# How quickly should wood dry out after rain?



## mfglickman (Sep 21, 2012)

I should know this but I don't....

We have maybe 4 cords set aside for this winter. Some we had delivered last winter but it was not ready, some we scrounged late Winter-Spring, so it has all been sitting at least 7-10 months, and we tried to separate out the oak and just keep birch, ash, maple, locust in the stacks, with oak stored elsewhere. 

It looks gray and weathered, is much lighter and smaller than it was,  and a good bit of it sounds hollow when clinking 2 piecs together. Some splits still feel heavy so I think my oak ID skills are going to improve when I start moving stuff into the house. LOL.

We've had rain here for the past 3 days, but a very dry summer overall. I was wondering how long I should expect it to take for rain-wet splits to dry out before bringing them inside or burning them? Last year, I'd bring in about 2 days' worth at a time, which was a mix of bio bricks and wood. 

Should I move rain-wet wood to the shed? Or leave it out  a few days then move it in?Or do I leave it out in the stacks but cover it somehow before snow?  I assume it will dry out better in the sun/wind, but for how long? Couple days? 

Our stacks are not convenient, in that they are in the meadow on the South side of our property, and the woodshed is behind the barn (which is behind the house) on the far East side of the property, up a hill, so to move the wood into the shed I have to walk it right past the house. I don't want to do that until/unless conditions are optimal. 

Thanks for any advice!


Mary


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## PapaDave (Sep 21, 2012)

I never put wet wood in the shed.
It should be dry again in a day or 2 as long as it gets some wind and hopefully sun. Then, move it quick. We had rain last night, and the stacks are already starting to dry.
If all the wood you have is for this winter, I'd get it covered after it dries out again, at least whenever it's due to rain. Earlier in the year, it doesn't matter as much while you're trying to get it dry unless you have a very wet climate.
If you can swing it, get next years wood now or asap and get it c/s/s.


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## clemsonfor (Sep 21, 2012)

It will take at least 3 days?  I had some that was in my yard and put it in a trailer to move it. Got rained on 2 days in a row before i stacked it in the shed. Last night the semi punky spots were still damp and wet staned. There on teh side that gets sun too. NOw this is not really punky wood just some pieces have the punky sapwood in areas. These are the ones that are VISIBLY wet, but i bet the rest is still damp just not visibly. If i get my MM out i bet there higher MC content than if i check them in 2 weeks.


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## bogydave (Sep 21, 2012)

Leave it several days to dry out in the sun & wind before moving to the shed.

I'd get it in the shed just before the snow flies or before a big forecasted rain event, if it had a few weeks to dry out from the last rain storm.
7- 10 months of good dry weather should make it pretty good wood if you are going to burn it this year.

I'm with Dennis (BackwoodsSavage) 2 years or more of seasoning for all wood if possible. I'm getting close to being able to do that if I can get ahead this cutting season.
A year in the shed & you'd have some primo dry wood 

I'm glad I got what 14/15 wood I have, in the shed before this last 2 weeks of rain. Our birch is finicky, can go punky fast if wet for long periods.

You have a shed, might as well use it.

Pictures of it would help


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## Waulie (Sep 21, 2012)

Depends on weather, but I'd shoot for at least 3 days.  I like it as dry as possible before cramming it tight in the woodshed.


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## weatherguy (Sep 21, 2012)

I was wondering myself since I got the rain too and my wood is just about dry now, Im going to cover this weekend unless it rains but Id say if its still a little wet by Sat/Sun you should be good.


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## mfglickman (Sep 21, 2012)

Thanks all! We've got 12-13 and 13-14 already I think, though last winter bein our first I'm not sure exactly how much we will burn. We've put what we think we will burn in one spot, with the following year (+?) in a different location in our yard. I sincerely hope we are working on 14-15. Still worried Bout the seasoning on this winter though!


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## Backwoods Savage (Sep 21, 2012)

Most times after a rain we get a NW flow. That air tends to be very dry and when it is windy the wet wood will dry in a few hours. Most times if you don't get that dry windy day after the rain, 2-3 days will dry all the wet wood.


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## firefighterjake (Sep 24, 2012)

Like others I would just give the wood a few days in the sun and wind . . . and like others I've never put away wet wood into the wood shed . . . not sure why . . . just never did . . . guess it just seemed like the wrong thing to do.


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## clemsonfor (Sep 24, 2012)

firefighterjake said:


> Like others I would just give the wood a few days in the sun and wind . . . and like others I've never put away wet wood into the wood shed . . . not sure why . . . just never did . . . guess it just seemed like the wrong thing to do.


 Mold and Mildew, also the moisture is what causes rot. If you have an open shed on all sides i would not worry much.

Mildew and such is the same reason i had to move my pine into a shed. Some of it was huge flat splits and they would hold water i guess on the ones that were flat side up (wide side that is) and they were getting a white mold or something on them, over just this summer. In the shed it did not go away but its not changing any. I can monitor it cause on piece just happened to end up on top. This wood stays dry in all but the most blowing rain.


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## Backwoods Savage (Sep 24, 2012)

And remember that our Clemson friend has a much bigger problem with this than his northern friends do.


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## clemsonfor (Sep 25, 2012)

Yea i guess so. We do have a bit of humidity here. And im hundreds of miles from the coast.


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## Woody Stover (Sep 25, 2012)

clemsonfor said:


> Mildew and such is the same reason i had to move my pine into a shed. Some of it was huge flat splits and they would hold water i guess on the ones that were flat side up (wide side that is) and they were getting a white mold or something on them





Backwoods Savage said:


> our Clemson friend has a much bigger problem with this than his northern friends do.


This is the reason I'm going to top- cover _all_ of my wood, even the stuff that's years away from being burned. I have a Cherry stack where the top-cover doesn't quite reach the end. The stuff that's been getting rained on has some white mildew on it but the stuff under the cover is much cleaner.


mfglickman said:


> Our stacks are not convenient, in that they are in the meadow on the South side of our property, and the woodshed is behind the barn (which is behind the house) on the far East side of the property, up a hill, so to move the wood into the shed I have to walk it right past the house. I don't want to do that until/unless conditions are optimal.  Thanks for any advice!


 Stacks I'm going to burn from this Winter are already top-covered, the other stacks will be covered before the leaves fly. I don't have a shed; My stacks are on the other side of the house from the door where I bring wood in. Once burning commences I stack a few weeks' wood supply or more close to that door and top-cover it. I bring in two or three days' worth at a time and stack it near the stove to dry out any surface rain moisture that might have hit the end of the splits. This system works pretty well for me...I can usually find a few decent days over the course of a few of weeks to replenish the stack outside the door.


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