Stowing away firewood is essential if you live in a cold climate.
Even with indoor heating systems, you never know when an emergency may arise and your access to electricity or fuel could be cut off.
Firewood must be dry, or “seasoned,” before you burn it. This is a lengthy process that can take 6-12 months at a time.
Thankfully, there are ways you can speed up the process to get dry firewood fast.
9 Tips to Get Firewood Dry in Less Time
How you dry your firewood, and how fast you can reasonably dry it, will depend on so many variables from the type of wood you have to the humidity of your climate.
Not all of these hacks will work for you.
But if you try the ones that do, your firewood will dry faster than ever.
1. Choose the Right Combination of Wood
Different types of wood dry out at different rates, depending on whether they are softwood vs hardwood.
Softwood, like fir, cedar, and white pine, are typically lighter and less dense with a lower moisture content. As a result, most softwoods will light faster, burn faster, and dry faster.
On the other hand, hardwoods like oak, maple, and beech, are very dense and will burn slower and longer. They are the best base for a hot, lasting fire.
While hardwood is typically considered the superior type for wood fires, I prefer to start the drying process with a combination of both types.
If you only stock up on hardwood, it will take longer to dry out the whole batch and you may find yourself with intermittent shortages of wood while you wait for it to dry.
Fast-drying softwood will help you to fill in those gaps while you wait for the rest to dry.
2. Find a Good Location
Location is so important when it comes to drying your firewood. I strongly recommend against storing firewood indoors.
Lack of exposure to outdoor elements like sunlight and wind will take longer for your wood to dry.
Firewood stacks also attract pests like rats, mice, and spiders – keeping your wood indoors will attract these pests to your home.
You should always store your firewood outdoors and keep it a safe distance from your home to reduce the risk of fire hazards.
I recommend a location anywhere between 5 to 30 yards away from your home.
Far enough to reduce risks, but not too far it will be a pain to trudge back and forth when you need to restock your indoor wood basket in winter.
3. Exposure to Sun and Wind
Another element to consider when choosing a location for your wood to dry is finding a place with plenty of exposure to sun and wind.
Sunlight and heat are two of the most important tools in the drying process.
When the weather is good – particularly in summer – take any covers off and let your wood stack bake in the sun whenever you can. This is one of the most important hacks for drying firewood fast.
The more sunlight exposure, the faster your wood will dry.
The same is true for windy days. Firewood needs plenty of ventilation. Wind will circulate air through your wood stack, assuming it is adequately spaced, helping to dry it out faster.
4. Start Drying in Spring
Sometimes, the reason your firewood is not drying fast enough is that you began the seasoning process at the wrong time of year.
If you want dry firewood by winter, your wood should be split and stacked as early as possible in spring.
This will give your wood longer periods of exposure to the warmest and driest weather, particularly the summer sun and wind.
It’s so important to have your firewood ready before summer begins.
Doing this will ensure that your wood will dry faster than it would if you prepare it in late spring or summer.
5. Split and Cut
The way you cut your wood also makes a difference in the seasoning process. First, cut your firewood to the length that will fit into your fireplace.
This can be done once the firewood is dry, but it is better to do it in the beginning because the smaller the pieces are, the faster they will dry.
Now, the width. You should split each piece of wood lengthways against the grain. Not only will this help your wood burn more efficiently, but it will dry significantly faster.
The more pieces you split the wood into, the faster it will dry. Splitting the layers of bark around the wood is especially important because that layer of bark is what seals moisture inside.
6. Learn How to Stack
Stacking your firewood pile requires thought and technique if you want to season your wood in record time.
Here are some things to consider:
- Keep it small. The bigger your woodpile is, the less airflow there will be and the longer it will take to dry. Short, narrow stacks are always best.
- Maximize airflow. Circulating air through your woodpile is the simplest way to dry wood, so you want to maximize airflow. There are plenty of ways to stack your wood, but your primary aim should be to keep gaps between your pieces of wood. This will allow drying air to reach as much of the wood as possible.
- Stack away from structures. You already know not to stack your firewood too close to your home, but this should apply to any structures, walls, and even trees. Free-standing wood dries fastest.
- Keep it elevated. Drying firewood should never touch the ground. Use some kind of platform, such as wood pallets or bricks, to protect your woodpile from pests, and moisture that seeps in from the ground, and to further promote airflow.
7. Choose a Stacking Technique
How you stack your firewood can make all the difference in how fast your wood dries.
Around the world, people use different techniques to stack firewood efficiently and maximize airflow.
Here are some tried and true techniques worth researching.
1. Holhausen method
2. American method
3. End pillar wood stack
4. Criss Cross stacking
5. Shaker woodpile method
6. Norwegian stacking method
To make the decision easier you can also purchase a dependable firewood stacker.
8. Cover It Properly
Because your firewood needs lots of airflow and exposure to sunlight, it should only be fully covered in wet and snowy weather.
Keeping it fully covered long-term will double the time it takes your wood to dry.
Some choose to build an open firewood shed, with only a roof to protect your wood stack in rainy and snowy weather, or one with slatted sides to let air in and moisture out.
The most affordable and low-maintenance way to cover your firewood is by using a waterproof tarp in bad weather. Remember to only cover the top, not the entire stack.
9. Use a Home Appliance
This last hack is the most polarizing.
Some swear by using home appliances to speed up the drying process, while others strongly recommend against it.
While I don’t personally use them to dry my firewood, there are several home appliances that can be used if you need cured wood in a pinch.
- Oven: An oven or kiln can drastically speed up the process, giving you dry firewood in just 2 to 3 days. It is a common process in commercial firewood production. Your oven should be set as low as possible with the fan function running (if it has one). Temperatures should not run higher than 300F.
- Dehumidifier: Some store their firewood in a garage or basement and keep a dehumidifier running 24/7, letting it suck moisture from the air and subsequently from the wood. While this may work, it will also run your electricity bill so high that you’d be better off purchasing your firewood in bulk.
- Fan: Running a fan directed at your indoor firewood stack will also speed up the process, though you will still have electricity bills to consider. The air must be dry to work properly, so fans are sometimes used in conjunction with dehumidifiers.
- Heater: an electric or space heater can dry small pieces of wood in a matter of hours. They should be kept on a wood rack at a distance of at least 3 feet to avoid any chance of the wood catching fire.
Safety is essential when using electrical or gas-fueled equipment to dry your wood, and whether you want to try these techniques is up to your own discretion.
