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Question
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Can
I use elm firewood given to me by a tree removal company?
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| Answer |
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I would be very
concerned about the wood and the possibility of disease. Tree
companies will
often have trouble disposing of wood and will jump at the opportunity
of
giving it away rather than hauling it away. Many of them are rather
unscrupulous and will tell you what you want to hear if it is in
their best
interest. You could very well spread the disease in your
area by
having the wood there. Many jurisdictions have strict bans on elm
firewood
with stiff penalties if it is found on your property. There is a
characteristic streaking of the wood that can be seen in infected
branches,
but sometimes that is hard to detect if you are not familiar with the
symptom. If the
wood is
very dry and the bark is loose or absent then there is little to be
concerned about. If not, then you could have a problem. Elms are very
vigorous trees and don't die very easily, so I wonder why the tree
died if
it was not DED. I would suggest contacting a local urban forester or
a
consulting arborist ASAP, as the bark beetles that transfer the
disease will
fly to healthy trees any time soon. This could be a serious problem
for your
neighbourhood.
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| Question |
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Is
furniture made of elm wood prone to cracking in dry areas? |
| Answer |
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It seems that if that much
time has been taken to dry the wood it should be fairly dry. The only question
remaining is whether it was dried outside or inside. If
outside, it
will probably have about 15% residual moisture and that can drop to 4-5%
inside in the driest time of the year. The other question raised is how was
the piece cut? If the slice was made along the grain of the wood there is
a much lower likelihood that it will split than if the piece was cut on an
angle across the grain. You should also see how the final finish has been
applied and how well all the surfaces have been sealed. The finish should be
highly impermeable to moisture.
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