by Joe
(New Stanton,Pa)
My logs will last me far beyond this season. They are 15 to 20 feet long. I have to get them out of my yard so I will cut but not split. What is the difference in the life between storing a 20 inch log and a 60 inch log? Will it be worth the additional difficulty of handling the bigger log?
Answer
Joe,
The only significant difference between storing a log that is 20" long vs 60" long is the time that it will take longer for that log to season. The shorter log will season quicker. You want to store the wood for several years, so the seasoning time isn't really a factor.
I recommend cutting the log into 20" pieces because they will be easier to move around. The time it takes for a log to rot is not determined by its length as much as its environment. For example, a log laying on the wet ground will start decomposing long before a log that is kept dry in a wood yard.
The only time that I would recommend keeping logs at a longer length would be to facilitate easier moving before processing when you are using heavy equipment (tractor, log loader, etc).
As long as you store your logs properly, you should be fine. Good luck!
-MG