← Firewood and heating H60-04 · Module 4 of 7 · Pages: 19 · Worksheets: 5

Splitting, stacking and seasoning

How to split safely, stack properly and season wood to below 20 % moisture, measure the moisture and build a log store for two winters

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Splitting, stacking and seasoning

In short

  • Split wood fresh: it splits more easily, and split wood dries 2–3 times faster than rounds.
  • Stack on a base, in sun and wind, with the top covered and the sides open.
  • Hardwood needs 1–2 summers, oak up to 2 years or more in a damp climate. Softwood one summer.
  • A moisture meter on a freshly split face must read below 20 %.
  • An axe needs room: nobody closer than two axe lengths, and split only on a block.

What's inside

Chapters

  1. Log length and thickness
  2. Splitting tools
  3. Safety when splitting
  4. How to split
  5. Hydraulic log splitter
  6. Stacking
  7. How long seasoning takes
  8. Measuring moisture
  9. The log store
  10. Wood in the house and kindling
  11. When something's wrong
  12. Common mistakes
  13. Printable checklist

Worksheets

  • Stack and log store calculator
  • Wood moisture log
  • Log store plan
  • Splitting and seasoning calendar
  • Stock record and shopping list

Fields and checkboxes can be filled in with Adobe Acrobat Reader (desktop and mobile), and the calculator adds up by itself. Filling in may not work in some browsers. A print version comes with the screen PDF.

This guide in other languages:

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