The Bug House Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 I've seen it referred to as a Holtz Hausen. This is 2 cords I bought green and burned only 4 months later. If done properly it's supposed to accelerate drying of the wood, from green to seasoned in 3 months. I actually burned this before the several cords I cut and split the previous Fall. In my opinion, it works. I stacked this where it got about 10 hours of direct sunlight during late Spring / Summer days. The center is stacked vertical, it's supposed to facilitate a chimney effect. The top is placed bark up, as to drain the rainfall off. 3 cords is supposed to be roughly 10 feet tall, so you place a ten foot pole in the center (I used a straight 3" tree branch) and mark it at 8 feet. Since wood loses approximately 20% of its volume by the time its dry enough to burn, the mark becomes exposed when ready. My stove in in the basement, so I just load it into the crib through the windows next to the stack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
92xj Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 Jenga!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 No. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCH Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 First time I've heard of this. Not sure how it's supposed to accelerate drying out, but if you say it does, then I believe ya. Seems like it would take forever to stack! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 Never understood the need for "seasoned wood". We always would have lots of green wood, and invariably some dry as well as we would of course cut out dieing/fell trees. Green wood lasts longer and burns slow and steady. Always thought seasoned wood was for city folks that couldnt really build a fire and just liked a "quickie" to burn for looks for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bug House Posted January 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 First time I've heard of this. Not sure how it's supposed to accelerate drying out, but if you say it does, then I believe ya. Seems like it would take forever to stack! I guess just as long as any other stack! lol Never understood the need for "seasoned wood". We always would have lots of green wood, and invariably some dry as well as we would of course cut out dieing/fell trees. Green wood lasts longer and burns slow and steady. Always thought seasoned wood was for city folks that couldnt really build a fire and just liked a "quickie" to burn for looks for a while. I wouldn't be able to keep enough draft with green wood, smolders and way to smokey. Maybe down south you can get away with that! I see a lot of outdoor wood furnaces can burn green though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 We always burned it fine. Great to have some small or dry stuff to get it started, but nothing like the biggest piece of fresh white oak on top before you went to bed and would be a nice bed of coals come morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybear Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 Wow- I think it would have been plenty dry by the time I'd ever get it stacked like that,lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWSmith Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 Have not seen stacking like that but remembered hearing why Seasoned Wood was better to burn and it has to do with Creosote build up. Apparently when looking for more information to share there are a couple other reasons as well..it's Lighter and it Burns more Efficiently. http://sicarius.typepad.com/fireplace_lowdown/2004/12/seasoned_wood_w.html http://www.mastersweep.com/wood.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 Gary that was totally bs! Lol! Ever burn sweet gum? The guy is telling me last years pine is going to burn better than oak? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m gardner Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 (edited) We always stacked it like haystacks with the bark up to shed water similar to what you are doing but with the wood standing more vertically. The Cold Brook Hermit cut small saplings (4 to 5 inches dia.) nearly through with an axe and stood them up to look like teepees. When he wanted wood he just dragged them out of the pile and with one whack with the axe had dry 2 foot lengths. Standing it on end to help it dry is an old idea. Another oldie is standing the wood on the splitting block the same way it grew and it will split easier. The guy I took elk hunting was wondering why I split wood with so little effort when he was having trouble and I shared that with him. Old tricks. Mark Edited January 7, 2011 by m gardner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosierbuck Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 Any wood questions you have should be resolved by visiting Arborsite. Those guys are pros. Dry wood burns hotter and cleaner. There are pics of wood stacks like that over there, but called something different. HB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 Any wood questions you have should be resolved by visiting Arborsite. Those guys are pros. Dry wood burns hotter and cleaner. There are pics of wood stacks like that over there, but called something different. HB I agree! I post at that site sometimes, great folks. Just to qualify, we always would cut firewood after a break in summer heat, so the wood would be 2-4 months old as it was burned during the winter. Summers down here can be brutal and really dry out the wood that has been "seasoning" like a year old and burns great and clean and puts off lots of heat, but generally will not burn nearly as long as the wood with the higher moisture content. I agree you can surely get it too wet, however you can burn just about anything if you know how to build a fire, and in cold weather the fireplace would burn day and night, always enough bed of coals to dry out and burn anything you'd stack on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckee Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 Absolutely Gary There are 3 ways to cut down on creosote build up in chimneys. 1- Burn seasoned firewood. It burns hotter and cleaner that unseasoned wet wood. Wet wood produces more "smoke" (better termed "flue gas.") This "smoke", or flue gas is released by the initial fire. Flue gas consists of steam, and vaporized but unburned carbon based by-products (vaporized creosote) which condenses in your cooler chimney and builds up. It becomes a fire hazard. This does not prevent build up over time, but does slow down the process. 2- Start your fireplace with a good hot fire every day, before turning in down. This will help keep the chimney cleaner of creosote. This does not prevent build up over time, but does slow down the process. 3- Have your chimney checked every year and clean when necessary. Don't wait until you have a chimney fire..LOL That is an awesome and faster way to dry and season your firewood bug house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevebeilgard Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 nope, i've never seen it stacke like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 we had a wood stove in our mobile home, and always burned seasoned wood,, stacked it face down bark up. Then when the house was built we went to an outside boiler...I burned whatever I wanted to..if it fit the door i wouldnt even split it.. about 3 years ago we went to a corn burning boiler..I just swing the unloading auger over the roof opening...and push a button and fill up the shed, it's all augered into the stove from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan Givan Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 Looks like alot of trouble to me. We just cut the wood a couple months before we will need to burn it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m gardner Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 When I was young and lived in the northeast we cut wood at least a year ahead. Cut it during the winter when the sap was down and it would dry quicker. It was clean too dragging it around on snow. No dirt to dull your saw blade. Used lots of maple, beech and ash. If you need to help it dry when the leaves are on and green just cut it and leave it with the leaves on and they will suck alot of the moisture out of it. When they turn brown cut it up. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bug House Posted January 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 We always stacked it like haystacks with the bark up to shed water similar to what you are doing but with the wood standing more vertically. The Cold Brook Hermit cut small saplings (4 to 5 inches dia.) nearly through with an axe and stood them up to look like teepees. When he wanted wood he just dragged them out of the pile and with one whack with the axe had dry 2 foot lengths. Standing it on end to help it dry is an old idea. Another oldie is standing the wood on the splitting block the same way it grew and it will split easier. The guy I took elk hunting was wondering why I split wood with so little effort when he was having trouble and I shared that with him. Old tricks. Mark LOL! Didn't he call his cabin "Cold River Town Hall".....Pop. 1? I remember reading about Noah John Rondeau in The NYS Conservationist as a boy...and read an article just last summer in ADK Life, there were some great photos of his wood piles. I think this particular method is an old German technique, it also is designed to maximize space usage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m gardner Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 LOL! Didn't he call his cabin "Cold River Town Hall".....Pop. 1? I remember reading about Noah John Rondeau in The NYS Conservationist as a boy...and read an article just last summer in ADK Life, there were some great photos of his wood piles. I think this particular method is an old German technique, it also is designed to maximize space usage. The old folks knew all about living from the land, especially what to do with wood. From all I heard and read about him he was quite a character. I loved to listen to the old folks tell stories. History few will ever learn about. My family recently found a picture of my grandfather in a WWI uniform and were amazed. I related the story of his young life and how it happened. Because I enjoyed being with old folks and listening to all these people when I was a boy I knew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
okiedog Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 I stumbled onto this article today. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://bres.ws/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Firewood-pile_Br%C3%A6ndestabel.jpg&imgrefurl=http://bres.ws/tag/firewood/&usg=__WxNFn0UCPI284-npDK0css2cyLg=&h=666&w=900&sz=463&hl=en&start=75&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=RAlGvUYVERZUtM:&tbnh=108&tbnw=146&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dregulating%2Bair%2Bflow%2Bfor%2Bwood%2Bstove%26start%3D60%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26ndsp%3D20%26tbs%3Disch:1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bug House Posted January 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 I stumbled onto this article today. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://bres.ws/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Firewood-pile_Br%C3%A6ndestabel.jpg&imgrefurl=http://bres.ws/tag/firewood/&usg=__WxNFn0UCPI284-npDK0css2cyLg=&h=666&w=900&sz=463&hl=en&start=75&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=RAlGvUYVERZUtM:&tbnh=108&tbnw=146&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dregulating%2Bair%2Bflow%2Bfor%2Bwood%2Bstove%26start%3D60%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26ndsp%3D20%26tbs%3Disch:1 Holy Moly......what did he use a T square to stack that thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerClay Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 That is really cool! I have never seen that before. I'm glad Okie gave the link to show us how it is done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NS whitetail Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 I cut my wood in the winter ( to use for the next winter ), I split it and pile it on pallets to keep it off the ground in long 5 foot high rows about a foot apart to allow wind to circulate between the rows. I leave it like that until around the end of Sept. and then pile it away in the barn and the basement woodroom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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