Burning unseasoned Wood

highrisklowreturn

Question: Should this ever be done?


Am looking to get a woodburner and the wood I could get is free, but unseasoned. I've nowhere to store it so cannot season it personally but am attracted to getting a woodburner because of free heat.

If I got the chimney swept more often than usual wood this deal with any issues from 'wet' wood?


Thanks in advance

John_3:16

Apart from the constant problem of tar build up in the chimney, I don't think you will be able to keep it alight?
Is there no where you could store it?
Even making a deal with someone and going half each on the timber?

A._Badger

I'm not an expert (Muckybutt will know the answer if he reads this) but I'd say be very careful. It's not just a question of soot, as tar and creosote-like substances are released by green wood and they condense. I'm not sure how well that residue can be cleaned away with brushes.

rustyboy21

There are a number of factors involved with burning non seasoned wood.

One is that it is damp, so will not stay lit constantly

The major factors though are that they contain the sap of the wood, Heat will make the resins in the wood come out, which is a tarry like substance. Not only is it corrosive to the stove itself , but it will also leave tarry like substances in your flue. Over a period of time, these will erode the lining of your flue and destroy the mortar leading to possible dangerous fumes, entering other rooms in your house, or even entering your neighbours houses.

Also whilst on the subject, anyone who has or is thinking about purchasing a solid fuel( or Multi fuel ) stove, please do not burn normal house coal on them. House coal does not burn at a constant temperature, contains a lot of other chemicals and will ruin your stove over a period of time.

I have not heard of a single Stove supplier who warranty's for the use of house coal in their stoves. You should only use coke.

highrisklowreturn

How many years are we talking about till tar builds up to a dangerous level - I would like to get this winter in with unseasoned wood, and can then start foraging throughout the year for wood which can then be (reasonably) dried by leaving out in the yard with a cover on it.

grahamc2003

Bad idea imo, depending on how damp it is of course.

You'll have difficulty lighting wet wood, and even if you manage to get some sort of fire going, it won't get very hot, much of the heat being used to boil off the water. And you'll be getting acidic water condensing in you chimney, along with all the other crud described in other posts.

Ime, for my normal sized logs, even one year dried wood is just on the limit of being burnable (efficiently), much better if stored dry, uncovered, for 18 months or more.

oldtractor

I've burned unseasoned logs but wouldnt recommend it. they do burn but ,as stated above,can damage the chimney lining. if you have acces to green wood its a good idea to get it then store it for a year or more undercover. it will then be dry.

martinthebandit

Well, despite what others have said, it all depends on what you mean by unseasoned and on what type of wood.

In reality it is perfectly doable although, unless you have no outside space then I would be suprised if you didn't have room to store some.

Can the place you are getting the timber from not rent you somewhere to store it for a nominal fee?

rustyboy21

I still think that 3/4 of the people who by wood burning stoves, don't buy the seasoned wood only

Do you remember the times when there used to be old pallets dumped everywhere? Something you don't see anymore.

A neighbour up the road from me years ago came running up my path one night, banging o nthe door saying their chimney was on fire. It transpired that when the fire engine got there , he had been burning all his old kitchen worktops and doors on it. The thing that made it go up however, was an old pair of wellies he had thrown on to get rid of! He had a battle with insurance, who wouldn't pay out.

Statistics from the gas appliance coucil are showing that solid fuel is peaking now and more people are going back to the old days of gas fires, Hopefully it continues, for us fire retailers ! lol

highrisklowreturn

Could you not leave the unseasoned wood beside the stove to speed up drying?

Also what about the Victorians, I mean would they not have burned unseasoned wood and stuff?

782sirbrian

House coal can be burned on a Dunsley Yorkshire reading the paperwork. Not in a smoke control area though.
Burning green/wet wood a waste of time no heat, chimney running in tar, stack the logs outdoors under a cover for a year or two to dry out.
Brian