Purpose built polytunnel orientated 90 degree to prevailing wind with no doors either end and sloping roof for ventilation of moist air without fans. Wood stored in IBC containers either 100 or 150 containers per tunnel depending on whether normal D shaped tunnel or straight sided.
How do you stack?
- Thread starter Berner
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Purpose built polytunnel orientated 90 degree to prevailing wind with no doors either end and sloping roof for ventilation of moist air without fans. Wood stored in IBC containers either 100 or 150 containers per tunnel depending on whether normal D shaped tunnel or straight sided.
loose for drying, tight for buying. Thats my motto. I stack on pressure treated 4X4 s laid parallel on the ground. I have gotten away from pallets as they seem to rot down. I point my rows east-west to allow even sun baking as well as air circulation.
I thought that these passive solar arrangements were proven to not speed wood drying as compared with outdoor stacks. The tradeoff of temperature vs. lots of air flow is, supposedly, not a good one. I would assume that it might make things dry a bit in the winter, but not in the summer.
Billybonfire
Feeling the Heat
Dry wood is dry wood I guess however it is achieved, personally I would rather stack outside and let the wind do its job.
I think it would dry better in a greenhouse with proper adjustable ventilation than a polytunnel with no ends, after all water cannot escape through plastic and air flow is surely restricted by 100-150 crates of wood stacked inside.
I dont see how a polytunnel could be described as a kiln, but do see that some may pay more for the end product.
Billy.
Real solar kilns (used for lumber drying) have fans to force circulation. They also require some low openings- air will not carry away moisture if it's not moving. Look at the design of those- lumber people have tried it all.
There have been studies done with passive solar kilns. Unless something new has come along, they have not been shown to be worth the effort.
There have been studies done with passive solar kilns. Unless something new has come along, they have not been shown to be worth the effort.
Dont know where you got that idea from. Being a commercial operation we know it works. Having no doors at either end of the polytunnel makes the structure a wind tunnel and with logs being lose fill in IBC crates gives a saleable product less than 20%MC within 3-6 months. These polytunnels are dry tunnels not humid tunnels associated with growing plants.
Oh- no doors, as in "open". Assumed that meant no openings.
Its described as a kiln as in our cold summer climate max 20C with the occasional day above while the polytunnel is in the range 35C- 45C. Crates are stacked in lines 1 high 2 high 1 high so wind tunnel flows down the length of the tunnel. Water escapes by hot air rising along roof slope (ie roof not horizontal) Whatever you do dont use a greenhouse if the glass breaks on the wood your timber is worthless.
Stegman
Feeling the Heat
After bar coding the splits for species, weight, date cut, date split and date stacked I enter the info for each split into a spreadsheet.
This literally made me laugh out loud. Well, chuckle anyway.
clemsonfor
Minister of Fire
Dont think any customer of mine would appreciate wood with added slivers of glass. Greenhouse glass especially splinters with sharp edges
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