cover wood or not

[NC4TN]

BTW: do you southern guys really get acclimated to high heat and humidity for working ? Any Camp Elgin alumni around ?

Yep.....especially if you played football in the south as a kid:

You're out on the practice field and pass out from heat stroke. The coach comes up and pours a little dab of RC cola on your face; you come to and he says: "now get your ass up and go to the locker room, take a couple salt pills and you'll be alright, son"!

I think you have to get acclimated or else nothing would get done. And you have to teach your family to tolerate a little BO, and don't worry about wearing out the washing machine! LOL

 

[NDtreehugger]

This year we will most likly be a bit anal

With lots and lots of ash to be cut we will be stacking analy with 3 or 4 years ahead could be more if I get lucky, no way it will all get split this year we will be doing good just to get it off the ground.......

 

[howellhandmade]

Can we please get rid of Mickey Mouse coverings ? Pretty please ?
Geez: ties, holy tarps, bungees, lines, scrap roofing, soon we'll be reading about potato skins and bark coverings.:hmm3grin2orange:

BUILD IT

I don't understand your plea. With due respect, what difference does it make to you if I cover my stacks with whatever I choose? I think we can see from the range of responses that whether a guy covers his stacks and with what depends on a number of things. What species? What climate? How sunny/windy the spot? How soon will the wood be used? In what? How dry does your wood need to be? How aggressive are the local building inspectors/tax collectors when a guy starts building a wood shed?

All the factors interrelate. Oak that may be perfect to burn for you in six months takes considerably longer for me. Your rainfall and humidity may be low enough that covering a stack seems like a waste of time, or maybe you use it fast, or maybe you've got a primo shed already. Summers here vary, but are generally somewhat humid, and we get lots of storms with heavy rain. My experience indicates that keeping wood stacked off the ground, in a sunny spot, and covered just on top so that the heavy rains are shed but the sides are open so that what drying wind can blow through, gets wood as dry as local conditions can get it, and my EPA insert likes very dry wood. And I like not having to break firewood out of an ice jam with a sledge in the winter. I'd be glad to build a shed, but don't want to pay more property taxes. So, despite your request, I reckon I'll continue covering my stacks with whatever "Mickey Mouse" expedient seems best at the time. Anybody who has an estabished routine, covering or not, that gets seasoned firewood to the firebox on time, you are doing it right. Anyone who isn't sure what to do, look at where the various writers live. And then experiment. I wouldn't necessarily expect advice from someone in either Maine or Tenessee to apply to me, or my advice (which remains to cover the top of stacks) to apply to someone in Arizona. And even around here I see lots of uncovered (or excessively covered) firewood stacks that look like rotting messes to me but presumably are satisfactory to their owners.

To each his own.

Jack

 

[logbutcher]

I don't understand your plea. With due respect, what difference does it make to you if I cover my stacks with whatever I choose? I think we can see from the range of responses that whether a guy covers his stacks and with what depends on a number of things. What species? What climate? How sunny/windy the spot? How soon will the wood be used? In what? How dry does your wood need to be? How aggressive are the local building inspectors/tax collectors when a guy starts building a wood shed?

All the factors interrelate. Oak that may be perfect to burn for you in six months takes considerably longer for me. Your rainfall and humidity may be low enough that covering a stack seems like a waste of time, or maybe you use it fast, or maybe you've got a primo shed already. Summers here vary, but are generally somewhat humid, and we get lots of storms with heavy rain. My experience indicates that keeping wood stacked off the ground, in a sunny spot, and covered just on top so that the heavy rains are shed but the sides are open so that what drying wind can blow through, gets wood as dry as local conditions can get it, and my EPA insert likes very dry wood. And I like not having to break firewood out of an ice jam with a sledge in the winter. I'd be glad to build a shed, but don't want to pay more property taxes. So, despite your request, I reckon I'll continue covering my stacks with whatever "Mickey Mouse" expedient seems best at the time. Anybody who has an estabished routine, covering or not, that gets seasoned firewood to the firebox on time, you are doing it right. Anyone who isn't sure what to do, look at where the various writers live. And then experiment. I wouldn't necessarily expect advice from someone in either Maine or Tenessee to apply to me, or my advice (which remains to cover the top of stacks) to apply to someone in Arizona. And even around here I see lots of uncovered (or excessively covered) firewood stacks that look like rotting messes to me but presumably are satisfactory to their owners.

To each his own.

Jack

:agree2: Whew, glad we got it out.

 

[william lawson]

I have 5 cords split and stacked in sunny breezy spot should i cover top during seasoning or let sun beat down on it ?

yes cover, i didnt last year and couldnt burn. i use a piece of plywood, take a 4X8, cut in half and place on top of stack, lets in plenty of air and sun but keeps most of rain and snow out. the stack i did cover last year burned great, the uncovered sizzled and hissed all day

 

[svk]

I usually cover the top but not the sides. Let the sun beat on it and the wind blow through it. I generally use tarpaper as the black sucks up the sun's heat to dry up the top pieces.

Up here it's important to cover before winter as October/November can get pretty rainy if the temp doesn't drop. It's a pain to have to hit the top layer of your pile with a sledge to free things up when we get a freezing rain followed by snow in late fall and then haul wood in with an inch of ice stuck to it.

I covered a pile with a blue tarp one time and anything touching the ground under there was rotten in three years despite never having a drop of water hit it.

 

[Thomas Venditto]

Sorry, but I always cover my wood. I hate the sight of uncovered wood pile! It's like leaving your tractor out in the rain. Still, I know lots of folks burn more than me and live in differnt climates. I'm in NY about 50mi north of NYC. Uncovered wood just rots, especially softer stuff like maple.

I stack on pallets and cover the top (only) with clear plastic, then a tarp(usually brown. looks better). I go down about 8" on each side and staple it good. Make the center higher so water doesn't sit there. I dry most of my stock 2 years, especially hard stuff like oak, hickory and LOCUST.

As for splitting (I know nobody ask LOL), I've been trending to split them smaller and smaller. I find the fire starts better and wood burns hotter and more efficiently. I guess I'm talking like 4-5" dia. I still make a few "over nighters" about double that size.
TomJV

 

[Dirtboy]

A strip of black plastic weighed down on top, sides uncovered during the warm months. When rainy season comes- about October-the pile I'm using that winter (which has seasoned about a year or 2) gets tarped over the long sides to the ground, sides open. I also have a 2X4 running over the top to "tent" the tarp so its not laying on the wood, and is shedding the rain & snow. I hate chipping ice!

 

[Erik B]

Tin Metal roof. Wind is important. Sun not so much really. My shed is built with 6x6 , metal roof and chain link fence. It works.

Do you have any pics of your wood shed?

 

[Heavy26R]

Depends on location. Specifically humidity in summer. I borrowed wood from a cover all year long believer here in VA, full of beatles and punky. I never cover, and even after a winter rain it's dry in two days. I cover before long rains and snow in winter, otherwise naked in sun.

 

[mr.finn]

I was able to get a hold of some rubber roll roofing recently. 20x20' pieces from a roofing co. he had a trailer full and said take as much as you want. My plan is to cut it into strips about 24-30" wide and use those to throw on top of the stacks. I figure cover the top but not the sides. The rubber is kind of heavy so it should stay in place.

 

[chads]

I have a couple of pieces of the rubber roofing left over 3x20 I just stacked up two stacks next to each other and rolled it out on top.
I tried to make the water shed and put a final row of splits on top to hold it down,sides left open.
When we were pouring the patio the left over concrete was poured along the fence 3 ft wide for wood storage.
Hope it works. I had a bunch of wet wood last year but I only had it seasoned about 6-8 months.
I installed the wood burner last summer so i was behind on wood.
I had a earlier start this year and had about 1/2 cord left we will see how it goes.
I ran into a bunch of ash but most all of it is wet. I am hoping to have over a years put up now with more to come.
Chad

 

[CRThomas]

I have 5 cords split and stacked in sunny breezy spot should i cover top during seasoning or let sun beat down on it ?

I stack my wood after I split it then turn the top rolls bark up. The fellow down the street covers his with clear plastic and does not dry any quicker. The only thing I do is stick and stack like you would drying lumber. I keep my wood in big baskets and dino bags I live on a dead end street I set my wood out in the middle of the black top st night I bring it back in to the yard

 

[JeffHK454]

I cover sometime mid-October just because I hate screwing with the stuff if it's wet or snow covered and it's burning time. I've also never covered unseasoned wood or tried using certain types or colors of tarps to speed the curing process. Firewood burning never seemed overly complicated ..I don't measure it or segregate it and I put as little effort into moving and stacking it as possible.

 

[Jutt]

No, the climate here doesn't really require covering wood but my uncovered stuff gets moved to a covered patio which holds about a week's worth. Any snow gets knocked off from the move to the covered patio. Predominately light and fluffy snow, low moisture content, easy to knock off.

If I were back east (grew up in SW Virginia) I would have a wood shed if allowed. That said, I'm considering building a wood shed next year to better consolidate my stacks.

 

[Toxic2]

I need my currently 12 cord pile to last at least two years as i only burn 7 a year and have anther 10 already in my basement. i have never been this far ahead before..i leave the wood stacked for a couple monyhs uncoverex to dry and then tarp the top. i have left wood uncovered in our canadian winters before for mutiple years and its not in the best of shape

 

[Thomas Venditto]

I have a couple of pieces of the rubber roofing left over 3x20 I just stacked up two stacks next to each other and rolled it out on top.
I tried to make the water shed and put a final row of splits on top to hold it down,sides left open.
When we were pouring the patio the left over concrete was poured along the fence 3 ft wide for wood storage.
Hope it works. I had a bunch of wet wood last year but I only had it seasoned about 6-8 months.
I installed the wood burner last summer so i was behind on wood.
I had a earlier start this year and had about 1/2 cord left we will see how it goes.
I ran into a bunch of ash but most all of it is wet. I am hoping to have over a years put up now with more to come.
Chad

" Ash wood wet or ash wood dry, the king shall warm his slippers by!"
An old wood cutter's poem.


Beechwood fires are bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year,
Chestnut's only good they say,
If for long 'tis laid away.
Make a fire of Elder tree,
Death within your house will be.
Birch and fir logs burn too fast
Blaze up bright and do not last,
It is by the Irish said
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.
Elm wood burns like churchyard mould,
E'en the very flames are cold.
Poplar gives a bitter smoke,
Fills your eyes and makes you choke,
Apple wood will scent your room
Pear wood smells like flowers in bloom
Oaken logs, if dry and old
keep away the winter's cold
But Ash wood wet or Ash wood dry
a king shall warm his slippers by.

Just cut/split and stack the ash. I like to cover the top(only). You'll be fine by winter. If you have time and space, stack it in "air stacks". 2 left facing, 2 right etc. This makes it dry QUICK. I still cover the top.
Also, I keep the stack high in the center, so the water/snow runs off the tarp.
TomJV

 

[tla100]

I am keeping uncovered until winter and will put inside

 

[tla100]

open bottom for airflow