Covering the wood .........what’s the worst case?

[firefighterjake]

Jake, I use a 2-wheeled cart for hauling the wood to the porch. Even when the snow gets deep I don't get snow in the cart of if so, it is so little it isn't worth mentioning. I agree that the worst is if you cover the wood with a tarp. That can be a bit interesting. With the old roofing we use, I just slide the roofing a bit, get the wood and slide the roofing back in place. But this year I won't because I've put 3 cord inside our new barn.

I guess my point was all about that covering of the SIDES of the wood pile. Rain nor snow just will not hurt that wood in the least.

Agreed . . . very little snow or ice adheres to the side of the wood . . . and what little is there is easily knocked off . . . that said . . . a woodshed is still the cat's meow.

 

[oldspark]

I have to disagree with you backwoods on this one, 50 mph wind driven snow makes a mess out of my wood pile and the tarps limit the mess, so once again not everyone does it the same way (I think you made that statement a while back) and what works for you may not work for me and vice versa.

 

[Battenkiller]

I have to say, I'm in a band that sees both lake effect snow storms and nor'easters all the time. We get some very nasty, wind-driven snow, huge drifts at times. Once about 10 years ago, the snow was all the way up my basement door, except for a little triangle of light that was showing through the at the top. My wood is stacked right next to that door, so needless to say it was under three feet of snow. But once I got that snow cleared out, the wood stack was bare on top within a day or two, and the sides looked just like Dennis' photo. And I never cover my wood with anything.

I'll take that back. If I get a couple cord dropped off in wintertime and have to leave it in a big heap-hausen for several days, I tarp it really well. Nothing to make you want to give up burning faster than clearing out a mess of solidified ice and snow in that instance.

 

[quads]

I stack my wood all over the place, up to a mile from home for many stacks, directly on the ground and never covered. After 3-5 years, if I haven't sold it already, it goes into the stove. I keep one month's worth on the porch during the heating season. Once a month, I spend a couple hours out in the snow hauling the next month's worth of wood up to the porch. I simply reach into the snowpile and pull out splits, clunking them together as needed to knock the snow off. Any ice or moisture that is left on the wood is long gone by the time it gets to the stove. Or, if some remains, within seconds of chucking it in the stove the moisture goes POOF and it's gone. Here is a picture of the woodstack that I was using wood from a couple years ago, under a snowdrift. I am actually glad that I didn't have to fight with tarps etc. to get to the wood under there! Just reached in and pulled it out. Whatever snow fell down in the path got blown away by the blower:

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Hey quads, I just knew you'd jump in on this one.

Here is a man who never covers his wood and gets along just fine. Well, he does cover it with snow....

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I have to disagree with you backwoods on this one, 50 mph wind driven snow makes a mess out of my wood pile and the tarps limit the mess, so once again not everyone does it the same way (I think you made that statement a while back) and what works for you may not work for me and vice versa.

You are correct. Different strokes for different folks.

btw, we too get those winds here but it matters not with the wood stacks.

 

[OhioBurner©]

I've had to beat chuncks with other chunks to get them un froze... and then sometimez to no luck until I get out the sledge hammer. Now I agree its not REQUIRED just saying I have experienced the 'mess' since I dont cover. When you get a ton of crap stuck and frozen on it makes a bigger mess in the house when it thaws too. I dotn like going outside in the cold, I keep about 2 weeks worth inside next to the stove. My dad tells me to cover, he always covers his stacks. I try to tell him otherwise but one of the many things in which he is stuck in his ways. He also says its a bad idea to burn really dry wood so go figure. He says the best mix is 2 pieces of year old wood to 1 piece or wood cut in the fall... it works for him for how many years so who am I to tell him different lol. Infact Ijust told him last week I was getting wood for next year, he's like "you dont go by that old wife's tale you need to get wood a whole year ahead of time do you". :shut:

 

[oldspark]

I have to disagree with you backwoods on this one, 50 mph wind driven snow makes a mess out of my wood pile and the tarps limit the mess, so once again not everyone does it the same way (I think you made that statement a while back) and what works for you may not work for me and vice versa.

You are correct. Different strokes for different folks.

btw, we too get those winds here but it matters not with the wood stacks.

I travel for my job part of the time so I have to keep ahead of the wood thing, do not want to take wet wood into the house as it does not dry in the unheated garage that quick so covering the wood gives me dry wood if I need it, usually I have enough to get through the wet wood thing but do not want to deal with wet wood. After 30 years of burning there are certain things you do to stay ahead and covering the wood is one of those.

 

[Jags]

Hey Quads, just stick that blower into the pile and let it load the trailer for ya. :lol:

 

[quads]

Hey Quads, just stick that blower into the pile and let it load the trailer for ya. :lol:

Accidentally did once! It's hard to see where snow ends and wood starts sometimes. Bent one of those auger things......