My shady wood lot

[Kenster]

There is large clearing in the three acres of woods just behind our house where I do my cutting, splitting and stacking. There is a fairly thin tree line that blocks the view of the area from the house, and then thick woods behind it. The wind still blows through it pretty well and it gets direct sunlight for a few hours in mid day. My Bride prefers that I keep the wood back there, out of her sight. I know it would be better if I stacked the wood out in the open where it would get lots of wind and sun. But do you think it's really bad to keep it stacked in the woods? A large water oak trunk that I split and stacked back there last winter has dried beautifully with no hit of mold or fungus. Punky wood, however, just seems to get punkier. Some hickory that is stacked back there has blown it's bark but the wood still looks really good.

I may attempt a compromise with the Bride and have one year's worth of wood out in the sun and wind. We have about 2.5 acres around the house so there is plenty of room to place it out of direct view. We burn not much more than a cord a year in our VC Vigillant 1977. If it's not cold enough for a fire, we just don't heat the house. Have rarely turned on the central heat in several years.

Your thoughts are appreciated.

Ken in Bellville, TX

 

[billb3]

My stacks are in the woods.
Otherwise they'd have to be on the front lawn.

A small supply near the house sounds ideal to me as that's more or less what I have.

You probably have to go get some extra in February the night before a blizzard less often than I.

 

[Kenster]

My stacks are in the woods.
Otherwise they'd have to be on the front lawn.

A small supply near the house sounds ideal to me as that's more or less what I have.

You probably have to go get some extra in February the night before a blizzard less often than I.

Bill, do you find that your stacks in the woods season more slowly or getting moldy, etc?

 

[wendell]

Wood under shade will definitely dry slower. I also have a shady lot so I am now 4 full years ahead on my wood so that it will be dry when I want to burn it.

With the heat you get down there, it will probably speed up your drying time which is probably equally offset by your humidity. ;-)

 

[Backwoods Savage]

There is large clearing in the three acres of woods just behind our house where I do my cutting, splitting and stacking. There is a fairly thin tree line that blocks the view of the area from the house, and then thick woods behind it. The wind still blows through it pretty well and it gets direct sunlight for a few hours in mid day. My Bride prefers that I keep the wood back there, out of her sight. I know it would be better if I stacked the wood out in the open where it would get lots of wind and sun. But do you think it's really bad to keep it stacked in the woods? A large water oak trunk that I split and stacked back there last winter has dried beautifully with no hit of mold or fungus. Punky wood, however, just seems to get punkier. Some hickory that is stacked back there has blown it's bark but the wood still looks really good.

I may attempt a compromise with the Bride and have one year's worth of wood out in the sun and wind. We have about 2.5 acres around the house so there is plenty of room to place it out of direct view. We burn not much more than a cord a year in our VC Vigillant 1977. If it's not cold enough for a fire, we just don't heat the house. Have rarely turned on the central heat in several years.

Your thoughts are appreciated.

Ken in Bellville, TX

Ken, your wood will probably be okay but still better where it gets more wind. Sun is great but wind is more important.

As for the punky wood, it will continue to get more punk no matter what you do with it. I highly doubt mold and fungus is a problem but yet I know you folks can get some very wet periods. I'd just be sure to stack it several inches off the ground so air can get under there okay. Stacking in single rows will also help.

A cord for a year's supply is not much wood so perhaps the bride will agree to that much. Good luck.

 

[Wood Duck]

I think you can make up for lack of sun and less-than-full wind by stacking loose and airy. elevate the stacks on something, and/or make the lower couple of rows looser than usual, to make sure the wood near the ground gets plenty of wind through it. Burning only a cord a year, you should be able to get a couple of year ahead, so slower drying shouldn't be a problem.

There isn't much you can do for punky wood to stop it form becoming more punky. I have some punky oak that stays completely out of the rain, and it still seems to be getting slowly worse.

 

[WNCburner]

I, too, have a shady wooded lot. I have stacked in loose single rows elevated a few inches with the stacks oriented so that the prevailing winds blow through the sides of the stacks. No rot or mold, and seasoning times are in line with what other Hearth.com members seem to be experiencing. In your situation, I would be pushing for permission to have a nice wood shed closer to the house for easier access. Lots of threads this fall showing pictures of members' wood sheds, maybe you can find something you both can live with.

 

[woodjack]

Stack loosely, and if you want to go the extra step cover the top.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

Let it get cold in the house, when the Mrs. starts complaining about lack of heat, you complain that it's too far to get the wood. Before long you'll have 2 cords on the front porch.

Problem solved :coolsmirk:

 

[billb3]

My stacks are in the woods.
Otherwise they'd have to be on the front lawn.

A small supply near the house sounds ideal to me as that's more or less what I have.

You probably have to go get some extra in February the night before a blizzard less often than I.

Bill, do you find that your stacks in the woods season more slowly or getting moldy, etc?

Not so sure about seasoning more slowly.
Do get a bit of fungi, but mold isn't too bad, but I try to keep a top or roof on the stacks, keeping the sides exposed.

My stacks may be in the shade but they are on the top of a hill and get blasted with the SW winds in the Summer and the cold bitter NE winds in the Winter.
Probably wouldn't need the top covers if out in the sun as anything wet might dry up faster.

 

[Wood Duck]

I think if you can cover the tops completely, so the wood stays dry in the rain, and you can still have good air circulation, then covering might help. Incomplete coverage, leaky coverage, or anything that reduces air movement much would be worse than no cover.

 

[Markyboy]

I have all my wood stored in a heavy wooded area and really do not see a noticeable increase in seasoning time. I have several cords of white oak that measure 20% after 14 months of being split and stacked. Perhaps the trees are protecting the stacks from daily dew, condensation, rain etc... My cherry and ash, which were standing dead, take about 7 months to break the 20% barrier.

 

[firefighterjake]

I stack my wood off to the side in the woods . . . no issues . . . then again I'm also a few years ahead on the wood supply.

 

[woodjack]

...... Incomplete coverage, leaky coverage, ....... would be worse than no cover.

Why is that?

 

[Adios Pantalones]

...... Incomplete coverage, leaky coverage, ....... would be worse than no cover.

Why is that?

Because it lets water in, but slows the water from evaporating and reduces wind/sun drying.

 

[woodjack]

...... Incomplete coverage, leaky coverage, ....... would be worse than no cover.

Why is that?

Because it lets water in, but slows the water from evaporating and reduces wind/sun drying.

That's true. You definitely don't want to trap moisture in your wood piles.
I have small leaks in some of my covers and find that if the wood piles are aired well (covered just on top) the little water that drips in barely has any effect. Overall, my woodpiles are drier than if I left them exposed.

 

[Kenster]

I think I'm convinced to leave most of my stash back in the woods. I like working back there. I have a bunch of good pallets that I stack on. I will start bringing out a years worth and stacking it out in the sun and wind. A year out in the open should be equal to two or three in the woods. I have potentially five or six years worth of wood waiting for me to haul in once my ankle gets a little stronger--another week or so. And, as of today, I have another new source! A neighbor down the road, once she found out that I "do wood," told me that she'll start calling me when they take a tree down, or when one comes down on it's own, instead of having it hauled away. This will fresh, green wood, not standing or down and dead. Poor folks! They have a gas fireplace.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Kenster, if you have 5-6 years worth of wood, you won't have to worry about stacking them in the open. It will be dry by the time you are ready to burn. Just cover the tops. We like to use old galvanized roofing for that job as it works really great.

 

[woodjack]

dup post

 

[Kenster]

Kenster, if you have 5-6 years worth of wood, you won't have to worry about stacking them in the open. It will be dry by the time you are ready to burn. Just cover the tops. We like to use old galvanized roofing for that job as it works really great.

There are several old, fallen down barns in the area with corrugated metal roofs. I wonder if I can talk the owners into letting me remove that metal....