Wood Doctor HE10000 Outdoor Furnace Burning

Wood Doctor EPA HE8000 ALL FIRE NO SMOKE

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), seasoned wood is wood that has been split and dried for at least six months and has less than 20% moisture by weight.

What this means is that if you are burning seasoned wood in your fireplace or wood stove, it burns hot and clean. Burning seasoned hardwood will have the least amount of creosote buildup in your flue reducing the chance of a chimney between cleanings.

It’s difficult to regulate individuals or businesses claiming to sell seasoned wood so here are some tips to help you purchase seasoned wood:

1. Seasoned wood looks  dark, or gray when compared to green wood  – but if you split a piece of seasoned wood – it’s WHITE on the inside. It’s brittle, or gnarly. It has cracks running through each piece, and a lot of little cracks on the inner rings.
2. The bark is not hugging the wood tightly, it may be easy to pull off or in some pieces not attached at all.
3. Ask when the wood was split. Many times sellers will use the date that the wood was cut but cordwood does not begin to properly season until after it has been split.
4. Inspect how the seller stores their cordwood. If it is completely under a tarp, it will not season properly. Also, if the area is extremely wet, the wood towards the bottom will actually absorb more water reducing its quality and accelerating decomposition.

Keep in mind that wood 4-5 years is rotting, so aim for wood that is 2-3 years seasoned. If buying cordwood, the rule of thumb is to buy this year’s wood for next year. This way you can ensure your wood is stored properly and has had the appropriate amount of time to become seasoned.