Top Covering Done Right

[billb3]

I cover my stacks for the same reasons I protect my deck wood with a rain water protectant , keep the painted trim on my house painted and cover my plywood wood roof with asphalt shingles. Wood rots and decays. From constantly wetting and drying. Stop the wetting and you stop the decaying.
Pretty freaking simple concept.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

Oh no you didn't!

I did. Should I not have?

 

[St. Coemgen]

I built a shed. Problem solved.

The best reply.

For the wood to use this year: put in a shed nearest as possible to the door nearest the stove.

The wood for next year, or the year after that, just let it weather normally. Tarps are not usually needed unless you live in a place with a great deal of late summer rains.

Drying wood is to get rid of vascular metabolic moisture from the tree when it was alive. A bit of rain and snow this year on next year's wood (stack the upper layer bark side up) will be sucked out just fine this coming summer.

 

[mass_burner]

I did. Should I not have?

Not unless you want to start a freggin war.

 

[Vikestand]

I cover my stacks for the same reasons I protect my deck wood with a rain water protectant , keep the painted trim on my house painted and cover my plywood wood roof with asphalt shingles. Wood rots and decays. From constantly wetting and drying. Stop the wetting and you stop the decaying.
Pretty freaking simple concept.

You plan on keeping your wood around as long as the trim in your house?

 

[billb3]

You plan on keeping your wood around as long as the trim in your house?

I've been 5 to 7 years ahead.
I don't burn even marginally good enough.
I take burning as clean as possible seriously.

 

[maple1]

Well I purchased 100' X 10' of black 6 mil plastic to cover my stacks. I cut it down the middle so I had 2 5' wide pieces. I top covered my loooong stack (probably 75' long) and my short stack (~20'). I stack on pallets three splits deep. That makes for pretty much exactly 5' wide front to back. I was doubtful the splits I put on top to act as paperweights would hold it down in high wind.

Well today we got high wind. And my covers blew off. The thought occurred to me last week that a nice solution might be to staple it down to the wood (with a plastic card in between so the wind wouldn't just pop the plastic right through the staple). And have staples every 2' the entire circumference. Is that a good idea? Do you have an even better idea?

You just need more wood on top, simple. No jugs, staples or rope required. I do the same as this, except 2 splits wide. One full layer of wood on top of the tarp, doesn't go anywhere.

 

[Poindexter]

There is no one beset answer here that can be applied in all the places all the registered users here live.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Well I purchased 100' X 10' of black 6 mil plastic to cover my stacks. I cut it down the middle so I had 2 5' wide pieces. I top covered my loooong stack (probably 75' long) and my short stack (~20'). I stack on pallets three splits deep. That makes for pretty much exactly 5' wide front to back. I was doubtful the splits I put on top to act as paperweights would hold it down in high wind.

Well today we got high wind. And my covers blew off. The thought occurred to me last week that a nice solution might be to staple it down to the wood (with a plastic card in between so the wind wouldn't just pop the plastic right through the staple). And have staples every 2' the entire circumference. Is that a good idea? Do you have an even better idea?

Dick Proenneke used the black plastic to cover the roof of his cabin and my folks used it to cover the pool in the winter when I was a kid, much to the neighbors chagrin. I like it and would use it if I came across any of suitable size for my stacks. My wood rots faster than I can use it if I don't cover the top, plus it keeps the debris off. I don't like the idea of stapling it to the stacks, seems like a pain to administer. I am going to try the corner weighting system that has been described here, easy on, easy off.

 

[maple1]

The problem with corner weighting, is wind can still get under in between where it's weighted. My tarping was a fail until I started simply putting a full layer of wood on top of it. I get a lot of wind though.

 

[velvetfoot]

I do the lotta wood method too. Even if some of the splits are soaking in water, the splits will dry, even if you don't use them for that season.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

The problem with corner weighting, is wind can still get under in between where it's weighted. My tarping was a fail until I started simply putting a full layer of wood on top of it. I get a lot of wind though.

Good tip. I'll add a few old bricks and flat rocks to the top. That's what i have been doing, but the edges blow up. Corner weights and top weights may just do it.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

Not unless you want to start a freggin war.

Haha! I absolutely do not. Thank you for showing me the error of my ways. Besides, the non-coverers would win because the coverers would be too busy covering and chasing their covers in the wind

 

[TheBigIron]

I use lumber tarps 20'x4' stack 2 1/2 cords on 20'x4' pallets from plastic trim boards. Staple them down with 5/8" staples. They last all winter then I uncover them for the summer and recover the next fall. These tarps are tough and have not pulled free even in the big wind storms we have been having. Best thing is they are free from my lumber yard.
View attachment 175676

Where did you purchase those tarps from?

 

[mass_burner]

Haha! I absolutely do not. Thank you for showing me the error of my ways. Besides, the non-coverers would win because the coverers would be too busy covering and chasing their covers in the wind

I'm a firm believer in top covering, bottom, side, end covering too-- it's called a shed.

 

[Gboutdoors]

Where did you purchase those tarps from?

I am a contractor road salesmen for a lumber yard here in Mass. We sell tons of a product called Kleer it is a plastic substitute for wood trim. It comes in 20' lengths so I take the pallets and the covers for wood stacking. If you check your local lumber yard I am sure they would give you the pallets and the tarps free or for a small fee.

I like being able to stack 2 1/2 cords on a pallet at a time it's neat and easy to plan out what you have and need.

 

[Seanm]

Like @Poindexter said there is no right or wrong answer because it depends on your location. I chuckle at the posters that say theres no need to top cover. Tell that to someone living in Washington or on Vancouver Island or heck to me living in the Canadian Rockies,,,, anyways.
I top cover with tarps and hate it although Im pretty good at keeping the stacks half assed dry. I just use lots of wet, crappy splits to hold them down and then in winter theres so much snow on top that they dont go anywhere. Some of my stacks are in racks that have plywood on them and that seems to work better. Ive heard the milk jug idea before and like the sounds of it but during the summer I just use rounds to hold the tarps in place.

 

[mass_burner]

Like @Poindexter said there is no right or wrong answer because it depends on your location. I chuckle at the posters that say theres no need to top cover. Tell that to someone living in Washington or on Vancouver Island or heck to me living in the Canadian Rockies,,,, anyways.
I top cover with tarps and hate it although Im pretty good at keeping the stacks half assed dry. I just use lots of wet, crappy splits to hold them down and then in winter theres so much snow on top that they dont go anywhere. Some of my stacks are in racks that have plywood on them and that seems to work better. Ive heard the milk jug idea before and like the sounds of it but during the summer I just use rounds to hold the tarps in place.

If you live in a place like you describe, why wouldn't you take a weekend and put up a simple shed. I'm no carpenter by any means, and I managed to do it.

 

[Seanm]

If you live in a place like you describe, why wouldn't you take a weekend and put up a simple shed. I'm no carpenter by any means, and I managed to do it.

I dont have the space, 50 x 110 lot with a 1300 sq ft foot print for the house plus a single attached garage (holds amongst other things 3/4 of a cord). The rest of the property is taken up by a dog kennel which is 13 x 18 (holds two racks with plywood roofs) plus a garden shed, trampoline,,, you get the idea.

 

[mass_burner]

I dont have the space, 50 x 110 lot with a 1300 sq ft foot print for the house plus a single attached garage (holds amongst other things 3/4 of a cord). The rest of the property is taken up by a dog kennel which is 13 x 18 (holds two racks with plywood roofs) plus a garden shed, trampoline,,, you get the idea.

You can't find a 4' x 8' space anywhere? Can you use the foot print of one of your stacks?

 

[Seanm]

You can't find a 4' x 8' space anywhere? Can you use the foot print of one of your stacks?

I think the key for me is to try and find a space that the wife and I can agree on. I have a spot behind this picture where our fire pit is that might be sacrificed for the better good lol. Weve been looking at buying a portable fire pit that we can move around which would free up some space but its hard to justify spending $150 on a fire pit that wont heat the house ;-). Heres a picture of the tarp covered stacks that Im not impressed with (I love the wood btus and the sweat I put into it just not the way I store it). To put it in perspective this is 3-3.5 cords, double rows, 18 inch splits of standing dead. I have a hard time figuring how to top cover all this with a shed idea. I know the practical side of it but dealing with the city can be a problem ie maximum lot coverage with structures etc. I have a client who is changing out a metal roof so I can get lots of that but how will my neighbor feel about the hail and rain noise? Anyways not the end of the world but I agree I can improve. I have bush behind my lot that I can probably store a cord but I have to make it look like a non permanent structure and it gets almost no sun. Thanks for your suggestions @mass_burner I appreciate it.

 

[firestorm]

Couple of years ago, had a friend taking down a round above ground swimming pool. He talked me into taking the metal side to use as a cover for my stacks. It works well enough I have been looking for more. A major drawback is the weight. I rool up enough to cover one row and roll it onto the front loader forks and position it on top of the end and unroll it on the row. Without the loader it would be a 2 or man job at least. As the wood is used the end falls and stays on the wood and lays on the pallets. I leave enough hanging over the end to drive a couple spikes through the metal. No problems with it staying on. But if it had to be manhandled it would be difficult.

 

[Highbeam]

I live in wet western WA and have found that top covering with plastic leads to wet wood. The water runs down the sides of the splits and keeps them wet. Farther down you go, the wetter it is. Rain doesn't just fall down it blows sideways.

Metal roofing is much better because it hangs over and extends beyond the wood. Weigh it down so the metal doesn't blow away. Still, the bottom portion of the stacks will get wet from windblown rain.

A woodshed is the answer. Only needs to be big enough for one year's wood but a shed divided in half with each half large enough for a full winter's wood is ideal. Then you can skip the lame covering issues.

 

[Jeffm1]

Well I purchased 100' X 10' of black 6 mil plastic to cover my stacks. I cut it down the middle so I had 2 5' wide pieces. I top covered my loooong stack (probably 75' long) and my short stack (~20'). I stack on pallets three splits deep. That makes for pretty much exactly 5' wide front to back. I was doubtful the splits I put on top to act as paperweights would hold it down in high wind.

Well today we got high wind. And my covers blew off. The thought occurred to me last week that a nice solution might be to staple it down to the wood (with a plastic card in between so the wind wouldn't just pop the plastic right through the staple). And have staples every 2' the entire circumference. Is that a good idea? Do you have an even better idea?

Build a woodshed.

 

[onetracker]

i top cover only for long-term outdoor storage. I tack the cover down with plastic cap nails to keep the wind from getting under it and this has worked well for me.