FAQ
The seasoning of wood depends on the species and type of wood. Softwood can be dried within six months and some hardwoods, if correctly stored. Hardwood such as oak can take up to two years.
The key to seasoning wood fast and successfully is to maximise the potential for the sun and wind to dry it out naturally. To do this, you need to make sure you choose the right spot for your store and to stack it efficiently.
It’s important to find the right location to season your logs. It needs to be protected from rain, with plenty of room for air to circulate. Preferably, it should also get some sun to help the process, this isn’t as important as air circulation – without this, mould can form.
To keep the air circulating, don’t start stacking it straight on the ground. Instead, use a pallet or a couple of longer pieces of wood as a base. Start laying your logs out, placing one on top of the other until your pile is about waist high. Your stack should only be 1 log thick – if you create blocks of logs, the air won’t be able to get to them, which could lead to rot setting in and insects invading.
Top Tips,
Stack with the bark upwards to protect it from rain
Point the log ends outwards towards the wind
Place your stack in the sunniest spot possible
Pile your wood in a criss-cross to maximise airflow – though this does take up more room
There are a number of factors to check to see if your logs are seasoned and ready to burn:  Appearance – it should be pale in colour with some visible cracks, while the bark should easily come loose, which makes good kindling.
Weight – without its moisture content, seasoned wood should feel lighter in weight.
Sound – when you tap two of the logs together, it should make more of a clear knocking sound than the dull thud of green wood.
You can buy a moisture meter to test the water content of the wood for more certainty. To use one of these, take a couple of readings from a sample of logs and make sure they are ideally below 20% moisture.
Seasoning is the process wood goes through to extract its moisture content. The less moisture, the better the wood will burn. The moisture content will need to be brought down to 25-20% from common values of 45-30%. The best way to achieve the correct moisture content is to split your logs to allow them to dry quicker. The length of time it takes to season firewood will also depend on the type of wood. Ideally, denser types of hardwood could do with being seasoned for one to two years, Meanwhile, lighter types of wood, particularly softwood, will season in around 6-12 months.