What material to cover wood pile with

[Backwoods Savage]

We do get the odd tornado through here and have dents and busted siding on the house from the patio furniture that took flight. I've had three fabric patio canopies mangled before I finally built one with wood, steel, and concrete.

We did have some mighty strong winds over the weekend. It did move one sheet of galvanized about 2".

 

[maplewood]

The best material for covering firewood is more firewood

+1

 

[burnt-out]

It's my understanding that using tarps (vinyl/plastic) is not recommended because they trap moisture and slow down the evaporation process.

 

[savageactor7]

^well it's not like you wrapping the wood and trapping the moisture like a plastic sandwich bag...you're just topping the stacked wood off with a water barrier. Sure tarps don't hold up the way they use to but still they do a decent enough job. My gig against tarps is there hideous blue color.

 

[NH_Wood]

It's my understanding that using tarps (vinyl/plastic) is not recommended because they trap moisture and slow down the evaporation process.

Certainly if you cover the sides. But, as long as only the top is covered and air movement is good within the stack, no real issue. My stacks were covered with tarps and drapped about 1.5 feet down the sides (tarps were too big) - no problems. It's just the expense of the tarps and likelihood that they won't last long covering piles with so many sharp points. But, as I mentioned above, my tarps worked out fine this year - no real holes. Cheers!

 

[firefighterjake]

It's my understanding that using tarps (vinyl/plastic) is not recommended because they trap moisture and slow down the evaporation process.

As mentioned the issue with this would be if you were wrapping the wood all the way around . . . most folks just top cover with some part of the tarp draping over the sides a few inches to a foot . . . it keeps the snow, ice and water off the top of the wood and still allows the wind to flow through the wood to allow it to season.

 

[jharkin]

Rather than buy a tarp I've just been covering the top of my stacks with a sheet cut of a roll of 6mil clear poly. Couple rocks or splits on the top to weight it down.

Cheap, just cut a new one if it wears out and it doesn't shade the stack.

~Jeremy