Harvesting your fire wood

A basic primer

If you have a ready supply of wood, here are some tips to harvesting your fire wood and managing your "woodlot."

Taking care of your forest

Cutting fire wood from your own forest not only provides you with free fuel, but by cutting standing dead wood, or dying or diseased trees, you help manage your forest's health and reduce the risk of wildfire on your property. Plus, according to The Renewable Energy Handbook by William H. Kemp, "dead trees rotting on the forest floor produce the same amount of greenhouses gases as if you had burned the wood in your stove. So why not put it to good use!

Ideally you should cut and split your wood in the spring (many people don't even think about it until the fall!) and stack it to dry. If it has good ventilation it should be dry by winter - although if it's properly stored you can keep your wood for a number of years. Note that after it gets over 4-5 years old, it will start to deteriorate. I have to admit that we are much more haphazard about when we cut and split. It's more a matter of when the mood hits.

Stack your wood in a shed or in rows (preferably covered) allowing space between each row so the wood will dry. You can buy or make "cribs" to hold your wood pile neatly. DO NOT cover your wood with a tarp .... or you will prevent moisture from evaporating and your fire wood will rot!

As convenient as it may seem, don't store your wood along the side of your house. Have your woodpile about 30 feet (10 meters) from your dwelling. This reduces risk to your home if there is a wild fire, and it reduces risk of infestation of mice, squirrels, and bugs.

Hardwood or softwood?

Hardwoods provide more heat energy than softer woods because they are denser and burn more slowly and evenly. Alder, ash, birch, butternut, cherry, elm, hickory, maple, oak, and walnut are some of the most common hardwoods. If you have hardwood on your property you will want to take advantage of this gift.

Softwoods include pine, spruces, firs, and cedars. There's nothing wrong with a mix of hard and soft, it's just that generally the softwoods will burn faster and not provide as much heat. By focusing on hardwood, you will increase your efficiency.

Tools of the trade

You will need a good chain saw, a good wood splitting axe, a cutting wedge, a sledgehammer and a chopping block, which can simply be a large log or stump with a flat top.

Chain saw

• Purchase a chain saw that is equipped with a catalytic converter to reduce emissions
  
• Purchase biodegradable chainsaw oil and grease to protect the environment AND your lungs
• Have your chain saw properly serviced and maintained
• Don't leave the saw idling unnecessarily
  

Chain saws are very useful but very dangerous.

• Wear proper protection - steel toe boots, ear protection, safety glasses, heavy gloves, and a hard hat
  
• Look into getting chaps that are chain saw resistant. They are designed to protect the left side of your leg, where most chain saw injuries occur.
• Avoid loose clothing that could get caught in the saw
• Never use a chain saw when you are tired, on medications that make you drowsy, or if you have been drinking alcohol
• A sharp chain is essential. Keep a sharpened spare chain so you can switch it out and always have a sharp chain on hand.
• Know when to stop! When working with a chain saw, learn to recognize the signs of exhaustion... and stop well before this occurs! Accidents are more prone to happen if you push beyond your tiredness.
• Get some training from an experienced user

Additional information on chain saw safety

Wood splitting axe

A wood splitting axe (see picture at top of this page) or "maul" has a wider wedge than a regular axe and doesn't get caught as easily in the wood when you are splitting logs. Heavier heads split more efficiently but are more difficult to lift and swing repeatedly so you will need to find the right size for you.

For greater efficiency, keep your axe sharp.

According to one wood splitter, fiberglass handles are easier on your hands, arms and back, as they take up some of the shock of impact, and they last longer than wood handles on splitting mauls.

Power log splitters

Although we enjoy cutting our own wood manually, we only use our lodge on weekends and we close up for the coldest part of the winter. If we were heating our home by wood throughout the winter (which we hope to someday) we would certainly be looking into a power log splitter. It can save an incredible amount of physical energy compared with splitting fire wood using manual tools. You can purchase electric or gas powered log splitters, or it may be economical to rent one for a weekend in the spring to get your woodpile ready for the following winter.

Get out and do it!

Splitting your own fire wood is really rewarding and it's a great form of outdoor exercise - but don't over do it at first if you aren't used to it! Just as with any form of exercise, you need to build up gradually to avoid injury.