How to Season Firewood – 7 Expert Tips

Without seasoning the firewood, it isn’t easy to light up your fireplace. If you manage to do so, the wood will not burn effectively. That is why you would need more wood to produce the same amount of heat.

The question which then arises is, how to season firewood?

We will share a simple four-step guide that will help you understand how to season your firewood. Along with that, we will share with you a handful of other steps to do it right.

Set up a dry storage space:

The first thing is to decide on dry storage space. It is essential that the storage space might be exposed to sunlight but can protect the logs of wood from rain.

Additionally, it should have proper ventilation as well.

When it meets these two requirements, you can easily store your wooden logs in that storage space without worrying about odor.

The ready-made log stores are also available to convert any closed structure into a log store. If you do not want to do the hard work yourself, you can go with these ready-made structures.

Cut wood in the correct size:

Before storing the wood, it is better to cut it into logs of appropriate sites. For the same, you will need a sharp ax.

Wondering about the size?

The standard size is around 16 inches. However, you can reduce or increase the size according to the stove or fireplace.

Making the wooden logs smaller has advantages because they are quick to dry. So, if you do not mind burning smaller wooden logs, it is a good idea to cut them to a thickness of 8 inches. That way, it becomes effortless for you to season them.

Stack your logs:

How you stack the logs also determines whether you can season the wood appropriately or not.

Stacking them up from the ground is not a good idea. That way, air circulation will be blocked, and it will take you a long time to dry the firewood.

A good idea is to stack them up only up to waist height. That way, there is plenty of space for the air to circulate.

In the base, you have to keep long pieces of wood, and above those, the smaller ones. They should be in a tapering format that will ensure plenty of space for the air to circulate between them. That way, you won’t have to worry about insects or mold.

How to season firewood in inclement weather:

Once you have set them up in this fashion, most of the work is complete. However, during the dry season, storing firewood is easy.

If it is the rainy season, you need to take special care. Firstly, you must ensure that rain does not come in direct contact with the firewood.

If you’re covering the firewood, make sure that the cover is such that condensation does not occur.

If you read through the first step, you would know that we recommended you a place exposed to sunlight but not rain.

In these four simple steps, you can quickly season your firewood.

There are a few additional tips that can make it even easier for you. We will cover those below.

Additional tips to season firewood:

These additional tips are not compulsory, but they can certainly make your life easier when it comes to seasoning firewood.

Take wind direction into account:

When storing firewood, it is good to consider the direction of the wind. The end of the logs should be pointed towards the direction of the wind. That way, the wind will move on the surface of the logs, drying them up quickly.

Choose a spot that receives plenty of sunlight:

Sunlight is what removes the moisture from the wood. If the wood is exposed to direct sunlight, this process will be accelerated. In that case, you will get dry firewood soon and therefore can use it for your stove or fireplace.

Keep them in criss-cross fashion:

Piles of firewood which you are creating shouldn’t be in a linear fashion. They should ideally be in a criss-cross fashion. That way, not only will the air get a lot of space, but it will be easier for the air to circulate, leading to quick drying of the firewood.

If you stick to the tips and the guide above, seasoning firewood is not going to be a difficult task. Rather than buying seasoned firewood which is expensive, now you can season it yourself, which will make it easy to light up your fireplace or your stove.