To Cover or Not to Cover, That is the Question!

[blowell]

I have about six cords of freshly split wood (and more getting split every weekend I can). The wood was cut in early July of this year. I have stacked the wood relatively tight - not in the long island fashion. It is stacked on pallets on top of a concrete paddock under quite abit of deciduous cover - the best I can do at this point. The wood gets part sun about half the day, and some wind, but not alot. Most of the wood is red oak, with some white oak and hickory.

My question is the topic title - to cover or not to cover (with poly tarp)? The wood is currently covered, and I expect the wood to season for two years. During this time, should I leave it covered or not. A friend of mine who burns alot of wood says that I should leave the piles uncovered.

I am not covering and uncovering as we get rain - just don't have the inclination to do so. So, any advice from our community here would be very welcome.

 

[oldspark]

I only cover mine after it has seasoned to protect it from the elements of the winter, you will have a split descion on this subject.

 

[Wood Duck]

I suggest you do not cover. You'll get better air movement without a tarp, your wood should drain just fine, so rain isn't a big concern in my opinion, and it will look better without a tarp. The only way I'd cover is if I had a rigid cover (such as metal roofing) to place over the top leaving plenty of air space under the cover. I think air movement is more important than keeping rain off the wood, so uncovered is better. Like almost everyone else, I have never tried it both ways in a side-by-side comparison, so I don't really know which will work better.

 

[oldspark]

I guess I should have added, the wood I cover is wood I plan on using that winter, if it is seasoned and I am not going to use it that winter it stays uncovered.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

We usually leave the wood uncovered the first summer and fall (we split usually in April) and then cover the top only before the snow flies or if we have an unusually wet fall. In your case where you know you won't be using for 2 years you should be okay to leave the top covered as long as you don't cover the sides or ends. I surely would not go through the cover, uncover, cover, uncover thing. Rather than that I would just leave it one way or the other.

Also, tarps are a very poor way of covering wood piles.

 

[blowell]

Thank you all for the feedback.

As for the tarps being poor covers, could you recommend another type of cover? Thank you!

 

[BrotherBart]

Thank you all for the feedback.

As for the tarps being poor covers, could you recommend another type of cover? Thank you!

The best is EPDM rubber roofing. But it is very, very expensive. Well, maybe not compared to replacing torn up tarps every year but...

If there is a roofing company around sometimes you can the the used scrap EPDM free from a re-roofing job where they had to strip the old roof off.

 

[blowell]

Thank you, BrotherBart. Your're right - I would have to find someone willing to donate. I just checked the prices for EPDM online - yikes!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Contrary to our friend BB, I used that roofing on one stack of wood and did not like it that well. I use old galvanized roofing and it works like a charm. Here is a picture of an old wood pile.

 

[BrotherBart]

I looked for old metal roofing for twenty years around here and found enough to cover a half cord one time. After I discovered EPDM I was in heaven. The stuff is a portable wood shed.

 

[blowell]

Thank you Mr. Savage. I need to find something else. I pulled the tarps off two days ago, and my kid asked me about the smell - the tarps really stunk. Just had the tarps over the tops - about three weeks or so. I was surprised.

 

[blowell]

Also, I must say, I love posts with pictures.

 

[ggans]

I put pallets on top, I use the light weak kind, they fit well since there on the bottom too. I then put cardboard on the tops of the pallets to provide a soft cushion,and support, on that I put a plastic sheet like you would use for painting, very cheep. On top of that I lay slabwood or old decking I get from CL. First time doing this so I'll have to see how it holds up over the winter. Keeps dry and allows good airflow..

 

[BrotherBart]

Further to the tarp conversation. If you are going to use tarps put sheets of cardboard under them. It helps keep the rough wood from shredding the tarps so badly.

 

[blowell]

I'd rather split and stack. This covering busineess is a real bummer.

 

[BrotherBart]

Covering is like putting your baby to bed.

Well, it is if you are a wood heating nut. :coolcheese:

 

[blowell]

Good metaphor!

 

[joefrompa]

I've been uncovered for about a month now, and we've had probably 6-7 days of nice rains. Good heavy stuff. All of the exposed pieces are dry to the touch within 24 hours, if not sooner. By 48 hours, the pile doesn't even look like it had seen rain for months.

Then again, this might be newly split wood but I swear it's almost all below 30% moisture - there is never a sign of sap splitting it, it looks very dry/white inside, and it feels like fairly old wood with some cracking going on on the ends at least.


Anyhoo, since lots of people don't cover and don't seem to ever have any real problems (unless snow/ice gets into the wood pile), then I think it's good enough for me!

 

[oldspark]

I think it makes more sense to cover multiple rows of wood as it get wet in the middle and stays wet for ever, single rows dry out much quicker.

 

[Tony H]

I leave all the wood uncovered until late fall when I cover only the wood I am planning to use this season .

 

[Got Wood]

I think it makes more sense to cover multiple rows of wood as it get wet in the middle and stays wet for ever, single rows dry out much quicker.

That makes sense to me

 

[firefighterjake]

What works for me . . .

Year 1: Wood is bucked, split and stacked and left uncovered . . left to suffer in the cold, snow and rain . . . but by the time I get ready to move the wood it is nice and dry.

Year 2: Wood is moved under cover into the woodshed . . . left to season under cover for another year.

Year 3: Wood is wicked dry and burns well.


If I did not have a woodshed I would leave my wood uncovered until I was ready to start the burning season and then I would just cover the top.

 

[blowell]

Thanks everyone. I gotta get a woodshed - I like firefighter jake's method.

 

[blowell]

I mean - I gotta BUILD a woodshed.

 

[NH_Wood]

So.....here is my question. Would love to just leave my wood uncovered. This year's wood is in the barn - I have 3 years more on pallets. What about all the leaves getting in the stacks? I figures that once the leaves fall and the stacks get full, the leaves will get wet and hold a lot of moisture in the stacks. What do you all think? Cheers!