Leaving wood uncovered for the winter?

[Woody5506]

So during the winter, you would cover the wood that you dont plan on burning this winter? Wood that might be burned the following year or even the year after?

Yes but this year's wood would be the priority. I think I worded what I meant a bit wrong. I will top cover what will be burned this fall/winter, and whatever else I will use immediately after with the tarps I have left over. Can't cover it all unless I go out and buy more tarps which I'm not going to do and at that point it's just way too many feet of wood stacks to tarp.

 

[weatherguy]

I got way ahead on wood with a huge oak score, the last 2 cords were left uncovered for 4 years and was partly punky. Since then I stack and cover.

 

[maple1]

IMO getting the wood well off the ground can play almost as big a part.

I stack on pallets, and the pallets are on concrete blocks. So there's a good 6" of airspace underneath. If stacking on grass etc., even more important. That stuff is constantly spitting out moisture. Well drained gravel would be better.

 

[peakbagger]

Hmmm interesting. Where are you located in NH? I'm in Southern NH in Hudson. Wood the would dry out again once the weather got nicer or did it stay punky?

I am up north of Mt Washington. Sure if we have real dry summer it will dry out but it will take longer overall to dry. You also need to factor in leaves, if they fall on top of the pile and get in the crevices they slow down air circulation and encourage rot.

Forgive the rant but poorly dried wood is far and above the biggest issue new and some long term owners have, if someone came and stole 1/3 to 1/2 of their woodpile they would be looking to shoot someone but they voluntarily are losing 1/2 to 1/3 of their heating content up the stack as water vapor and creosote. Get the wood off the ground and some sort of overhanging cover on top and you will be far ahead.

 

[heavy hammer]

I'm two to three years ahead. I'm not against top covering I just have never done it. I just try and keep my stacks in the best spot for sun and wind that is available. For mr keeping it off the ground seems to be the most important.

 

[maple1]

I'll throw my third most important wood stacking detail in here too. Orientation of stacks. (Aside from being in an exposed area to start with).

Aside from top cover & getting it off the ground, try to orient your stacks so prevailing winds blow at the end of the stack, as opposed to the side of the stack which would be the ends of your wood. That way wet won't get blown into the stack, the wet only hits the small surface area that is the stack end. You could even run your top cover down over that end if you wanted. The wind across the split ends will still draw the wet out. I have a stack going the opposite way around my yard, there is really difference in how wet each gets in a wet event & how dry each looks afterwards and how long it takes or doesn't for that to happen. Sometimes when it's raining the ends of my wood still look dry, in the stacks that are running the 'right' way.

Of course, 'prevailing' doesn't mean 'always', so there will be events where it won't matter.

 

[Woody5506]

With my property lot, I cannot really take into consideration the orientation of my stacks based on prevailing wind direction, but I do agree it makes a big difference. I have a small facecord stack at my family's cottage which is facing east and gets a lot of wind and sun besides the west wind. It's amazing how much faster that wood has seasoned in just one year compared to everything at my house, which has a pretty shaded lot. With limited space I have to keep things as organized as possible.

 

[Slocum]

I try to cover everything but I’m doing a test this year. I have honey locust that was css in January. I have some in ibc totes covered, some uncovered, a cord in my pole barn that is very hot all summer, and a cord in my Quonset hut. All of the wood is off the ground. I’m looking forward to checking it all with the moisture meter. I’m curious as to which is going to dry the fastest.


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