How to Season Firewood, Step by Step

How do I season firewood?

1. Fell in winter if you can. Forest Research says standing timber is driest in winter and to fell by April, earlier for broadleaves. Defra says wood felled in summer contains more sap, so takes longer to dry.
2. Cut and split it. Defra and Forest Research say to split logs to less than 10 cm across if possible. Split wood dries much faster than whole rounds.
3. Stack it off the ground. Stack on bearers or a pallet. Don't wedge logs tightly: HETAS says there shouldn't be logs behind other logs, as that cuts airflow and lengthens the drying time.
4. Pick a sunny, windy spot. Forest Research says ideally the prevailing wind should blow through the stack.
5. Cover the top, not the sides. Defra says to keep wood under a waterproof cover with open sides.
6. Wait. Plan on two summers. See the drying times below.
7. Test it before you burn it. The GOV.UK customer notice says to measure a freshly split surface with a moisture meter, and not to burn wood until it's 20% or less.

How long does firewood take to season?

The answer depends on the species, the size of the logs and the weather, so always test rather than counting months. See firewood moisture content.

How do I check firewood is dry?

• Use a moisture meter. Woodsure says to split a log just before you measure, test three logs from your store, and take readings in different places.
• Test at room temperature. Woodsure says every 10 °C or so changes the reading by about 1%.
• Look for the signs. Defra says dry logs are lighter, sound hollow when knocked together, have cracked ends and loose bark, and can be lighter in colour.

Why does seasoning matter?

Forest Research says well seasoned logs can have about twice the energy of green ones, and that logs that aren't dry smoulder and make lots of tar and smoke. In England, wood sold in volumes under 2 m³ must be certified Ready to Burn at 20% moisture or less, GOV.UK says.

Is there a quicker way?

Kiln drying. Defra says it can turn unseasoned wood into ready to burn wood in a matter of days. Our logs are kiln dried below 20% moisture, so they're ready to burn when they arrive. See kiln dried vs seasoned logs.