What’s nice about a wood stove is that you can burn many kinds of naturally cut wood to take advantage of your local resources. However, your preferred wood choice must be not be too green, it has to be dry enough to be deemed well-seasoned, with a moisture content of 16-20%. To be precise you may want to purchase a digital moisture meter.
The key to wood burning success is planning. Before you strike a match, learn how to maximize heat output in an environmentally-friendly manner by watching this easy-to-follow wood quality educational video.
You should also schedule your wood delivery in advance to dry out during the warm summer months. If you are collecting fallen limbs and branches from your property, move them to a dry well ventilated location. Look up the required log length and size in your user manual before cutting, and split to a thickness of no more than 4”.
Be sure to stack and store your wood under a cover in an airy place for 9-18 months. Soft woods may actually take as little as one good hot summer to properly season, whereas harder woods, such as oak and maple, take longer.
Never, ever burn waste materials such as cardboard packaging, glossy magazines, or waste wood that has been painted or treated in some way. These wood by-products are likely to contain chemicals that are harmful.
All five Morsø educational videos are conveniently available on YouTube or Facebook.
This is a great post. I love the feel of an axe in my hand, so I really love the idea of being more eco-friendly by burning local woods in my two wood stoves. I didn't think about the moisture content, though, so I will make sure to get moisture meter. Where can those be purchased?
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