Species such as maple and walnut dry at an intermediate rate, ie a 1” walnut board air dried in the south in the summer time will dry in about 120 days, and species such as oak, mesquite, and hickory dry very slowly (ie 1” per year). It is best to store lumber “in the tree” until you are ready to mill it.
Seasoning Walnut Firewood
Generally, walnut firewood requires a minimum of six months and a maximum of two years to dry out completely. Some take even more than two years, depending on the moisture content. In conclusion, walnut firewood is really good firewood since it burns quickly and has a delightful aroma.
Walnut is a good firewood when compared to other firewoods because of its medium density and ease of burning. It burns clean, is easy to start and has a pleasant aroma. Walnut may not produce quite as much heat when compared to other hardwoods such as Oak, but it is much better than burning a softwood such as Cedar.
The kernel of a young, only torn walnut has a light color, after lying for several days, the kernel it darkens a little. This is a natural and normal process. After drying, the kernel takes on its permanent color.
Though walnuts can be eaten as it is by removing the outer shell, the best way to have them is by soaking overnight. Just soak 2-4 walnut pieces overnight in a cup of water and have them first thing in the morning. Soaking walnuts helps in reducing the bad cholesterol levels in the body.
After washing and sorting, allow the nuts to dry for two or three weeks.
Hardwoods also burn hotter than softwoods. However, not all hardwoods provide an equal amount of heat. For example, hardwoods like oak, ash, birch and hickory have a higher heat value than hardwoods like walnut and elm.
Watch out for any wood covered with vines. Burning poison ivy, poison sumac, poison oak, or pretty much anything else with "poison" in the name releases the irritant oil urushiol into the smoke. Breathing it in can cause lung irritation and severe allergic respiratory problems, the Centers for Disease Control state.
Pros: Walnut is a very strong and stable wood that can take intricate carving. The color can be beautiful. Cons: Some may not like the variation from dark to light that's sometimes found on a single wide board. Walnut is also one of the more costly woods.
To identify well-seasoned wood, check the ends of the logs. If they are dark in colour and cracked, they are dry. Dry seasoned wood is lighter in weight than wet wood and makes a hollow sound when hitting two pieces together. If there is any green colour visible or bark is hard to peel, the log is not yet dry.
Cut it to Size - Cut your logs down to the size you'll want in your fire. Split the logs. The more exposed wood, the faster it'll dry out. Let the Air Flow - When stacking wood, make sure there's plenty of airflow around every log.
Unlike cherry, maple, and oak (which all darken in color as they age), walnut wood will actually lighten slightly over time.
The Black Walnut is one of the most expensive and lucrative trees to sell, thanks to its high-quality dark wood. The tree ranges from $5- $10 per board foot, although it can cost more depending on other factors. In most cases, your 20-inch tree can fetch you $700- $800.
Staining walnut isn't necessary, unless color is uneven. Then, aniline dyes won't cloud the grain. The best finish for walnut is a clear one. Several coats of Danish oil provide clarity.
Harvest begins in the first weeks of September and comes to an end at the beginning of November each year. Farmers know it's time to harvest when they see the walnuts' outer green hulls drying and starting to split, allowing them to remove the walnuts from inside.
Pine Wood. Pine, a softwood, is resinous. That means when burned, it emits a lot of soot that adds dangerous creosote to your chimney walls. It also burns more quickly than hardwood, so it's less efficient, though it can be used as kindling.
Poisonous wood is a bad idea to burn. This includes poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. These smoke and create oils that are irritants. These irritants cause eye irritation and breathing problems.
Hardwood Firewood
Hardwoods such as maple, oak, ash, birch, and most fruit trees are the best burning woods that will give you a hotter and longer burn time. These woods have the least pitch and sap and are generally cleaner to handle.
The hardest wood to burn is cedar, but there are other types of wood that can be just as difficult to ignite. When choosing the right kind of wood for your fire, it's important to consider the smoke output and the amount of sparks that it produces.
Seasoned hardwoods make the best firewood. Hardwoods like oak, cherry and maple are denser than softwoods like pine or cedar. Due to their density, they burn longer and produce more heat or BTUs.
Hickory provides the most classic smell
Hickory wood for sale is our most popular firewood, and for good reason. The smell may not be as unique as cherry, but it is pure classic. There are a dozen different species of hickory native to the United States, all of which produce a fragrant aroma when burned.
Rot Resistance: Black Walnut is rated as very durable in terms of decay resistance, though it is susceptible to insect attack. Workability: Typically easy to work provided the grain is straight and regular. Planer tearout can sometimes be a problem when surfacing pieces with irregular or figured grain.
As the walnut color darkens slowly over the years, this stained sapwood area does not darken as much. This means some color contrasts may develop after several years or longer that can be undesirable.