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Installation and Operation Manual - Osburn 3500
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 facts 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.
3.2.6 Judging firewood moisture content
You can find out if some firewood is dry enough to burn by using these guidelines:
− Cracks form at the ends of logs as they dry;
− As it dries in the sun, the wood turns from white or cream
coloured to grey or yellow;
− Bang two pieces of wood together; seasoned wood sounds
hollow and wet wood sounds dull;
− Dry wood is much lighter in weight than wet wood;
− Split a piece, and if the fresh face feels warm and dry it is dry
enough to burn; if it feels damp, it is too wet;
− Burn a piece; wet wood hisses and sizzles in the fire and dry
wood does not.
You could buy a wood moisture meter to test your firewood.
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