Firewood seasoning covered, uncovered, when?

[jas67]

I'm kinda new at the whole firewood and wood stove thing. I cut and split about 6 cord of oak this past spring, and have it on racks that I made from pallets cut in half. Currently, it is all just sitting out by my fence, where it gets some sun and wind to facilitate seasoning (unfortunately, some of it doesn't get much sun).

I have seen a mix of covered and uncovered wood piles in my area. I know that I'll need to keep it out of the rain and snow for some time before I use it, but that it will still season despite being exposed to rain. How long before I burn it does it need to be kept out of the rain? I do not have a wood shed, and probably can't convince SWMBO that we should build one, as due to the layout of our property, we really don't have a decent spot to put one (from her aesthetics viewpoint). So, I'll probably get some clear plastic sheeting to staple to the tops of the racks (they have a frame to keep the longs contained), with a small piece of bowed PVC pipe or something to hold the middle up.

Thanks,
Jay

 

[dodge man]

I believe I read on the internet, take that for whats its worth, that it is better to leave it uncovered, unless you have a wood shed. I think the problem with plastic or tarps that don't breath is that they trap moisture under them.

 

[woodchuckcanuck]

I wouldn't recommend covering the stack entirely. Like its been said, the wood won't breathe. Just cover over the top. The parts that still get wet will dry the quickest irregardless. And don't go out and buy tarp or plastic. Just go to your lumber yard and get some of the tarps that their lumber arrives in. Most yards throw out the tarps or give them away (rather than throw them out). See my pics of the 8 cords we keep. The front is kept open during the summer. The back is always covered (tarps from lumber yard). When the snow starts to fly, we cover up the front in a similar fashion. Only we leave a gap near the top to allow any heat and moisture build up to escape. Yes, even in the dead of winter we can see steam billowing out. The last picture shows wood we cut and stacked in place 4 months ago. It ready to burn as far as I'm concerned. And that's with a spring and summer with higher that humid/temp conditions. Summer really didn't arrive until last week.

 

[turnkey4099]

It really depends on your climate. Where I am it is semi arid with all moisture (about 16" annually) coming in winter and spring. General rules:

1. Cover the top only.

2. In spite of common belief sun shining on your pile has little if any effect on drying time. The pile dries due the air moving through it. It will dry just as fast sitting in shade as in sun...well, sun heating up that top surface _may_ increase air flow due toconvection a bit.

3. Rain on a pile of cured wood does not "soak" it. It will wet down any exposed on top and the ends of wood facind rain being blown onto it. Wood absorbs moissture through the ends, not the surfaces.

I cure mine in piles in the open (not covered) and then move my winter's supply into thewoodshed in the fall. If I run short all I do is discard the top layer or two of an outside stack and use the dry wood under that. (see #3 above).

Harry K

 

[jas67]

I wasn't planning on covering the stock completely, just the tops. I'm no that it needs to breathe in order to dry.

I also stack bark side up, which helps prevent any water that comes from above from being absorbed by the wood.

Thanks,
Jay

 

[chh]

I really like the way the wood is stored in the pics. Personally I never kept it covered at all when I burned wood, but we don't get much snow in OK. I just left it stack/piled and brought in wood, morning for the evening and evening for the next morning. Whatever moisture from the rain, snow, or ice that was on it would be dried off by the time I needed it.

 

[radioman]

Same here- I pile my firewood with bark up, cover top only wheather its dry or green. I also use the lumber wrap from 84 lumber they throw out all the time. I knew a driver that deleivers and he would save a bundle of them tarps for me. Its the perfect tarp. It works great to keep most of the rain out, keeps all the snow off from wood so its easy to take down and if it blows away- I wouldn't care less. Its free and can get another. ( I live in a very high wind area) Every 2 years I would throw the old one out due to unraveling in high winds. I have covered wood top and sides before and the wood was dry and ended up with smelly wood and fungi growing in some places. Never again. Just top only.

 

[Thomas]

I cover the top about mid October,than again depends how much rain in the forecast for autumn...let the wood pile breath or mushrooms may appear...not good.

 

[studor]

I cover just the tops of piles with a tarp the width of the top weighted with clips that hold sand filled pop bottles -- the tarps stay put and are easy to remove and replace. My process is piled on a fence line in spring, tarped or moved to the woodshed in fall. Most of the wood can be burned after a summer of seasoning but I have a few years supply.

 

[Ford850]

I wouldn't recommend covering the stack entirely. Like its been said, the wood won't breathe. Just cover over the top. The parts that still get wet will dry the quickest irregardless. And don't go out and buy tarp or plastic. Just go to your lumber yard and get some of the tarps that their lumber arrives in. Most yards throw out the tarps or give them away (rather than throw them out). See my pics of the 8 cords we keep. The front is kept open during the summer. The back is always covered (tarps from lumber yard). When the snow starts to fly, we cover up the front in a similar fashion. Only we leave a gap near the top to allow any heat and moisture build up to escape. Yes, even in the dead of winter we can see steam billowing out. The last picture shows wood we cut and stacked in place 4 months ago. It ready to burn as far as I'm concerned. And that's with a spring and summer with higher that humid/temp conditions. Summer really didn't arrive until last week.

Woodchuckcanuck,
that's a nice rack design you have. Are the cord sheds made out of 2x4 or 2x6 lumber?
Thanks.
Mark