Firewood Moisture Target Checker
This tool was built by Serge (MSc) using established science and government sources. My academic background covers Biogeochemistry, Forest Science, Environmental Biology, and Plant Biology, and my field research directly measured soil carbon and tree growth in open-air experiments. My tools are for educational purposes and give practical guidance, not professional advice.
Firewood burns well only when it is dry enough. The widely used target is 20 percent moisture or below. Enter a reading from your moisture meter and this tool tells you whether the wood is ready, close, or still too wet, and what to do next.
How This Works
A moisture meter reads the water content of the wood where its pins touch. The tool compares your reading against the 20 percent target. It also asks where you measured, because that changes what the number means. Wood dries from the outside in, so the surface can read dry while the core is still wet. A reading on a freshly split face, at the centre of the wood, is the one that tells you the truth.
Understanding Your Result
At or below 20 percent on a fresh split face, the wood is ready to burn. Between 20 and 25 percent, it is close and needs a little more drying. Above 25 percent, it is still too wet and will burn poorly, wasting heat and making smoke. If you measured the surface rather than a fresh split, the true core reading is likely higher than the number you got, so split a piece and measure again before trusting it.
Important Note
This tool reports against a single widely used target, but a meter reading is only as good as how it is taken. Measure at room temperature where you can, since cold wood can read differently, and always test a fresh split face across several pieces rather than one. A single low reading on the outside of one log does not mean a whole stack is ready.
Scientific Basis
The 20 percent moisture target and testing with a meter come from official guidance. The United States Environmental Protection Agency advises burning wood at a moisture content below 20 percent and checking it with a wood moisture meter. See the official source below.
- EPA Burn Wise, Best Wood-Burning Practices (burn below 20 percent moisture, test with a meter)
Related Reading
For tracking wood to the 20 percent target over a season, and setting up a stack that dries fast, see my Firewood Moisture and Seasoning Logbook and my Firewood Seasoning and Stacking Blueprint.
This checker is for general educational use. It compares your reading against a common target and is not a substitute for careful testing across your whole stack.