storing and seasoning firewood tips

[RoosterBoy]

hi this is my first year cutting and splitting my own firewood can someone give me some good ideas on making some type cheep structure for seasoning my firewood so rain and snow don't get at it.

i am stock piling a 6 to 10 years of wood in advance ;-)

also if you have any pictures of your outdoor wood pile post so i can see how you do it.

thank you
Jason

 

[Freakingstang]

I try to store mine on 4 foot by 10 ft pallets. It keeps them off the wet ground. Cover the top with a tarp, but not the sides. You want airflow through the center of the pile to help drying and to keep insects from piling. I don't know if 10 year old wood would be sutible for burning...unless you stacked in a climate controlled garage....


Steve

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Pallets good. Airflow good.

10 years? Probably not good.


Dry climate? Maybe.


As for seasoning the wood, I like cayenne pepper, myself.

 

[turnkey4099]

hi this is my first year cutting and splitting my own firewood can someone give me some good ideas on making some type cheep structure for seasoning my firewood so rain and snow don't get at it.

i am stock piling a 6 to 10 years of wood in advance ;-)

also if you have any pictures of your outdoor wood pile post so i can see how you do it.

thank you
Jason

6-10 years? I doubt if it will keep that long but I am trying it myself as I can see the time coming when I will have to give up making wood.

Basic idea is to keep rain/snow off the top of the pile while allowing air through the sides. For a permanent type cover, all you really need is the roof with open sides. Maybe one wall on the windward side to keep driven rain/snow off.

You can tarp the tops of the ricks but that is only a temparory fix as those tarps don't last many seasons and are a constant nuisance anyhow.

My stash is currently around 25-30 cord all stacked outside with no covers but then I am in the Palouse (eastern WA) which is dryland farm country, basically near desert conditions. Only about 10 inches precip annually.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

hi this is my first year cutting and splitting my own firewood can someone give me some good ideas on making some type cheep structure for seasoning my firewood so rain and snow don't get at it.

i am stock piling a 6 to 10 years of wood in advance ;-)

also if you have any pictures of your outdoor wood pile post so i can see how you do it.

thank you
Jason

6-10 yiears? I have my doubts but I am trying it. I can see the time approaching when I will have to give up making wood (71 now).

The basic idea is to keep the top of the stacks dry and allow air circulation through the sides.

Permanent - pole shed with roof, no walls or maybe one wall on the windward side to keep driving rain/snow out.

Temporary - Tarp on top of stack. Drawbacks is the tarps don't last long and are a constant nuisance.

My stash is abouit 25-30 cord stacked outside with no cover but I am in the Palouse (Eastern WA) which is dryland farming, only around 10-12" precip annually. Don't have to go many miles west before desert conditions.

Of those 25-30 cord, around 10 are Locust that doesn't seem to deteriorate, I guess I will find out. Of the rest they are all low grade, mostly Willow, and I burn the oldest stuff first.

Harry K

 

[woodfarmer]

woodshed

build a small woodshed, we have some oak in the back of our shed from 1964, still burns good

 

[treephilosophy]

just stack and go

I have 40 cords of wood every year. I live in the midwest.. S.E. michigan. You can stack the wood out in the open. The most important aspect is to keep it off the ground. You do not need to cover it if you don't want to. Wood does not absorb any water in the drying process. Any water retained from rain is evaporated the next sunny day. If you plan to store the wood over more than 3 years, I would recommend you have some type of cover over the top. Lighter woods will dryrot over time, but heavyer woods will not. look up the BTU (british thermal units) of the species you are splitting. The higher the BTU the more dense the wood and the less likely it is to dry rot. This is a rule of thum. Dry rot is a variable of disease, wood species and weather conditions... you also have fungus to deal with. Same as dry rot... o.k. enough detail. Just stack and go.. over 3 years, keep covered. more than 5 years... start to deal with P & D. My philosophy.... keep 3 years worth of wood, and split year 4 every year. When I can't split my own wood any more, then my time is near.

I have a 76 year old Czeck friend. SHE splits her own wood. I'll dump off half to one cord... she will have it split the next day! Uses a mallet and wedge. I give her easy wood, but hey, splitting is splitting.

Good luck.

 

[laynes69]

My uncle lost 4 trailers full of wood, Had it tarped, and off of the ground, but eventually went to rot. What a shame. Round here I burn alot of locust, Awesome wood to burn. Good luck

 

[hautions11]

Locust

I have a friend that has a fallen Locust that he wants cut-up. How does it burn compared to oak?

 

[laynes69]

Well I dont burn alot of oak. Will say i just recently cut up a few locusts that have been sawn down for over 10 years. Perfectly seasoned, laying in mud, not a bit of rot. For me I think it burns like coal. Very hard nice hot burning wood. Coals well so I use it always at nighttime. As far as the chainsaw goes, i use a 025 stihl, It likes to dull the chain fairly quick. Splits easily and burns slow and hot, I recommend it highly. Due to our ice storm 2 years ago, i am now cleaning up the trees for this season to burn. Round here mostly locust, but did cut and split some nice wild cherry, and walnut. Be warned though the locust attracts ants.

 

[DeanBrown3D]

RoosterBoy,

Home Depot sells very very heavy rolls of roofing material, they are covered in little gray stones, and they are just under 1/4" thick, 3' wide, and flexible. They are 50 feet long and can cover a single layer of wood and keep it as dry as can be, and it never moves in the wind.

On the top layer of the wood, which you should try to make as flat as possible, alternately push each piece in and out so that it can support the edge a little better. I've got one 50' stretch of oak and cherry seasoning now, and I just bought another roll of the stuff its so good. Its $50 a roll.

HTH,

Dean