Cover wood that you won’t be burning until 2009/2010?

[smokinj]

Funny this thread came along - i'm also watching my neatly stacked 4 cords get soaked out back Even went so far as to draw up plans for a nice woodshed addition to build this weekend off the side of the barn. but it turns out there's this funny noise in my ear that wants to get the dumpster out of the driveway... reckon i oughta finish demoing the upstairs bathroom... hey - lath = kindling! that's KINDA woodstove related(!)

Yes sir that stuff burns HOT

 

[iceman]

you know whats funny? i have maybe 6 cds covered since this summers rain storms.. only on top though.. some of it was green most of it actually....
but it is separated for next year and this year... the stuff i plan on burning first has been uncovered since last nov!! its about 2.5 cds and i just keep looking at it because yes you see it wet but as soon as it doesn't rain for a day you can see it dry...what a dummy i am gotta get it covered as i will prolly start using it pretty soon and we have chance of rain everyday this week!!

 

[billb3]

I like to have the rain wash the bird$hit off the cover.

 

[ansehnlich1]

If you ain't burnin this stuff til next year it don't matter a hill of beans if it's covered. Let 'er lay in the wide open and forget about it til September next year.

 

[wellbuilt home]

I would split my wood in sept ,oct ,nov and cover it when it starts to snow. by january the wood is burning hot . in nov and dec i would burn wood i had left over from last year.

 

[iceman]

you know whats funny? i have maybe 6 cds covered since this summers rain storms.. only on top though.. some of it was green most of it actually....
but it is separated for next year and this year... the stuff i plan on burning first has been uncovered since last nov!! its about 2.5 cds and i just keep looking at it because yes you see it wet but as soon as it doesn't rain for a day you can see it dry...what a dummy i am gotta get it covered as i will prolly start using it pretty soon and we have chance of rain everyday this week!!

damn, started raining before i got it covered now gotta let it dry

 

[bmwloco]

I have access to loads of oak pallets at work. When I don't burn 'em, I use them for storing my wood to cure.

Plastic down on the ground, then pallets, then wood, covered by a tarp. I staple it to the top rear and drape it over the wood.

It keeps it dry, allows for air flow through the stack too.

Mind you, in the summer, I'm very mindful of where I reach anywhere near the stack. We have snakes. I "rescued" and released two copperheads two years ago.

I've never found "mom". Yeesh!

 

[eba1225]

I cover all stacks, on the top not the sides, event those that are slated for the 2010-2011 season. Figure the more I can keep them dry the better it will be.

 

[branchburner]

I like to cover tops only, with old roofing tin. If I remember it, and I'm not feeling too lazy, I'll take off the covering when we're supposed to get a long sunny spell. And then, if I remember it, and I'm not feeling too lazy, I'll take put the covering back on when we're supposed to get a long rainy/snowy spell. Only trouble with this plan is, I'm getting more lazy and forgetful all the time.

 

[LLigetfa]

Any rain that falls on the wood in summer is no big deal as most of it just runs off. Very little of it ever soaks in. That said though, around here it seems we get a lot of rain in the fall that turns to ice and uncovered wood ends up sheeted in ice and snow.

I get my wood delivered in Jan/Feb/Mar when the ground is well frozen so the truck doesn't tear up the yard. I also buy winter cut wood that hasn't been dragged through the mud. I buck it up right away so that it can start drying through the end grain. Come spring, I split it all and loose pile it uncovered to dry all summer. Summertime, I just drink beer... I really hate to sweat. In the fall, I stack it tightly in my woodshed to enjoy all winter.

 

[Girl]

09-10 will be delivered early January. I throw a tarp over it, but don't fret over how perfectly covered it is.

 

[jpl1nh]

Water is wood's enemy. Dry wood virtually never decays. I top cover all my wood. When it's seasoned, it goes in my wood sheds.

 

[branchburner]

Water is wood's enemy. Dry wood virtually never decays. I top cover all my wood.

Exactly. I suspect my 1720 cape would not have held up very well without a roof. I don't expect any of my wood piles to be around for 300 years, but drier is better.

If I want to boil water, I use a tea kettle, not a log.

 

[Ken45]

Water is wood's enemy. Dry wood virtually never decays. I top cover all my wood. When it's seasoned, it goes in my wood sheds.

Not totally correct. I have heard of loggers storing logs underwater for long periods to prevent decay. They have even recovered logs sunk in the early 1900's and turned them into lumber.

What really causes decay is a damp, air rich environment, which is typical of many unprotected wood piles.

Ken

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Ya- they have recovered lumber that came off sunken vessels in fresh water and it's perfectly fine after many decades. It's pretty surprising. However- the point that our wood piles will rot if rained on for longer periods is pretty valid.

 

[Valhalla]

Since we are trying to season our wood fuel, that is to reduce the moisture content,
it is only common sense to control any new and added moisture.

I cover the top of my stacks to keep the direct snow, snow melt and rain off of them.
As they season, I bring the covers further down the sides. Still maintaining sufficient air circulation.

Then, later on to move the seasoned wood into the shed, etc.

 

[Pagey]

I have access to loads of oak pallets at work. When I don't burn 'em, I use them for storing my wood to cure.

Plastic down on the ground, then pallets, then wood, covered by a tarp. I staple it to the top rear and drape it over the wood.

It keeps it dry, allows for air flow through the stack too.

Mind you, in the summer, I'm very mindful of where I reach anywhere near the stack. We have snakes. I "rescued" and released two copperheads two years ago.

I've never found "mom". Yeesh!

I must have stepped on "mom". This happened August 2nd 2008 around 8:10PM on the Cumberland Plateau in Middle TN. Yes, it hurt. Yes, I was stupid, wore flip flops, and didn't have a light when I was tossing out a watermelon rind.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

nice! Looks like you got a good dose of love along with it. yiehh!

 

[Pagey]

I wasn't really sure what to expect when it happened, but needless to say I was pretty darned nervous on the ride to the ER. Swelled up till it felt like it was going to pop. Got some pain meds and sent home after 7 hours. Turns out you don't get anti-venom for copperhead bites. They're apparently not that toxic.

 

[Pagey]

did you do anything to attempt to remove venom? I carry an Extractor when Im out in the field.

No. Called the wife (a nurse) on her cell, as she was gone, and she said to get her dad to drive me to the closest ER. From what I understood, attempting to extract the venom is not necessarily recommended? But that was a long night, so I could have easily misunderstood.

 

[btj1031]

Yowser. That looks like about as much fun as rolling in dog poop.

 

[paulie]

Cover the top any way, let air/wind flow through it all year, but why let it get all full of snow ice and rain??? I beleive it will season that much qiucker if it isn't packed with snow and ice for 6 mos

 

[Gooserider]

Just wondering is it ok to stove wood in an unfinished basement? We have about 500 square feet of nothing in our basement, could we not store our dry wood there?

Noticed this question from back on page one hadn't been answered...

Wood in basements is a problematic item - it can work fine, it can also cause serious problems. Depends on the climate, the wood, and the basement.

Unseasoned wood contains a great deal of moisture, which has to escape - if the basement is not well ventilated the wood can rot, turn into a fungus farm (and also get fungus growing in your house structural members) and cause mold / mildew problems in the house. Seasoned wood is less of a problem in this regard, but can still be an issue.

A pretty fair percentage of firewood contains extra residents - termites, carpenter ants, assorted boring bugs, worms, etc... Not a lot of reported issues, but there is a chance that they could decide to take up residence in the house wood...

There can be other issues, but these are some of the main points... Generally it seems not reccomended but some folks have it work for them. I would tend to say that if your basement is closed in and not well ventilated it probably isn't the best idea. If you have plenty of ventilation, it might be worth a try.

Gooserider