I don't think my wood will ready!

[Wood Doctor]

Mine is usually cut into rounds in the fall and then overwintered with cover. In the Spring I have it split and stacked by April latest. It seasons all summer uncovered (I find it does better) It's really all about airflow. Right now in Sept, I'll start wheeling it into the barn for use. I have mixed hardwood including hard and soft maple, yellow and white birch, some ash, oak and a bit of hatmatack (easter larch) that burns quite well.

Terrific strategy, Steve. The idea is to "winterize" the big green rounds, split them in the spring, dry the splits in the summer, and then start burning those splits in the fall (now). When you split most of your wood in the spring, even the bark will fall off and much of that, coupled with the chips, makes good kindling that you can also dry all summer.

About the only thing I split now is a couple of truckloads of reserve that I might need in the spring (like I did last year) or dead dry wood that I happened to have run across while cutting the big green rounds. My 2008 collecting of the big green rounds for storage until 2009 is almost ended.

 

[boostnut]

Noslo, you're so far ahead of the rookie curve its not even funny. I wish I had my $hit together like you do a few years ago when I got started. I dont think you've got anything to worry about. If you think you do, head over to hearth . com and read about some of the people still trying to figure out what maul to buy to split their wood for this year.
Start with the ash then move on to the maple. You shouldn't have any worries about your stash being ready. It looks bad now from all of the rain we've had. Give it a week in the sun and breeze then take another look, you'll change your mind.

 

[avalancher]

I get a lot of red oak where I cut, most has been down a year and the bark has begun to turn loose. After splitting I always have a ton of bark in the trailer and around the splitter. I have tried different ways to get rid of it, then was struck with what I thought was a good idea.
I rake all the bark within 4ft or so of the stack that I just split. Drop some diesel fuel on it and light it off. The heat radiates on to the wood just stacked, and you ought to see the steam coming off of the wood pile! I keep a hose handy, and a piece of sheet metal to throw in front of the stack if it gets to hot. The pile will generally burn for 6-8 hours, I have lit it off in the late afternoon, and still have heat the next morning baking the woodpile.

I tried an experiment earlier this year to see how effective this was. One woodpile was not "heat treated", one was. Both left to dry for 3 months and both from the same tree and cut at the same time. With a moisture meter I checked both piles, the "heat treated" pile was 8 percent drier.

Now this is just part of the procedure. Split,stack, rake bark and light it off.
Move truck further down the pile and repeat until trailer is empty. Occasionally I will leave the burning until I am done if the wind is coming the wrong way around the shop so that I dont have to work in the smoke.

 

[Noslo65]

Thanks. I have been wanting to heat with wood for awhile. So last winter I figured I would try my hand at the cutting and splitting. I wanted to make sure the work end of it did not bother me. I have access to wood. My inlaws have 20 or so acres they want cleared ( old pasture that is full of hedge, cherry, losust and some ash ) . Then this summer I had a Lopi Leyden installed. I went with a stove instead of furnace or owb. After doing all the firewood work I felt I wanted something that may only require 2 or 3 cords a year versus 10. So I hope I made the right decision.

 

[Noslo65]

I have also thought about starting to move my wood inside of my large metal quonset. I covered all of the wood with tarps. I know the ash is ready. I thought I would move it to my shed so that it stays dry. Then can I just take it to the house as needed. I would be making two trips a day to the shed for wood, but the wood will be dry and no bugs by the house. Then as the wood in the shed runs low I can start moving the tarped wood to the shed as needed. Then as I am cutting and splitting more this winter I can resack in my empty spots outside of the shed. I am starting to learn. Does this all make sense. So I will store split wood outside for summer, cover with tarps. Then move my quicker seasoning wood to the shed early fall. As that runs out I can move the slower seasoning wood to the shed after it has been outside longer. Then refilling my empty racks outside. HA HA!

 

[boostnut]

Sounds like you've got a plan. The arguement about covering wood will probably never die but I'm on the uncovered side of the battle. I will not cover mine for another month or so and only when rain or snow is forecasted. Let the sun and wind do their job.
If I were you, I'd wait another week or so and let mother nature dry out your wood from our recent rains then put it under roof.

 

[iCreek]

Generally if the wood is grey, it's good to go.

Cut last winter/fall, piled open with some tree cover, and it looked like this a few weeks ago. We will do the same again this year, but might make two piles and try to get two years worth on the ground.