# Starting season no. 5 and my wood still sizzles alittle



## stanleyjohn (Nov 9, 2012)

Well maybe its just me or its a real art to get real dry wood to burn.Much of the wood i burn now i cut and split between 1 and 2 years ago and stacked outside under tarps then brought into a ventalated woodshed for several months before being brought into my garage for burning.I would also say that around 50% of the wood is oak and the rest is a mixture of elm maple and birch.


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## Nixon (Nov 9, 2012)

stanleyjohn said:


> Well maybe its just me or its a real art to get real dry wood to burn.Much of the wood i burn now i cut and split between 1 and 2 years ago and stacked outside under tarps then brought into a ventalted woodshed dor several months before being brought into my garage for burning.I would also say that around 50% of the wood is oak and the rest is a mixture of elm maple and birch.



When you say "under tarps".... Do you mean pretty much covered , or just the top of the stacks ?


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## stanleyjohn (Nov 9, 2012)

Nixon said:


> When you say "under tarps".... Do you mean pretty much covered , or just the top of the stacks ?


Heres a pic of my outside wood pile.


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## cptoneleg (Nov 9, 2012)

Yep theres your problem right there under them tarps since 2008 you never read any post here about covering or not covering your wood.


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## cptoneleg (Nov 9, 2012)

Lot of difference between 1 or 2 yrs like a yr Oak takes abot 2 or 3 yrs with just the tops covered or not covered at all.


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## stanleyjohn (Nov 9, 2012)

I have read


cptoneleg said:


> Yep theres your problem right there under them tarps since 2008 you never read any post here about covering or not covering your wood.


I have read many opinons here on covered verses uncovered and since then i have built a woodshed that i have stored with a few cords of wood and this wood stays totally out of the weather element for at least half a year  before using.What i have been doing is burning what i have stored in the woodshed than restocking it from my outside woodpile in the spring.Outside wood is anywhere from 6 months to a year old split.I guess i do need to refresh myself here in the threads since i havent been active here in awhile. Thanks


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## Nixon (Nov 9, 2012)

Stanley John , think of it this way , you take a damp towel ,put it in a zip loc bag . It will not get wetter , but it will also never really start to dry out either. Basically , you need air circulation to carry away the moisture .


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## iskiatomic (Nov 9, 2012)

It needs air, and lots of it. Top cover only


KC


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## red oak (Nov 9, 2012)

Yes top cover or not at all.  Also, if possible give the oak longer to dry.  2 years would be good and 3 would be even better.  Not all of us are 3 years ahead, so you may want to mix in the oak with some of your other types when you burn.


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## stanleyjohn (Nov 9, 2012)

In the spring im thinking of moving the wood pile! reason for this is that the location now has a bank of tall trees on the southern side causing wood pile to get more shade than sun during the day.Thinking also that ill build top support for a tarp to cover the top with a overhang leaving the sides open.The wood in the woodshed is completely sheltered from the elements but get good air flow from the outside so no changes needed there.


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## bogydave (Nov 9, 2012)

red oak said:


> Yes top cover or not at all. Also, if possible give the oak longer to dry. 2 years would be good and 3 would be even better. Not all of us are 3 years ahead, so you may want to mix in the oak with some of your other types when you burn.


 
+1
Then take the dry wood you'll burn this year to the shed


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## cptoneleg (Nov 9, 2012)

Stack in single rows would help more than anything till you get far enough ahead.  That shade isn't going to hurt much anything,  most agree that wind circulation is most important.


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## Shari (Nov 10, 2012)

If I were energetic enough to take a current picture (I'm not  ) you would see that none of my stacks are covered. Some have been out there 2-3 yrs. The wood I know that is seasoned enough for this winter will be covered in the next few days. In other words I only cover my seasoned wood to keep it dry & keep the snow off for the season I'm burning it.

Woodsheds seem nice and I've seen some very well built ones here on hearth.com - but - for me - I don't have a woodshed, wouldn't want a woodshed and therefore don't have to move the wood before winter into a woodshed - I'm not that energetic.  I'm also a little older than most women on this list.  

Your mileage may vary............


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## Backwoods Savage (Nov 10, 2012)

stanleyjohn said:


> In the spring im thinking of moving the wood pile! reason for this is that the location now has a bank of tall trees on the southern side causing wood pile to get more shade than sun during the day.Thinking also that ill build top support for a tarp to cover the top with a overhang leaving the sides open.The wood in the woodshed is completely sheltered from the elements but get good air flow from the outside so no changes needed there.


 
Stanley, don't worry too much about stacking the wood in the sun. Wind will dry the wood much faster than the sun will. Also having oak, I would stack in single rows.

Here is basically how we do it. Our cutting time is getting near as we usually start around December 1 and continue off and on until March. We stack up the wood in the winter wherever we want the new pile to be. After snow melt we split all the wood. Immediately after that we stack it. Under the wood we lay down some poles, saplings that we cut in the woods. This keeps the wood off the ground and gives a little air circulation there.

That spring, summer and fall we do not cover the wood. We do top cover usually just before the snow starts flying decently and use old galvanized roofing for the covering. In October we move enough for the winter's supply into the barn so we don't have to dig wood out from under snow. However, the wood we move into the barn has usually been sitting outside in the wind for 3 years or more so we know it is dry. In addition, many times we've stacked wood in total shade and have never had a problem with drying but would not do that if we needed the wood right away.


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## stanleyjohn (Nov 10, 2012)

Thanks backwoods! and others! Guess it gets alittle frustrating when i start fires and hear some of the wood sizzle.I think ill take off the tarps tomorrow and let the air do a better job.Looks like you burn alot of wood B Savage! how many cords do you burn a year? For us we burn around 3 cords! I usually start burning on a daily basis from late Nov till sometime in April.Last year was a extremely warm year so i didn't burn a great deal.


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## PapaDave (Nov 10, 2012)

Stan, once you start burning _*really*_ dry wood, you'll wonder WTH you were doing before.
You just need to go that one step further and uncover the sides of that wood. Well, 2 steps. The next one is to give the oak more time before you expect to burn it.
Don't know how much you've got on hand, but go get some more.
We'll wait for the pics.
ETA: since you use approx. 3 cord/yr., you should have 9-12 cord on hand at all times.......top covered only.


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## stanleyjohn (Nov 10, 2012)

8 to 9 cords!!  ill work on it! I do need a better chainsaw! my craftsmen 18" can only do so much.Hope my wife dosnt mind seeing so much wood around!Took her awhile to calm down when i put up my 6 ft satellite dish


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## rottiman (Nov 10, 2012)

stanleyjohn said:


> 8 to 9 cords!!  ill work on it! I do need a better chainsaw! my craftsmen 18" can only do so much.Hope my wife dosnt mind seeing so much wood around!Took her awhile to calm down when i put up my 6 ft satellite dish


 
Tell her to take a deep breath, relax and enjoy the warm house and the extra $$$$$$$ in the bank account.


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## ScotO (Nov 10, 2012)

The others have all nailed it, trust me these guys are all professionals....

I usually only topcover the wood I plan on burning in a winter the summer before.  All of my wood is seasoned at least three years minimum, two years without any covering at all.  Do not cover the sides, you really need that air to travel through the stacks......and like Papadave and others have said, get as far ahead as you can.  You never know when something comes up and you can't get wood for a season.   I have around 25 cord on hand, plan on getting more when I get a woodshed built.  My limit here at the house will probably be around 30 to 35, which will easily get me through 5 years.


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## red oak (Nov 10, 2012)

Scotty Overkill said:


> The others have all nailed it, trust me these guys are all professionals....
> 
> I usually only topcover the wood I plan on burning in a winter the summer before. All of my wood is seasoned at least three years minimum, two years without any covering at all. Do not cover the sides, you really need that air to travel through the stacks......and like Papadave and others have said, get as far ahead as you can. You never know when something comes up and you can't get wood for a season. I have around 25 cord on hand, plan on getting more when I get a woodshed built. My limit here at the house will probably be around 30 to 35, which will easily get me through 5 years.
> 
> ...


 
Scotty what will you do when you hit that limit?


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## ScotO (Nov 10, 2012)

red oak said:


> Scotty what will you do when you hit that limit?


 Probably go into solitary confinement and suck my thumb.....

Actually, I will take my over-run wood up to the hollow beside my FIL's house, where I can sell some of it (yes it will be actually split and seasoned the right way, not the way most firewood sellers do it), plus I cook maple syrup in the winter so I can use some of that over-run wood for the sugaring seasons.


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## red oak (Nov 10, 2012)

Scotty Overkill said:


> Probably go into solitary confinement and suck my thumb.....
> 
> Actually, I will take my over-run wood up to the hollow beside my FIL's house, where I can sell some of it (yes it will be actually split and seasoned the right way, not the way most firewood sellers do it), plus I cook maple syrup in the winter so I can use some of that over-run wood for the sugaring seasons.


 
Sounds good - I knew you wouldn't stop cutting!


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## osagebow (Nov 10, 2012)

red oak said:


> Scotty what will you do when you hit that limit?


 

...finish that living room.
gobble gobble


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## PapaDave (Nov 10, 2012)

Scotty Overkill said:


> some of that over-run wood


Wait, WTH does that even _*mean*_?
I don't understand the concept.......over-run wood. Hmmmm.
Nope, still don't get it.
I know what'll happen when he hits the wall. He'll bust through it in typical SO fashion and go get more.
Silly question.
Stan, we live in the woods and space isn't a problem. If you're limited in that way, then put up as much as possible, and/or find a really good supplier of dry firewood (did I really just type that?). Merely leaving the sides open may do what you need, but you should try to get as far ahead as possible.
Scotty should have some to sell soon.


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## StacksCT (Nov 11, 2012)

Stan, you will be pleased if you follow these folks' advice.  Two years ago, I had plastic sheeting over the top and down the sides on one stack of oak (which I thought was perfect), while the others were only top-covered (I ran out of plastic, and decided not to go buy more).  A year later, I found this forum, and started reading the posts by these folks who have provided you great advice.  Sure enough, I compared the stacks, and the one covered top-and-sides had barely dried compared to the other top-covered only stacks.

How did you make out with Sandy?  We came through without a problem, unlike last year's first storm when we lost power for 10 days.

Adam


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## nate379 (Nov 11, 2012)

Scotty Overkill said:


> The others have all nailed it, trust me these guys are all professionals....
> 
> I usually only topcover the wood I plan on burning in a winter the summer before.  All of my wood is seasoned at least three years minimum, two years without any covering at all.  Do not cover the sides, you really need that air to travel through the stacks......and like Papadave and others have said, get as far ahead as you can.  You never know when something comes up and you can't get wood for a season.   I have around 25 cord on hand, plan on getting more when I get a woodshed built.  My limit here at the house will probably be around 30 to 35, which will easily get me through 5 years.
> 
> ...


how does that wood dry stacked tight like that??


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## hilbiliarkiboi (Nov 11, 2012)

I'm betting that wood has been moved 7 or eighteen times.
Same with bws.  Its just sumthin to do!


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## ScotO (Nov 11, 2012)

nate379 said:


> how does that wood dry stacked tight like that??



It dries fine like that.  First off, it has a minimum of three years in the stacks, some.of it has been stacked for almost 4 1/2 years.  And it gets really warm here in the summer.  I've never had a problem with damp wood doing it the way I have been doing it.  Not to mention that it does get moved around a bit, at the end of the burning season I resrack what's left and start my newly split stuff in the area I emptied out over the winter.


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## oldspark (Nov 11, 2012)

Nate 379 I agree single rows work best and wood stacked tight is going to take longer to dry, so I stack in single rows even though some of mine sets for 3 years


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## stanleyjohn (Nov 11, 2012)

Sandy wasnt that bad here but we did loose power for 3 days.I live in the country so outages are common! glad i finnally bought a generator last year and had a transfer box hooked up.Soon iwill start again with some cutting!we have around 3 acres of woods (much oak) and sandy did bring a few of those down in the woods.


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## PapaDave (Nov 11, 2012)

stanleyjohn said:


> (much oak) and sandy did bring a few of those down in the woods


 
OOOhh, go get 'em. Dem's da gooder ones.
Of course, pics would help the story.


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## Backwoods Savage (Nov 11, 2012)

stanleyjohn said:


> Thanks backwoods! and others! Guess it gets alittle frustrating when i start fires and hear some of the wood sizzle.I think ill take off the tarps tomorrow and let the air do a better job.Looks like you burn alot of wood B Savage! how many cords do you burn a year? For us we burn around 3 cords! I usually start burning on a daily basis from late Nov till sometime in April.Last year was a extremely warm year so i didn't burn a great deal.


 
Stanley, we burn somewhere around 3 cord per year. Last year we were wondering because we put on an addition and also remodeled. New windows, doors and insulation so we were not sure what we'd burn last year. Ended up around 2 cord last year so I'm betting it will be between 2-3 cord this winter. We have enough on hand for 5 or 6 years or maybe even 7. No worries about running out.

And the best things about being that far ahead on the wood is that we know without a doubt that the wood is ready to burn and we do not need a moisture meter to tell us that. In addition, after the little accident I had a couple weeks ago I might not be able to cut wood this winter. If not, no problem. We have plenty.


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## Backwoods Savage (Nov 11, 2012)

stanleyjohn said:


> 8 to 9 cords!!  ill work on it! I do need a better chainsaw! my craftsmen 18" can only do so much.Hope my wife dosnt mind seeing so much wood around!Took her awhile to calm down when i put up my 6 ft satellite dish


 
Hum....  My saw has only a 16" bar...  As for the wood, stack it neat and she won't mind. A good neat wood stack can look good. Then also point out to her that it pays better dividends than money in the bank....and you don't even get taxed on it.


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## Backwoods Savage (Nov 11, 2012)

nate379 said:


> how does that wood dry stacked tight like that??


 
Nate, we've stacked wood in larger stacks that Scott shows in his pictures. You do not want to stack like that if you plan on burning the wood in a year or two but when you have 5 years or even more, there is definitely no problem.


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## oldspark (Nov 11, 2012)

Backwoods-thats why your wood takes longer to dry than mine.


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## StacksCT (Nov 11, 2012)

stanleyjohn said:


> Sandy wasnt that bad here but we did loose power for 3 days.I live in the country so outages are common! glad i finnally bought a generator last year and had a transfer box hooked up.Soon iwill start again with some cutting!we have around 3 acres of woods (much oak) and sandy did bring a few of those down in the woods.


Smart move having the generator and transfer switch.  Glad to hear it it was only 3 days.  Go get that oak -- good stuff.


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## StacksCT (Nov 11, 2012)

Backwoods Savage said:


> Hum....  My saw has only a 16" bar...  As for the wood, stack it neat and she won't mind. A good neat wood stack can look good. Then also point out to her that it pays better dividends than money in the bank....and you don't even get taxed on it.


+1
My wife was initially concerned about wood stacks, but now likes them.  We have used some as a pseudo-fence along the road on one side of the property, which gives us a little privacy and has generated compliments from neighbors and friends.  I find a neat stack to be fit perfectly with woods.  In addition, as Dennis says, our stacks represent oil we do not have to purchase for the burner.  My wife really liked the small oil bill as we burned through shoulder season (this is our first year with the insert) -- we think the burner only ran to create hot water.  She is now encouraging me and the boys to create more stacks!


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## stanleyjohn (Nov 12, 2012)

Uncovered the wood pile and What a mess! some of the wood physically wet and mushrooms growing out of some.Lets see how the drying works now.I'm on vacation next week!Time to cut up some wood from fallen trees in the woods.


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## stanleyjohn (Nov 12, 2012)

I forgot all about my mosture meter! Did some readings on wood i will be burning this year and got readings from 10 to 15%.Are these good readings?.PS this is the same wood that sizzles alittle when i did my first burn last week.


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## ScotO (Nov 12, 2012)

Looks 100% better, Stanley.  You'll see a big difference in that wood, given it some time to dry.


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## oldspark (Nov 12, 2012)

stanleyjohn said:


> I forgot all about my mosture meter! Did some readings on wood i will be burning this year and got readings from 10 to 15%.Are these good readings?.PS this is the same wood that sizzles alittle when i did my first burn last week.


 Was that on a fresh split, if it was that wood probably has a bunch of surface moisture on it and will dry out in a hurry.


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## StacksCT (Nov 12, 2012)

Scotty Overkill said:


> Looks 100% better, Stanley.  You'll see a big difference in that wood, given it some time to dry.


+1


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## stanleyjohn (Nov 13, 2012)

oldspark said:


> Was that on a fresh split, if it was that wood probably has a bunch of surface moisture on it and will dry out in a hurry.


This from wood that was split over a year ago and was stored in my woodshed.


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## mesuno (Nov 13, 2012)

Stanley - when using your moisture meter are you checking the inside of a split? Moisture can vary significantly from the outside surface where it is exposed to the air to deep inside the wood.

Take one of your logs and split to expose the middle, put your moisture meter on that.


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## stanleyjohn (Nov 14, 2012)

What is a good reading to get with a mosture reader for good dry wood? The stuff im burning this year im getting between 10 to 15% measured on the ends of splited wood.


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## oldspark (Nov 14, 2012)

I would think 20% on a NEWLY SPLIT LOG or a fresh cut.


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## PapaDave (Nov 14, 2012)

Stanley, it's been said. Split a couple of random pieces, then check the fresh split face (inside of split).
Readings of 20% or less would be ideal. Slightly higher will be ok.
You now see why we suggest leaving the sides open, eh? Trapping moisture is a problem when trying to dry stuff.


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## corey21 (Nov 14, 2012)

I would guess the moisture is higher once you split a log then test it.


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## Backwoods Savage (Nov 14, 2012)

Most definitely the ends will be the driest. That is why you see all those cracks.


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## stanleyjohn (Nov 15, 2012)

Thanks again all! Did another burn last night and still got some sizzle at the start but after awhile i got a nice burn of over 400 with my afterburner working nicely.Upper 20s outside! upper 70s first floor!mid 70s 2nd.Just got up (5am)and stove temp still around 200 with house temps mid 70s.PS last load put in around 10:30 pm est.


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## stanleyjohn (Nov 17, 2012)

Went into the woods today to see what needs to be cut! and looks like at least a few cords worth to be done.Did some cutting also today with the chainsaw!mostly small stuff.Again its alot of oak with some Birch and maple mixed in.Not as young as i used to be so i will do a few hours max each day i get out there.A question for you wood burners! Most of the time after i burn the last load of the night when the fires out the next day i end of with coal size or larger pieces of burned wood! should it be just fine ash after a burn or am i dampering the stove abit too much for that last burn of the night.


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## stanleyjohn (Nov 18, 2012)

A Question! Whats your opinion on burning wood that is solid but lots of mushrooms growing on it.


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## jrendfrey (Nov 19, 2012)

burn it mushrooms are just extra btus!!


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