Drying wood in airing cupboard??

km1423

The word "seasoned" logs to me means simply NOT green wood, i.e. freshly cut. It's such a term that is bandied about when it comes to wood, and the moisture can be anything from 35% or higher.

Please do not dry your "seasoned" wood indoors. The wood could contain bugs that the warm airing cupboard will help to breed. Woodworm in your home will be your downfall.

The weather is fairly mild now, so get a couple of pallets, they are everywhere and free and stack your logs off the ground bark facing up, jenga style in the sunniest part of your garden, or wherever there is enough space for your stash.

Allow free movement of air front, below, behind and to the sides, just cover the top layer with a tarp, add bricks or roof tiles, whatever to stop tarp blowing off. On sunny days, take tarp off/pull back to take full advantage of weather. By placing bark facing up, this naturally protects the wood when it rains. I stack mine Jenga on the outer sides for support then fill the centre.

Purchase a moisture meter, or if drying by eye you will see radial cracks appear at the end of the logs. Either way you want a minimum of 18% moisture, for a good clean burn.

Save the wood you have now until later this year, early next year, so long as it is dried out, this will depend on whether it's soft or hard wood.

Putting your logs outside now, will be better as they will dry naturally, and no bugs, or a fire risk to your family.

Remember "seasoned" is a vague term, which drives me mad, when it comes to wood. If you want wood ready to burn immediately you will have to purchase "Kiln dried"

Buy "seasoned" wood in January to burn in December of the same year, January of the following year. Always allow a minimum of 12 months for seasoned wood to dry before burning.

Alycidon

norfolk.enchance wrote: »

Hi,

Valid points from all other posters. The other thing to seriously look out for is woodworm. Ash logs, for one, seem to be full of the things. I don't keep logs anywhere that could be blighted with woodworm. Once in the house they can cause expensive damage.

Just dry your logs outside in a roofed log store and let nature take care of thing for you. If the store is constructed from tanalised timber it will last for years and woodworm don't like the preservative.

Agreed, woodworm are a particular worry in the spring/early summer.

Ash also carries Ash Bark beetle, little black beastie about 3mm long, this appears in late summer and is killed off by the first frosts. These are to the best of my knowledge not harmfull to property, woodworm though can be very bad news.

Use a log store as suggested.

A

malid

All comments have been noted - thanks. Logs are no longer stored in the house.