Covering The Wood

[oldspark]

Most of you must not ever get that sideways freezing rain. If I didn't cover in the winter I would have to chip off half an inch of ice at times.

gg

Yep thats why I cover mine sides and all before the first snow, I was digging wood out of the snow last winter and at least most of it was dry.

ma nature sez= a totally covered pile will be colder on top than at the bottom, then the moisture from the ground will migrate from warmer to colder, thru the woodpile

Oldspark says been doing it this way for ever and it works for me, no moisture problem what so ever except for snow that blows under tarp in blizzards.

 

[Smokey Bear]

Here's how I do it . . . in keeping with Soupy's "rules" for this thread.

First year . . . wood is cut, split and stacked outside. Left uncovered, but up on pallets to season for a year or so.

Second year . . . wood goes into the woodshed . . . but isn't used unless Hell freezes over and I run out of my primo wood . . . although this hasn't happened yet.

Third year . . . I take out each piece of wood and fondly recall our time together . . . from the time I cut down the tree to the last moment we shared as I gingerly stacked it in the woodshed . . . and then I unceremoniously toss it into the Oslo and enjoy the heat.

Couldn't have said it better myself. There's only one difference between me and you Jake, I place the log in the stove like a loaf of freshly risen bread !!

 

[firefighterjake]

Here's how I do it . . . in keeping with Soupy's "rules" for this thread.

First year . . . wood is cut, split and stacked outside. Left uncovered, but up on pallets to season for a year or so.

Second year . . . wood goes into the woodshed . . . but isn't used unless Hell freezes over and I run out of my primo wood . . . although this hasn't happened yet.

Third year . . . I take out each piece of wood and fondly recall our time together . . . from the time I cut down the tree to the last moment we shared as I gingerly stacked it in the woodshed . . . and then I unceremoniously toss it into the Oslo and enjoy the heat.

Couldn't have said it better myself. There's only one difference between me and you Jake, I place the log in the stove like a loaf of freshly risen bread !!

OK, truth be told I too gingerly place the splits and rounds in the stove . . . don't want to bash the baffles or accidentally strike the glass . . . I just took some poetic license since I thought it sounded better describing how I carefully handle the wood until that final moment when I am rough with it . . . when the truth is I'm just a big ol' teddy bear who still handles the wood gently even at the very end . . . thought truthfully it has more to do with not wanting to damage the stove than being gentle with the wood.

 

[oldspark]

Putting wood in the stove like a loaf of bread in the oven describes it very well.

 

[Smokey Bear]

Putting the wood in the stove is just the perfect end to a long journey!

 

[pyroclayman]

I can tell you that a lot depends on where you live. I lived for 12 years in Northern Virginia, and the annual rainfall, snowfall and average relative humidity were all vastly higher than out here where I live now in the central Oregon high desert. In Virginia, I always covered the tops of stacks for seasoning. Here where I live now, I just don't see the need. Yeah, the wood gets some rain and some snow on it from time to time over the course of a couple of years, but before it goes into the shed in the summertime before burning season, all that superficial moisture is long gone, and the wood's ready to go. Like so many other things, it's got a lot to do with your location and the prevailing conditions. Rick

I assume that you, as almost all central Oregonions do, are talking about lodgepole pine. It's sure handy how this stuff cure up in one summer.

 

[ChillyGator]

Most of you must not ever get that sideways freezing rain. If I didn't cover in the winter I would have to chip off half an inch of ice at times.

gg

Never worry about the ice and snow...life's just too short!

 

[Skier76]

I probably won't throw the cover on until the snow flies. Even then, it's just to make life easier when I have to get wood from the stacks to refill the wood cribs next to the house.