20% plus or minus moisture content is pretty close to the ideal. This is what kiln dried firewood aims for.

I would really have to question the accuracy of a 0% reading on a moisture meter. Wood with no water content at all would be a powder which would be consumed in minutes. Even the 7% readings are more than a little suspect - this is around the standard for lumber intended for furniture making. Unless you live in the desert, such a low moisture content would be not be achievable with air drying.

If you're getting a minimal amount of creosote when you have your chimney cleaned - say a gallon or so - and it's the loose flakey type rather than the shiny black coal-like type, all is well. Keep in mind, though, that when the air is cut off completely, or as completely as a closed air control allows, you're causing the wood in the stove to first be reduced to charcoal before it ignites. Creosote formation is almost inevitable in this process. Stuffing the stove full of wood, then shutting down the air completely before going to bed has never struck me as a good practice. Much better to have a good bed of coals at shut down time. They will last until morning and provide a quick start to the next day's fire.

For much more information about this subject, check out www.hearth.com.

Great info Mainegrower, thank you for your response!
I cover the wood with clear plastic every evening or when it is going to rain and uncover it every morning to let the sun beat on it. Sometimes I might leave it on all day if I don't get a chance to get out there and uncover the stacks. When I measure the top row on the pile, I get the 0 percent readings and further down in the pile I get higher readings of 7-10 percent or so. I imagine the outer layer might show 0 because the sun dries it and that explains why I get the higher readings after putting it into the shed.

I never really close the stove off completely. I put a few logs in and just close it down enough not to have a really hot fire but just enough for a slower burn to continue to warm all night and not to have any back puffing.

Your information also helped me figure out why, when I tested a few studs in the garage with the meter I got 7-10 percent readings. I know the studs were dry but thought I would get readings of 0. As for the creosote, I get exactly what you describe, about a gallon paint can worth of soot and creosote out of the 25 foot chimney when cleaning it. I of course might get more soot if I've burned poplar. It gives a good fire but burns quick and leaves a lot of ash and soot. I like the black locust best but the cherry and apple smell good outside when burning.

What's your take on the Rutland creosote remover granules? They seem to put a brownish coating on the creosote which I assume is to retard the volatility a chimney fire? I have my chimney lined with the sort of spiraled stainless steel liner which seems to do a good job. Most of the creosote gets into the spiraled part which I think helps prevent chimney fires if kept cleaned. Do you have knowledge on that also?

Thanks Mainegrower, your info is a big help. I haven't been pushing the probes into the wood real hard because I suspect it would weaken them. However, today I did push the probes in as far as I could and I get average readings of the firewood of around 10-15 percent. I've obviously only been measuring the outside layer exposed to the sun, which gave me such low readings before. Still, it's good to know 20 percent is the average I should be looking for to prevent burning wet wood.

why cannot we get some knowledgable pros to post some serious answers, instead of frustrated home owners like myself, asking questions instead of providing answers ?

Janoyan

What are you looking for?

I won't call myself an expert by any stretch, but I have been heating my house with wood for over ten years now. The measurement of moisture in fire wood should be taken along the flat side of a freshly split piece, not from the outside of the log or the ends. Most of the time, my firewood will be between 18 and 20 on my meter when I burn it. Keep in mind also that most of what is sold as seasoned oak is anything but - if you're lucky, it might have a year's worth of seasoning. Hardwoods like oak and locust will take about three years to dry sufficiently to burn well. Less dense woods will 'season' a lot faster, but if you want the benefit of the harder woods like oak, be prepared to maintain a three year supply to give the oak enough time to season properly.

I'm an expert. I've been processing firewood for 12 years now in Tulsa Oklahoma. We produce and distribute/deliver no less than 500 "ricks" (that's close to 250 "cords" per season. The dagger in my ear, "We ordered your wood and it won't burn". I've dealt with Oak, Ash, Pecan, Hickory, Elm and Maple. They're all different but I do agree with the comments above in that below 20% is good. Currently I'm focused providing the highest quality firewood in my market. I do believe I have achieved that this year. 2 years ago a wildfire scorched the leaves off of thousands of Post Oak trees near Tulsa. Dead standing oak trees for two years. Dead standing is in my opinion ideal especially for the firewood dealer. Dead standing to processed wood in 2 days. Internal moisture content is between 7-15%. I've never seen a piece of firewood lower than 5%. Before anyone retorts please consider the following factors: Please consider my climate and location. Please also take into consideration that I have a single moisture meter. I'm not a scientist and I have no real control group. Tips: If your looking for firewood and the prices seems amazing or low then more than likely you'll have a rick of green mixed wood dumped in your drive way. You will then stack it yourself and it will ALWAYS come up short. Craig's List firewood is a joke. You get what you pay for. Low price also means you have to deal with an unrealiable amateur. These trees produces sucky firewood: Sycamore, Sweet Gum and ESPECIALLY the evil Cottonwood. They call me the King and that's no BS. Firewood King Tulsa Oklahoma Premium Firewood and Delivery

Good luck "Y'all".

-chad

Big Name Lawn Care Tulsa Oklahoma. "WE GNOME LAWNS"

I've been heating with wood for over 25 years now and I have no idea how to use a moisture meter as I never needed one. Around here the firewood dealers use a pretty sound method. They're cutting trees now for 2016-2017. We usually get the wood delivered by Labor day and stack it loosely so air flows through the woodpile.

Many Vermont firewood dealers are part of the LIHEAP program and are inspected by the State for accuracy in cord volume and whether or not the wood is indeed ready to go.

I've used wood as my primary heating source since the late 1970s and, like Christopher_H, have never used a moisture meter. Stay a season ahead with your wood cutting. Always split your wood and avoid direct contact with the ground when stacking. I used to cover my wood with a tarp but now store it under a metal shed. My stove has a catalytic wafer, which in turn creates higher flue temps and a cleaner burn keeping creosote buildup to a minimum.

Fellas - I live in central Minnesota and have learned a few things over the years of burning firewood to heat your home, or simply burn wood efficiently/cleanly in your home. Most of what I have been reading in this blog is good and accurate information. Here are some additional tips when deciding what wood is ok to burn in your home...

1). Make sure your wood is "seasoned", meaning that it is dry. Dry is defined by having a moisture content of <20% or less if possible.

2).. best way to achieve <20% moisture content is to cut your wood, whether red oak, white oak, hickory, ash, basswood (etc,), is to make sure you cut it and allow it to "season" for typically 9-months. You can purchase a moisture meter on amazon.com, or get it from your local hardware store. The instructions are simple and it only requires a 9v battery. You simply turn it on and stick the 2-probes into the end of your wood and it will give you a reading within 2-seconds. Seeing visible cracks on the ends of the logs is also a good sign of drying/seasoning.

3). After cutting your wood, stack it in a row or rack no more than, say, 6-feet high. Make absolutely certain that it has direct sunlight AND wind. These are the 2-top and most important elements to help wood dry or season.

4). Make suee you "cover" your wood. This means that you need to either put a tarp, sheet metal, cover (etc.), but ONLY over the top of the stack - not the sides. It is imperative that the wood has free flow of air and sunlight. Again - these are the 2-top elements in getting your wood to season. Don't worry about the sides as they will continue to dry with wind and sun.

If you follow these basic steps, you can cut red oak, white oak, hickory (and other much softer woods) even in January of a year and burn it in November of that same year. However, don't take shortcuts. Keep your drying wood elevated and off of the ground or it will absorb moisture from the ground and is extremely difficult to dry. I personally put mine on pallets.

Please let me know if this helps and good luck!!

Jim Lelwica

jlelwica@teledatasolutionsinc.com

I have been in the firewood business for my entire life burning or selling. If you can get 20% or under your doing good in Missouri most sellers have hardwoods in the 18-24% range. Kiln dried or barn stored wood may get closer to 10-12% but here is the problem with most wood burners. They buy it late in the season and then store it outside or in an area where moisture soaks in. Imagine your nice dry newspaper soaking up the rain, snow or or morning dew but since wood is thicker it doesn't dry out as fast. Then try and get it to burn.. Not much luck. Think ahead if you can buy in the spring or summer for that winter and store it in an area where it gets air movement and sun or is entirely in a barn or garage out of the moisture. Basements are not a great place if they leak and hold moisture. Remember you get what you pay for.....Get references my best advertisement is my returning customers.