My wood is NEVER gonna dry

[Noah]

I just got my moisture meter in the mail today and as I suspected my wood isn't ready. It averaged about 30% in the middle of the splits. I had it stacked in the worst place though, the east side of my house where it's like a dark damp cave because I had nowhere else to stack it. Right now I'm in the process of moving it to the gravel pad I just put in that will eventually be the home of the new wood shed. Since I have minimal space I have to stack the wood pretty high, like 8 feet. I''l post pictures of the growing wall of splits later.

I hope the next two months are nice and sunny so that wood gets as dry as possible.

 

[iceman]

I just got my moisture meter in the mail today and as I suspected my wood isn't ready. It averaged about 30% in the middle of the splits. I had it stacked in the worst place though, the east side of my house where it's like a dark damp cave because I had nowhere else to stack it. Right now I'm in the process of moving it to the gravel pad I just put in that will eventually be the home of the new wood shed. Since I have minimal space I have to stack the wood pretty high, like 8 feet. I''l post pictures of the growing wall of splits later.

I hope the next two months are nice and sunny so that wood gets as dry as possible.

where did you get it?

 

[Jay777]

I just split a big chunk of my "seasoned" wood, and I didn't need my (not yet arrived in the mail) moisture meter to tell me that it was very moist. Sigh. The outer half-inch or so was grey..

As a slight change of topic, if I want to stack some wood on my driveway, do I still need to raise it on a pallet or equivalent?

 

[OilNoMore]

Someone in an earlier post mentioned putting down mulch or bark to keep the mud from splattering up. That sounds logical. I was thinking of putting down pea-stone but I know the snowblower will end up spitting those out. Anyone have any thoughts on which would stick/freeze to the ground better--mulch or stone--in the winter? I can't see either really doing damage to the snowblower, I just don't want to end up blowing stone or mulch over the rest of the yard, though in such a case the mulch seems the better option. Any thoughts/opinions/experiences appreciated.

 

[skinnykid]

I a sposed to be ordering some Tri-pack to fix my driveway before snow fly. Hopefully I will have a little extra and I will spread it where I stack my wood.

Tri-pack has many names but basically it is 3 different soil types and when mixed together and spread on the ground, after a rain it hardens and is sposed to stay put.

 

[iceman]

where do you guys get these moisture readers and what are they called .... h depot search= nothing and harbor freight search =nothing
thanks

 

[begreen]

I did a search on Amazon for moisture meters and got quite a long list. Many of these are pro units, but there are some bargain units too.

http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=553270

 

[skinnykid]

Covered some of my piles with the available tarps that I had. Here are some pics. Tell me what you guys think.

THIS one I am not sure I like how it is covered.

Here is another

And another

And some more stacks that I gotta get some smaller tarps for.

P.S. As I was snapping these photos, I could hear some Big thunder coming in from the west!!

 

[JPapiPE]

Beautiful job. Only a wood lover could appreciate the sweat and labor that you have spent on this collection.Did you have help or is this "Man's Work" in your family? I did like the little detail of the 2 gas cans ...one must 2 cycle gas and the other must chain oil. Whats with the very dark colored wood at the bottom of one of your piles? Seems it must be more seasoned than the top coarses of firewood. Wouldn't you keep your most seasoned wood at the top of the pile making it more handy, unless you have so much seasoned wood thats it's not an issue? What a hard won luxury. I hope to be where you are in a year or 2.
Thanks for the photos, I really do enjoy photos of a person that takes pride in his work.

 

[skinnykid]

Nope, I did the work alone. the small can is 2 cycle gas and the big one is just gas.

the darker pieces of wood at the bottom are muddy and wet from all the hard rains we have gotten this summer. Notice in the pics there are now pieces of lumber around the stacks. Trying to prevent the water and mud from jumping up any more.

 

[dsil]

Had my pile uncovered most of the day yesterday, and again today. Looking like I better cover it again, more heavy rain tonight. Looking at the radar, coming right through NH as usual. I blame NH for all of it.

 

[skinnykid]

you can blame us! How do you think it is here. it has down poured so much this summer.


I cover mine just in time!! we had hail yesterday. I gotta buy more tarps.

 

[JPapiPE]

This is the first day without rain in Maine , which falls mainly on the plain, in 10 days and the sun is shining and already I have seen my wood start to dry as there is now evidence of end checking again . My grass is 10" tall but I have been otherwise engaged. Have no fear, the weather will clear, and the wood that we hold so dear will dry. All our worries will fade into glories when we sit in front of our fire, while the rest of the population considers the situation dire, and we shall be the ones that inspire...others to live green.

Sorry, couldn't stop myself once i got going, but I did stop after the 2nd line ...so be grateful
Fun to be Living in such Tumultous times, Joe

 

[iceman]

This is the first day without rain in Maine , which falls mainly on the plain, in 10 days and the sun is shining and already I have seen my wood start to dry as there is now evidence of end checking again . My grass is 10" tall but I have been otherwise engaged. Have no fear, the weather will clear, and the wood that we hold so dear will dry. All our worries will fade into glories when we sit in front of our fire, while the rest of the population considers the situation dire, and we shall be the ones that inspire...others to live green.

Sorry, couldn't stop myself once i got going, but I did stop after the 2nd line ...so be grateful
Fun to be Living in such Tumultous times, Joe

that was nice but its raining again..............
so i am hoping sept will be dry

 

[iceman]

Covered some of my piles with the available tarps that I had. Here are some pics. Tell me what you guys think.

THIS one I am not sure I like how it is covered.

Here is another

And another

And some more stacks that I gotta get some smaller tarps for.

P.S. As I was snapping these photos, I could hear some Big thunder coming in from the west!!

hey you got enough wood???? i am jealous..... it looks good

 

[skinnykid]

thanks iceman, honestly, I hope I do have enough.

 

[Todd]

Hey, what happened to all those guys that use to say how rain helps suck the moisture out of the wood? Haven't heard a peep out of them yet.

 

[skinnykid]

hahahahahahahahahahahahaaha

 

[skinnykid]

just checked the wood after a long heavy rain storm (shocked) to see if my tarps help up well.

they did pretty good except for a couple spots where the water ran off the tarps onto to pieces half way down the stacks.

i have an idea for a fix. Tomorrow I will go to Dollar Bills discount world for more tarps and other odds and ends to cover my piles.

Well that is if I feel like wrestling some cloths on the kids and getting them into the truck!

 

[mainemxz]

Skinnykid, i would find some gas caps or sandwich baggies for those gas cans. nothing says love like a pile of water in your fuel tank, especially in the winter when it freezes at the most opportune time. Dont ask me how i know this.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Freaking frog strangling rain yesterday. I had uncovered my wood, and then BOOM. Lightning really close to the house as well.

 

[skinnykid]

Skinnykid, i would find some gas caps or sandwich baggies for those gas cans. nothing says love like a pile of water in your fuel tank, especially in the winter when it freezes at the most opportune time. Dont ask me how i know this.

they are both empty right now.

 

[Noah]

I just got my moisture meter in the mail today and as I suspected my wood isn't ready. It averaged about 30% in the middle of the splits. I had it stacked in the worst place though, the east side of my house where it's like a dark damp cave because I had nowhere else to stack it. Right now I'm in the process of moving it to the gravel pad I just put in that will eventually be the home of the new wood shed. Since I have minimal space I have to stack the wood pretty high, like 8 feet. I''l post pictures of the growing wall of splits later.

I hope the next two months are nice and sunny so that wood gets as dry as possible.

where did you get it?

Ebay for $15 from some place in Hong Kong. It has a digital display and reads from 5% to 40% and it works well enough to confirm what I already knew.

 

[woodconvert]

Iceman, just curious, your pics seem to show your wood in a somewhat shady area. Does your wood usually dry good there?. Seems to me you'd want it more out in the open, maximum wind and sun exposure. I'm not singling you out BTW. I've noticed many pics posted where they wood seems to be stacked under trees and i've always wondered how the stuff dried.

 

[skinnykid]

are you talking about my pics that iceman quoted??

if so, yes they are stacked under trees. I have limited place to stack seeing on how most my yard is all frontage. small cleared back area before it turns into thick woods(very shady)

One side of my house would make it a pain to get the wood into the house and the other side is open but has over hanging tree and I wanted to keep the stacks away from the house (critters)

this is my first year burning and didn't think it all the way through. I will do it different next season.