# how do i keep my wood dry while i wait for it to season ?



## obsessed penguin (Nov 19, 2012)

how do i keep my wood dry while i wait for it to season ?


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## jdp1152 (Nov 19, 2012)

sun and wind


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## Backwoods Savage (Nov 19, 2012)

Welcome to the forum penguin.

Cover only the top of the wood pile. Stack the wood on some poles or landscape timbers or (ugh) pallets. Stack it about 4' high and leave some space between the stacks. If you have a long time to wait you can stack it closer together but for most folks that option is out. Here is how we do it.

The first picture was right after stacking in April. Come late November or early December we top cover using old galvanized roofing. That can be screwed down to the wood and also we throw some uglies on top to weight it down a bit. We always try to leave our wood in the stack for 3 years or longer before burning. That saves lots of problems and also cuts down on the amount of wood we need to burn simply because there is not much moisture in the wood. This also has the advantage that we rarely have to clean the chimney because we do not get creosote.


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## Todd 2 (Nov 19, 2012)

+1 on backwoods way, if you don't have tin or such some lumber yards throw away shipping tarps. Some others and myself have asked them to save a fiew, You can cut them to fit and use some slats and screws to hold in place.  leave the sides open and attach around the top, the air flow is the trick.


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## Nixon (Nov 19, 2012)

Do as Dennis and Todd suggests , cover the top of the stack . I use old metal roofing ,as that's what I have a lot of . You can also go to a lumber yard and pick up some of the stuff they use to cover lumber for shipping . Old rubber roofing is also great stuff . Thick (6mil  plus ) plastic sheeting will work .


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## Bacffin (Nov 19, 2012)

Backwoods Savage said:


> Welcome to the forum penguin.
> 
> Cover only the top of the wood pile. Stack the wood on some poles or landscape timbers or (ugh) pallets. Stack it about 4' high and leave some space between the stacks. If you have a long time to wait you can stack it closer together but for most folks that option is out. Here is how we do it.
> 
> ...


 
Savage, Is there an advantage to using galvanized roofing other than the weight and screwing it down?


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## Nixon (Nov 19, 2012)

If I may , You don't have to screw it down . a couple of pieces of clothes line rope will secure it . And galvanized ,or painted metal roofing will out last any other covering material by a long shot . It's cheaper in the long run .


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## Nixon (Nov 19, 2012)

There's a pic of what I'm talking about in this thread . Haven't loss a piece off roofing yet doing it this way .
Did a little more this past weekend | Hearth.com Forums Home


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## stejus (Nov 19, 2012)

Stack and let it dry like other say, wind and sun... both equally important.   After your wood is seasoned, just top cover or move to shed.


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## Mr A (Nov 19, 2012)

Do you cover all the wood, or just this years wood? I am a newbie also. I thought I read somewhere just to cover what you burn this year. I know you can get rubber roofing, actually it's called single ply vinyl roofing, at construction sites. Usually a new strip mall, large retail store, most large  area buildings use it. Lots of scrap. Come to think of it, I would stop by the roofing company's yard and ask for scraps- Construction sites are harder to find these days.


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## Chopernator (Nov 19, 2012)

My suggestion is as soon as you get some rounds of wood split them dont wait like I did and get behind schedule per say.  You'll have 
a heck of a time catching up if you do it by yourself and with out a log splitter.  When you stack, cover it with some sheets of metal
like from Menards or something you can get them in lengths of your choice.  You can use tarp but there  a pain.  Hope it helps ya..


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## Wood Duck (Nov 19, 2012)

I don't cover any of the stacked wood, only the small amount that I have moved to the back porch before it goes in the stove. I guess it would be a little drier if I would cover it, but this way works fine too, and I don't need to acquire anything to use as a cover.


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## weatherguy (Nov 19, 2012)

Just stack it and leave it the first year, second year you can move it to a wood shed if you build one or I use 6 mil plastic sheeting from lowes, they have a bunch of different sizes to choose from.


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## Senatormofo (Nov 20, 2012)

Backwoods Savage said:


> Welcome to the forum penguin.
> 
> Cover only the top of the wood pile. Stack the wood on some poles or landscape timbers or (ugh) pallets. Stack it about 4' high and leave some space between the stacks. If you have a long time to wait you can stack it closer together but for most folks that option is out. Here is how we do it.
> 
> ...


Those are some nice stacks you have there Backwoods!


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## obsessed penguin (Nov 20, 2012)

Senatormofo said:


> Those are some nice stacks you have there Backwoods!


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## obsessed penguin (Nov 20, 2012)

It seems to me that the downside to using sheet metal roofing is that it is large and difficult to store being that the size is not adjustable


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## Backwoods Savage (Nov 20, 2012)

Bacffin said:


> Savage, Is there an advantage to using galvanized roofing other than the weight and screwing it down?


 
Advantage is it works great and I have lots! But this does not mean it is the best thing; it just works really well. Most that we have are in 10' lengths so we just adjust the length of the stack (most of the time) to match the roofing.


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## Backwoods Savage (Nov 20, 2012)

Senatormofo said:


> Those are some nice stacks you have there Backwoods!


 
Thanks Senator.


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## Backwoods Savage (Nov 20, 2012)

obsessed penguin said:


> It seems to me that the downside to using sheet metal roofing is that it is large and difficult to store being that the size is not adjustable


 
That is definitely not a problem at all. Most of ours is in 10' lengths but some shorter. As for storing, we simply lean them up against one of the wood stacks. The size not adjustable? Then simply adjust the size of the stack!


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## Backwoods Savage (Nov 20, 2012)

Mr A said:


> Do you cover all the wood, or just this years wood? I am a newbie also. I thought I read somewhere just to cover what you burn this year. I know you can get rubber roofing, actually it's called single ply vinyl roofing, at construction sites. Usually a new strip mall, large retail store, most large area buildings use it. Lots of scrap. Come to think of it, I would stop by the roofing company's yard and ask for scraps- Construction sites are harder to find these days.


 
The rubber roofing will work great and many use it.

We split wood in the spring and stack right away after splitting. Then we leave the wood uncovered until late fall or early winter. In fact, I'll soon be covering the wood we split last spring.


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## DanCorcoran (Nov 20, 2012)

Nothing fancy at the cabin...just some leftover roofing metal held down with rocks.  No expense, works fine.


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## bogydave (Nov 20, 2012)

obsessed penguin said:


> how do i keep my wood dry while i wait for it to season ?


 
Helps to know your location.
If in the "wet side " of the PNW, build a wood shed  (minimum top cover well)

Most places can get thru the 1st or 2nd years with it uncovered & it'll dry out well.
Cover it 2 to 3 months before use . So it surface is dry & 2+ years seasoned for the burn season.

1st year mine is just double row stacked with space between rows. (Haven't found any top cover that will stand up to the winds here)
Then to the wood port/shed until needed (usually 2 years) .


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## jdinspector (Nov 20, 2012)

DanC,

I see you also use a tarp under your stacks. Keeps water from wicking up? Works pretty well, I'll bet?


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## pen (Nov 21, 2012)

jdinspector said:


> DanC,
> 
> I see you also use a tarp under your stacks. Keeps water from wicking up? Works pretty well, I'll bet?


 
From what I've seen, doing that keeps the mud off. But when it rains, the water still sits there and those bottom pieces stay wet. It's best to keep them off the ground.

I have tried stacking right on large flat rock from an old quarry thinking that the water would run right off and not be an issue but the bottom pieces still don't dry as well as they should, they really need the air to get under them.

pen


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## DanCorcoran (Nov 21, 2012)

jdinspector said:


> DanC,
> 
> I see you also use a tarp under your stacks. Keeps water from wicking up? Works pretty well, I'll bet?


 
It was an old piece of tarp that I found on the property.  I figured I'd just try it and see how it worked.  It's the only stack I've tried it with. 

I have a lot of styrofoam insulation (blue, 2" thick, 8' long, 12-16" wide), also found on the property, which I put beneath my other outdoor stacks.  That may work better, because the top surface is smooth and shouldn't retain water.  We'll see...

I need to restack the wood on the tarp, because it was hit by a track loader working near it, so I may know sooner rather than later.  I'll report back when I know something.


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## obsessed penguin (Nov 21, 2012)

I have found that the wood stays wet inside the stack for a long time if left uncovered so I think I may cover the top year round from now on


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## corey21 (Nov 21, 2012)

The sun and wind will dry it for your i cover the top row only as others said also.


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## northernontario (Nov 21, 2012)

Helps a lot to have it up on skids.  After a few years they start to sink in the ground a bit and stuff builds up around the skids... if they're stable throw another level on.  I've even got my unsplit rounds up on skids, and it helps to keep that bottom row dry. 

I'm top-covering with rubber... used to work at a rubber part manufacturer.  Got an entire shipment of bad EPDM in... 1/8" stuff, can't tear it if you wanted.


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## Sprinter (Nov 21, 2012)

pen said:


> From what I've seen, doing that keeps the mud off. But when it rains, the water still sits there and those bottom pieces stay wet. It's best to keep them off the ground.
> 
> I have tried stacking right on large flat rock from an old quarry thinking that the water would run right off and not be an issue but the bottom pieces still don't dry as well as they should, they really need the air to get under them.
> 
> pen


It would be a mosquito factory, too, unless the stack is used up before spring.


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## Blue2ndaries (Nov 21, 2012)

bogydave said:


> Helps to know your location.
> If in the "wet side " of the PNW, build a wood shed  (minimum top cover well)


 
Totally agree.  If you are in a wet locale like OR where it rains or is very moist/humid for 8mos out of the year, minimum top cover.  If you decide to build a shed, make sure it is fairly open to promote airflow (air/wind is a common theme here).


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## Mr A (Nov 21, 2012)

Blue2ndaries said:


> Totally agree. If you are in a wet locale like OR where it rains or is very moist/humid for 8mos out of the year, minimum top cover. If you decide to build a shed, make sure it is fairly open to promote airflow (air/wind is a common theme here).
> 
> View attachment 82038
> View attachment 82039
> View attachment 82040


 That's a nice looking wood shed. It wont be soon enough to get myself on some acreage.


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## obsessed penguin (Nov 24, 2012)

Another thing I sometimes  do is criss cross stack them although it takes up a lot of room


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## Kenster (Nov 24, 2012)

I'm in the 'never cover' camp, but then I rarely have to worry about snow here.  I keep three or four days worth of wood on our big, covered front porch, which is just a few steps from our VC Vig in the living room.   Even if the wood is wet from rain, it will be plenty dry after a couple days on the porch.  If a cold, wet front is forecast to move through, I'll bring a few extra loads up to the porch ahead of time.  But I've never covered my stacks, which are out on the tree line about 100 yards from the house or in clearings in the woods.


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## Seasoned Oak (Nov 24, 2012)

northernontario said:


> Helps a lot to have it up on skids. After a few years they start to sink in the ground a bit and stuff builds up around the skids... if they're stable throw another level on. I've even got my unsplit rounds up on skids, and it helps to keep that bottom row dry.
> 
> I'm top-covering with rubber... used to work at a rubber part manufacturer. Got an entire shipment of bad EPDM in... 1/8" stuff, can't tear it if you wanted.


That rubber will get good and hot in the sun and should go a long way to drying the wood directly under it plus keeping water out of the center and bottom of the stack.


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## timusp40 (Nov 24, 2012)

Guess everyone has a way of seasoning their stacks. I probably go overboard, but mine are on pallets that are on bricks and I use the cheap tarps with drywall screws and polycord. It's all I have right now. Wood shed in somewhere down the line. Getting the stove comes first.


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## obsessed penguin (Nov 26, 2012)

I have to keep some of my wood in a somewhat non exposed area..meaning it gets limited sun and wind. The wet pieces in the body never dry completely and they remain damp. This is the wood I'm referring to. I might keep a tarp laid across the top like Timusp40. BTY that's a nice stack ! My pieces are different sizes.


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## obsessed penguin (Nov 26, 2012)

Also I wish I had an area where I could keep 3 or 4 days worth of wood...but I don't


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## Kenster (Nov 26, 2012)

Penquin,  When you say the wood is "wet" or " damp"  are you talking about surface moisture from recent rain or do you mean "wet" as in green/unseasoned?  If the wood is not drying out (seasoning) in your stacks I'm thinking a tarp will only make matters worse.  It will never dry under there.   The only use for a tarp might be to protect wood that is already totally dry.  If it has not seasoned properly yet it's best to leave it uncovered, or at most, top cover only.    Lots of us leave stacks in the woods that don't get much sun or wind, so we just leave them there an extra year or two. 

If the wood is good and dry (well seasoned) then tarping several days worth of wood won't hurt a thing,  just don't fully tarp unseasoned stacks.


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## DanCorcoran (Nov 26, 2012)

obsessed penguin said:


> Also I wish I had an area where I could keep 3 or 4 days worth of wood...but I don't


 

Please put your location in your "personal details" box to the left (to do this, click on your name at the top right of this page, then click on "personal details" and enter your location).  This helps members understand what sort of climate you have, what wood you have available, what vendors may be nearby, etc.


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## obsessed penguin (Nov 26, 2012)

I mean wet from rain. I feel as though the wood will get waterlogged over the long term. I'm referring to covering the top only from the day it is stacked.


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## KB007 (Nov 28, 2012)

I've just been stacking on pallets, no covering at all.  Wood gets nice and dry in a couple of years.  Only other time I touch it is to move about 2 weeks worth to the porch ready for burning.


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## Constrictor (Nov 28, 2012)

No need to keep it dry while it seasons.


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## mtneer (Nov 29, 2012)

obsessed penguin said:


> I mean wet from rain. I feel as though the wood will get waterlogged over the long term. I'm referring to covering the top only from the day it is stacked.


 
I had the good fortune of starting my new hobby in the Spring of 2011. It rained for 3 months straight on my uncovered stacks. I have plenty of dry wood to burn right now. In fact, the little bit of boxelder I kept under my car port still has plenty of sizzlers. OTOH most the stuff kept in the sun, wind, and rain is burning fine now.

I wouldn't stress too much.


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## DanCorcoran (Nov 29, 2012)

mtneer said:


> I had the good fortune of starting my new hobby in the Spring of 2011. It rained for 3 months straight on my uncovered stacks. I have plenty of dry wood to burn right now. In fact, the little bit of boxelder I kept under my car port still has plenty of sizzlers. OTOH most the stuff kept in the sun, wind, and rain is burning fine now.
> 
> I wouldn't stress too much.


 

Please put your location in the personal details box to the left.  Your replies have more meaning when others can tell what part of the country you're in (weather, wood species, regulations, etc.).   Thanks!


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## tymbee (Nov 29, 2012)

Kenster said:


> Penquin, When you say the wood is "wet" or " damp" are you talking about surface moisture from recent rain or do you mean "wet" as in green/unseasoned? If the wood is not drying out (seasoning) in your stacks I'm thinking a tarp will only make matters worse. It will never dry under there. The only use for a tarp might be to protect wood that is already totally dry. If it has not seasoned properly yet it's best to leave it uncovered, or at most, top cover only. Lots of us leave stacks in the woods that don't get much sun or wind, so we just leave them there an extra year or two.
> 
> If the wood is good and dry (well seasoned) then tarping several days worth of wood won't hurt a thing, just don't fully tarp unseasoned stacks.


 
Great advice IMO.


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## firewoodjunky (Dec 1, 2012)

I have also never top covered. Neither my wood, or my stove, have complained yet. But I do have the luxury of a three season porch. If I didn't have that, I could see the usefuless in top covering.


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