• No more than 8-10 cord for that footage . Seasoned oak is no more than 3 yrs old . After this point the btu,s per cord drop off quick . If oak is say 6 yrs old you have half the heat of 3 yr old oak . If u can use hornbeam / Ironwood you would have hot coals galore . Pecan or White ash , mesquite are other choices which give great heating . White and Silver birch and yellow poplar are secondary hard wood choices .

Thanks! For the baseline references info. I am not as bad off as I thought. I feel the small users were heating a main room area vs a house. Plus, more efficient stoves are used in some cases of my comparing. Most of all since retirement, I spend more
time at home. Plus, more time inside since my 03 retirement has slipped upon me. My planned 1.5 -2 cords per winter has to change or get out more as I did initially.

My gas bathroom wall heater at a mid to low in my 2 car garage is a dream when I need it. It was a treat when I worked and had some needed repairs or projects to catch up on. A day or days off due to the weather was a gift. In respect I went from electric to gas and worked close to the heat if no dangerous fumes or liquids were involved. The gas had no affect on our electric grid in my opinion. Where as I could directly see the challenge if two major electric tools were used.

Today’s pattern is to work in the garage on mild days when no heat is needed. Except for, pure needed help. Such as, the Christmas tree’s base
needs repairing for tonight. No problem arc welding to improving the stressed base.
Except my 1984 purchased Makita Chop-saw stopped in the middle of the repair. A quick look inside showed it was filthy vs any mechanical problems or lack of grease. Reassembled it worked like it had not stopped.

I remembered the Filth and groan as if the field was affected. The friend I was helping felt it needed bearings. Another friend said a 1984 saw is not worth the trouble with Harbor Freight a few blocks away. Those two opinions sent me into my garage for an hr to clean the field end Etc good and let all dry good over night. The next morning I reassembled and “BINGO”! When I see or feel a real problem I will replace it if needed. I wish I has taken a Pic. Plus I knew you needed some reading! LOL!

Happy New Yr Loger l! Just what I need more reading lol. I referenced Michigan for your heating requirements . Here in the Great White North we burn 10-15 cords annually . I could not remember your geographic location North vs South Texas ? However without other heating sources you would be in the ballpark with my estimation . Tempos here run from -15 F to 15 F monthly through the winter . Recently it has been colder - 25 for the last week . Anyhow if your bored drop up and get some Canadian Iron Wood or Mountain Ash !

loger, maybe it is you that is getting “over seasoned”, as I get older, I seem to notice the cold more. Happy New Year!

Happy New Year To You and Everyone!

Forgive the long post. I thought I could find a compared experience.

The average wood burned in your area will stop my complaint in the DFW area (that is pure Exercise and Supplementing).

Mat “Nailed It”, at 70 + I cannot take the cold as weld. Plus, I spend too much
time on this computer but enjoy researching/sharing. CAD forced me onto this Monster in 1980 off my Board and this has been an experience…

Take Care!

Since I have burned my 1.5 cord planned to burn this winter I feel I’ll adjust to burning 24 hrs holding coals with 8”-12” long logs/blocks (shown attached). The half logs are good self feeding with all falling in the fire. We’ll Call It Idling! Full logs only go in to assist the central heat when it is below 40 – 50 during the day.

The waist is no one sits and enjoys the fire. We or I spend my day hacking on computers or on mechanical work in the garage. Burning half loges 8”-12” long 24hrs is probably the best assistance and use of wood.

Half logs are healthy sizes that I cut in batches as needed
from full logs that will not stack safely (without mixing with full logs). I have seasoning wood to continue, but I promised my Body and Equipment that 3 cords would keep us warm 2 winters.

Please share comments, negative or positive on my thoughts on this matter. It’ 27 degrees now and we had a low of 16 degrees. I might wait until Wednesday when we expect a high of 40. Some good positive or negative thoughts could help on this matter.

Thanks!

Happy New Year & Have A Good Year!

Yeah i an see were some of your wood is beyond good value heat . Unfortunate you cannot find supply of standing maple to season properly . I would think local area must have jobbers who could supply you with 5 cord to mix with your older wood that would increase the efficiency of your heating requirements . Usually sell wood here for $70.00 a chord split to friends .

I feel the North Texas Sun, Heat and Rain affects the Seasoning
Process. No problem! I doubt 1 per over 500 homes burn wood for
heat “Period” since the 70s in this area now…
I have two Oak blocks on my patio 15 years old that shows oak can hold.

Thanks for your time on the matter…

• Downside of oak is that it is very acidic when burnt , hard on internal stove components . Barometric dampers and flue grates and coal leveller are often the sacrificial lambs in this scenario I substitute Mountain ash which is much cleaner burning , when hotter coals are required to be mixed with my Hard rock Maple . oh yes wood must be sheltered within a proper storage shed , I have two 20 ' units . One used for kindling and spring / fall wood and another seasoning Hard wood . Once I split my seasonal 10 - 12 cord I stack my wood in appropriate fashion within these sheds for proper seasoning out of the ambient weather . Never have wood darken and crack due to damp or extreme sun conditions . Lots of adequate ventilation .

I am learning a lot too late in life! We got into this fireplace due to an Add-On and thought it would be nice since we knew a “little” from visiting Grand Parents. Plus, we
felt it would be occasional use vs 24/7. In 1973-80 probably 50% in this area had fireplaces with 5-10% ever used. Very few as myself, had proper storage since
it was an occasional use. 10-20 sellers would come to certain parking lot then vs no sellers now. I burned in the late 70s as a clean up mode for many.

Mid 80s I found a Ranch that had more dead or dangerous trees than I could use. That led to another with all the wood I wanted up to 2000. Most cleared were oaks
but a few Elms and Mesquites were included. The building Boom and tree trimming/removal the lst 10 yrs allowed me to find all my need on my block – 2 miles away.

Your acidity info is very interesting. I have built and burned more grates from one year’s damage. Personally I went to stainless on all my tubes that are used below and above on our double facer fireplace that would qualify as a heater now (with
plate glass doors on both sides) with tube heat continuing. I never built proper storage due to rotating and the quality of wood in our small residential space. At times I would use a tarp or tin on top. This run is almost history. Many friends have Gas logs in their newer homes. What a lesson and experience this has been…

Yeah I hear you Bro . I learned through yrs of burning various wood as a teenager . I grew up on a 360 acre farm with 5 wood stoves . I currently still burn wood in my outbuildings and Sauna . My Dad taught me early that oak was for furniture not burning, due to oaks high sulfur content . I have on occasion burnt oak to help clean out any creasote issues on friends stove flues . Anyhow Bro fined some mesquite and mix that with your old oak to reduce acidic gas formation and help with btu efficiency increase with your older wood supply .

Awesome Barbecue / Smoker Bud ! Yes , I like to smoke meats and make venision and moose sausage patti,s and links . I agree hickory and mesquite are my favorites for smoking .

This Statement got my attention! ““I have on occasion burnt oak to help clean out any creasote issues on friends stove flues . Anyhow Bro fined some mesquite and mix that with your old oak to reduce acidic gas formation and help with btu efficiency increase with your older wood supply .””

The statement “above” got my attention and led to a little research related to Creosote. I feel I have not seen what I feel is creosote due to burning 75%+ Oak since the mid 70s. Is the acid chemical in the Oak helping to removing the creosote from the 14” ID stainless pipes? Plus, I burned at least a ½” and-1” steel grates before going with 2 X 2” stainless pipes as a grate & heat transfer (to the steel back in the once double sides open fireplace).

I was told I could not burn 100% Mesquite (due to too much heat) by a friend but the Seller/Installer guaranteed me that I could. Within the first 2-3 fires with all mesquite the pipes buckled with small signs of asbestos releasing from the filled
pipes. The installers replaced the 2, 30” sections of pipe and I have not burned 100% mesquite since vs mixed. I did add 2 “tight” 2” wide x 3/16”thick Band
Iron adapters (while new) at the two joints that had slight buckles in initial pipes.

Attached is the typical appearance I will see yearly and it all appears to me as soot vs creosote. A pan is laying on 7, 2” stainless pipes in the fire box to collect heat before it works up the short chimney (due to the fire box is almost ceiling high). What
is your opinion of the yearly condition that I feel is soot that I can sweep off
with a broom? See the 5 attachments...

Yep just ash , from incomplete combustion , normal condition ! All good Bro ! Just ensure to mix your mesquite with other less dense hardwoods . Seasoned oak occasionally will cut down on your creasote problems as required. I would burn maple or birch mixed with mesquite 24 - 7 .