Osburn Soho Installation and Operation Manual
_______________________________________________________________________________13
Wood should be split to a range of sizes, from about 75 mm to 150 mm in cross section. Having a
range of sizes makes starting and rekindling fires much easier. Often, the firewood purchased from
commercial suppliers is not split finely enough for convenient stoking. It is sometimes advisable to
resplit the wood before stacking to dry.
3.2.5
HOW TO DRY FIREWOOD
Firewood that is not dry enough to burn is the cause of most complaints about wood fires. The
complaints usually involve a lack of heat and dirty door glass.
Here are some things to consider in estimating drying time:
•
firewood takes a long time to dry
•
firewood bought from a dealer is rarely dry enough to burn, so it is advisable to buy the wood
in spring and dry it yourself
•
drying happens faster in dry weather than in damp, maritime climates
•
drying happens faster in warm summer weather than in winter weather
•
small pieces dry more quickly than large pieces
•
split pieces dry more quickly than unsplit rounds
•
softwoods take less time to dry than hardwoods
•
hardwoods like gums, Manuka and ironbark can take one, or even two years to dry fully,
especially if the pieces are big
•
firewood dries more quickly when stacked in the open where it is exposed to sun and wind; it
takes much longer to dry when stacked in a wood shed
•
firewood that is ready to burn has a moisture content between 15 and 20% by weight and will
allow your wood fire to produce its highest possible efficiency
