glad to have the wood stove now

**Luckybustert** · 12-21-2010, 09:42 AM

Our woodstove was a real blessing when we were without power four 4 days a couple of winters ago; don't know what we would have done without it!

**renmerc446** · 12-21-2010, 03:52 PM

There's a place that refurbishes/restores woodstoves. Can't remember the name but I could probably ask for it. I learned how to bank a fire in a woodstove when some of my friends from college bought a house that had one. One thing you should do on a regular basis is get the chimney cleaned. I'd love to get an older house (a small one, though) that had a woodstove.

**KeithBC** · 12-21-2010, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by renmerc446

One thing you should do on a regular basis is get the chimney cleaned.

Absolutely, for sure! Thanks for pointing that out.

The last house fire I attended as a volunteer firefighter was caused by a chimney fire. Chimneys absolutely must be cleaned every year. Burn only dry, seasoned wood.

**marlas1too** · 12-21-2010, 04:20 PM

already have the chimney covered-- got a chimney sweep going to come and do the chimney for 136.00-- a bargain at any Price and the spare parts will come in handy at some other date hugs to all fv and their family's-----p.s.--go to you tube and find-- wood stove cooking--great site

**renmerc446** · 12-21-2010, 04:39 PM

Gotta love a good price for something like that. I'm fortunate to live close enough to places where I can sign up for open hearth cooking classes, even though I don't have a woodstove or even a fireplace. (I just love the classes partly because it's fun and different as well as the history.)

**pollypurebred39** · 12-21-2010, 05:23 PM

For those of you that use wood heat; how long can you store wood for? If I buy wood for that just in case emergency and don't use it, do I have to get new wood the following year?

**ladytoysdream** · 12-21-2010, 05:30 PM

We are burning wood this winter that was cut last year. It is best to have it seasoned and dry. Green freshly cut wood is not good to burn right away.
Wood lasts quite awhile. A shed would be a good thing to keep it in. Next year we plan to build something for our pile for our wood boiler. Hubby is not happy with snow falling off the top of the pile when he moves several logs.

Some people use pallets to stack on. Keeps the wood from contact with the ground and keeps it drier.

**pollypurebred39** · 12-21-2010, 05:43 PM

Lady, would it keep for 5+ years?

**ladytoysdream** · 12-21-2010, 06:26 PM

Best way to store wood is in the log length. Not cutting it until you are close to using it. But........that's not the norm.

Find a dry spot to store it...maybe a barn, shed, garage, etc or a open type shed. Get it up off the ground, so it is not making contact with wetness. Expect a few mice, rats, snakes, etc to make homes in it. It's biggest problem would be rotting from moisture.

We are currently burning wood that was cut last year, and some of it is from our first year. This is our 3 rd winter burning in the OWB. We have a load of wood coming next week that will be stacked up and it is for next winter. Not this winter, we should be all set with what we have. We need it cut 20" for the boiler.

A lot of wood cut for house stoves is like 16 inches.
I know growing up on the dairy farm that mom used short pieces like 12" for the kitchen stove. We used to get handed the 5 gallon buckets and had to go out and check the hedgerows, etc, for limbs, bark, anything that looked like it would burn. We had to stay a few buckets ahead too, or we would hear about it. It was one of our chores.

**KeithBC** · 12-21-2010, 07:41 PM

Originally Posted by pollypurebred39

For those of you that use wood heat; how long can you store wood for? If I buy wood for that just in case emergency and don't use it, do I have to get new wood the following year?

It depends on the conditions under which it is stored. If you leave it in a pile on the ground in the rain and snow, it will only last one year. If you keep it under a roof, with good air circulation (i.e. in a good, well-ventilated woodshed), it should last for years.

We keep ours two years. The wood in our woodshed is for this winter and for 2011-2012. As we empty each bay of the woodshed, we are replacing it with wood that we will burn in 2012-2013. Two years is just about right for seasoning fresh green wood to the point that we can safely burn it.