☀️ Firewood Seasoning Time Estimator

Select your wood type and stacking conditions to see the typical seasoning time recommended before burning, based on commonly cited firewood drying guidance.

Wood type

Splitting & stacking

Where the months come from

The estimator starts from a published range for the density class you pick, then applies a single penalty if the pile is stacked badly:

months = base range for the wood class
if unsplit, shaded or poorly ventilated: × 1.5

Wood class	Well stacked	Poor conditions
Softwood (pine, fir, spruce)	6-9 months	9-14 months
Medium hardwood (maple, birch, ash)	9-12 months	14-18 months
Dense hardwood (oak, hickory)	12-24 months	18-36 months

Oak stacked in the shade under a full tarp can therefore be three years from the saw to the stove.

What the conditions setting is really asking

Split before stacking. Bark is a waterproof skin; water leaves through the exposed end grain and split faces. A round left whole may not season at all.
Off the ground and open to the wind. Pallets or rails, a single row rather than a deep block, and a gap between rows. Wind removes more water than sunshine does.
Cover the top only. A tarp down the sides traps the moisture you are trying to lose, which is exactly what the poor-conditions setting is modelling.

Seasoned means about 20 percent moisture — the level the published BTU-per-cord figures assume. Check it with a meter on a freshly split face, not on the weathered outside, which always reads dry.

Frequently asked questions

How long does oak need to season?

12 to 24 months split and stacked in the open, and 18 to 36 months if it is left in rounds or kept in a damp shaded spot. Oak holds water tightly, which is why it is the slowest common firewood.

Can I burn firewood after six months?

Softwood cut in spring, split and stacked in sun and wind can be ready by autumn. Six months is not enough for any hardwood, and burning it wet wastes heat boiling off water and coats the flue in creosote.

How do I know when firewood is seasoned?

The ends show radial cracks, the bark loosens, the pieces feel light and knock together with a sharp clack rather than a dull thud, and a moisture meter on a fresh split face reads 20 percent or below.