Very unlikely after two nights.

you wont have caused any damage yet so dont worry.
But try not to burn it. At the very least you're wasting what might be a decent amount of energy that you could get from that wood if you just let time takes it course.

File it out the way. A greenhouse would be good. Somewhere with airflow anyway.

If you always planned on using bought wood, then go and buy some properly seasoned stuff. If in doubt, take a moisture meter with you when you go - available on eBay from china for <£15

If you planned on using your own sourced wood....then go buy some still. Because your own wood wont be ready for ages. I have a 3.5 acre coppice and burn lots of wood every year, but even still I wont be burning my own wood for another two years.

In the meantime I have found a source of very cheap, very dry wood but Im not telling anyone where I get it from 😉

EDIT: I have one of these (prob from a different seller though) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271144909625

Accurate enough (you really only need to know whether wood is 10%, 20% or 30%+)

I wont buy wood more than 25% and preferably closer to 18%.

Im currently burning 3% moisture briquettes 😀

This makes for good reading too
http://www.cosi.co.uk/HeatingAndChimneys/LOGSBioFuelPriceComparisons.html

Bought a Stihl moisture meter online, not here yet. Will be sourcing my own for free but as you say will have to buy for this winter. My wood store is going to be an old wooden shed with slits cut into it all over for the wind to get through - too rainy+windy here for an open log store I think.

Probably need to get the store at least partially functional and buy a load or two from your local man what does. But ask to check it first if you havent bought from them before.

Obv nets from shops is eye-bleedingly expensive way of buying wood. More expensive than Elec for heating your house.

As long as your shed is covered to repel the rain, the open sides shouldn't be a problem. As quickly as a few random drops hit it the following wind will dry it out. Airflow is key to drying wood. Storing with insufficient airflow promotes rot and fungal growth.

I can't post a pic but here's a link to a simple shed.

https://plus.google.com/photos/113038090087066024057/albums/5701939875211469777/5704578365118908482?banner=pwa

Obv nets from shops is eye-bleedingly expensive way of buying wood.

Wasn't a long term plan, but new toy, you know how it is!

Storing with insufficient airflow promotes rot and fungal growth.

it'll be half a shed by the time I've finished with my jigsaw, nice and breezy

Kenny, where'd you get your Stihl meter from please?

Dampness meter from ebay, £12.

I got my Stihl meter from Amazon. There may be cheaper places.

When checking the moisture content (MC) you need to split a log and test the freshly split face. Sticking it in the side won't tell you the true figure.

I hate chopping kindling (love doing love doing big stuff though) so I bought a net of the stuff from the garage. I kid you not its firkin soaking wet. Never buy from a shop/garage!
We have a tree surgeon near us that I pass every morning. I watch them cut/split a freshly delivered pile of wood and send it straight out to unsuspecting customers - not good.
People think stoves are easy - they're not. You need to plan ahead and get a good source of wood to make them work for you (especially is you run more than one!).
They are fab though 🙂
BTW: 'Popping' wood is OK.

Mine was also from Amazon headfirst

You shouldn't have the bottom vent open for wood.

A few days will do no harm as others have said above,

give it a few years however.... 😯

[img][url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8492/8445171639_6deb7e5f2f.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8492/8445171639_6deb7e5f2f.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/60407271@N04/8445171639/ ]Untitled[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/60407271@N04/ ]LOVATSTOVES[/url], on Flickr[/img]

we buy our logs aug/sept. from a guy who keeps it in a dutch barn its then not sold until nov. at the earliest.

all our kindling / firewood is raw pallet stored indoors

some of the places we re asked to deliver to are a joke, i ve had folks insist on it being this and that moisture content then stack it outside.. one customer has it stored in outdoors in a skip..others though are well clued up and have some cracking lean to type log sheds..

You shouldn't have the bottom vent open for wood.

I know, wasn't with the good stuff, but the newer stuff would just go out unless every vent was wide open!

Those Stihl moisture meters on Amazon - there's a Kamasa one on Amazon that's identical (except for the fact that it's green rather than orange) and can be had for less - save yourself a bit of cash.

As Geoff said, a damp meter is not the answer.

Seasoning is also the process of getting rid of the sap in the wood.

Interesting article

How long do you season wood for, hardwood two years? Bet not many do that! If you can source your own wood and take care of the seasoning process yourself. Don't rely on other people to do it as chances are it will be fairly freshly felled.

A summer in a dry well-ventilated place should be enough. Dry wood will ring when you bang two pieces together and will have radial cracks in the ends.

the best seasoned wood i have has not been stored in my wood shed- its piled on a north facing wall under a plank of wood.

constantly getting battered by a strong wind.

Stuff from the garage is woefully bad. I had the same experience when I got my stove, bought a few nets to try it out before getting a good stock in.

I really don't understand how they can have be allowed to sell such crap. You can here hissing and see the water bubbling out.

Do all you can to scavenge wood - it'll save you a fortune in the long term. Look out for dropped logs/branches off trees in the woods (and obviously in a location where no-one will see you lifting it), wood in skips (look out for people stripping houses out, staircases are great. Ask permission before taking), scrounge pallets, whatever you can.

Don't feel that you need to burn hardwood exclusively. We run our stoves on a mix of softwood and hardwood, probably about 75% softwood and 25% hardwood.

A great source is also old telegraph poles. We recently had a load replaced in our neck of the woods and I managed to get three delivered to the door by the crew that was replacing them! A weekend's work with the chainsaw and my massive chopper ( 😯 ) filled the wood store nicely.

A great source is also old telegraph poles.

the best seasoned wood i have has not been stored in my wood shed- its piled on a north facing wall under a plank of wood.

This ^

Just put it under cover for a couple of days before using so that most of the surface water can evaporate.

I process my own scavanged wood - I know a couple of friendly farmers.

Cut and split as soon and as small as is practical and then forget about it for 9 months. Softwood can be ready sooner. Watch for mould / fungi, especially on birch as it tends to go from excellently dry to dry rot very quickly.

And don't get too hung up on the type of wood - once its dry, it all burns and has very similar energy per dry weight values.

My least favourite firewood is oak - lots rave on about it, but I find it takes an age to season and sulks on the stove. I'd rather have poplar. BUT the best firewood is a mix of hard and soft woods burned together.

..... apart from the fact that they are completely soaked in creosote and other very nasty stuff - basically very bad for your flue and bad for the environment.

True, but 1) twenty odd years of experience would dictate otherwise about the flue - a spoonful of cleaner every month and emptying the thimble out regularly keeps things drawing nicely, and 2) environment schmenvironment. For the short time I'll be on the planet it makes **** all difference.

OP - where are you based? I have found a great supplier of bulk bags in North/West Yorkshire - £60 for a bulk bag and seasoned well enough to burn on the day of delivery with minimal kindling.

For the short time I'll be on the planet

johndoh, I'm in the north of Scotland, they might not want to come this far!

ballpark area kenny ?

Lochaber

For the short time I'll be on the planet it makes **** all difference.

Or try burning peat - it's really good as a supplement to wood - should be able to get it easily in Scotland

So the [chemical] fumes go up your chimney and out into the area around your, and other people's houses.

You are either a knob or a troll.

Johndoh: name and number of your log supplier please (I'm in Huddersfield), you can email me (profile) if you'd rather not share it with all the STworld! Cheers.

Are the blocks of peat/cannabis resin (could be either) that the shops sell ok, or is that shite like their wood?

headfirst - its http://www.thelogshed.com/, 07957 125742

The guy is really pleasant, delivers on time (despite heavy snow on the last delivery) and the quality has always been good.

Cheers John, I've collected my own wood for the last seven years but I've run a bit low for next winter so need to buy some in - a bit wary of 'cowboys' though so good to have a recommendation, cheers.

Yeah I was worried when I first used him (after my last 'Log Man' disappeared) but he has been good so far.

In answer to my own question, they burn rather hot indeed once going properly.

They're these ones [url= http://www.bordnamonafuels.ie/our-fuels/peat-briquettes-coal/smokeless-peat-briquettes ]Bord na Mona[/url] and were £5 for 20 blocks. Think they'll do the job in (first world) emergencies!

I used to cut and burn peat in Orkney. It gave out a ferocious heat and an awesome smell.

£5 for twenty blocks 😯 My peat bank could have been more profitable than a gold mine.

We are getting a log burner fitted in two weeks time. Does anybody know of a good trusted log supplier in the south Lancashire or Merseyside area. As previously mentioned on the thread I'm a little concerned about people felling a tree and selling it to me the next day as seasoned logs!