heat and lower humidity in the house. Also... I mix some properly seasoned wood with the wetter stuff in the stove. Today I took delivery of a very useful tool for the home owner who is serious about heating with wood. I sawed a test piece of Red Oak in two so I would have a fresh core to take a reading from. Pictures below.
Tim
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| Moisture level elevated in the core |
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| 34% in the core! |
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| Moisture dropping a little bit further out from the core. |
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| Moisture at 28% on the outside of the wood. |
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