Covering wood piles...

[Adam_MA]

There seems to be some differing of opinions around, and I would like to get some feedback...

From what I have read, there are 3 ways folks go about covering their wood piles..

1. Cover it (top only) as soon as you have it stacked, and leave it that way.
2. Leave it uncovered until the fall, then cover the top.
3. Don't cover it at all.

Which do you do, and why.

 

[audible fart]

I leave mine uncovered until right before a rainy spell in fall. Then I generally cover the top and a couple feet of the sides to protect against "sideways rain", as forrest gump said. Why? Because it has worked every time I did it this way.

 

[cuttinstuff]

My opinion. Sun and wind does the drying, so why inhibit it with covering.

 

[x595]

Hi Adam_MA ,

I agree with the others ... I only cut in the Fall and Winter for the next years
wood , so Spring and Summer I leave uncovered for the sun and wind to dry
it and the wood stacker that I'm burning out of I just cover the top and sides
about 2' to keep rain and snow off ...

Later,x595

 

[sdt7618]

My opinion. Sun and wind does the drying, so why inhibit it with covering.

I agree, I seasoned wood over the winter which I could easliy burn now, why beacause the wind got at it.

 

[howellhandmade]

You should go with what seems best for you and your climate. I cover just the tops of most of my stacks, and I stack on racks off the ground. Sound wood that is for two or three years out gets covered. My quarantine stack is uncovered in full sun. It's worked for me so far, haven't had any problems with the covered wood but I think being off the ground has a bigger effect than whether it's covered or not.

Jack

 

[JAM]

I leave it uncovered until fall and then throw a tarp over the top and however
far it goes down the sides. If it looks like a stretch of sunny weather I'll pull the tarp off just for fun.

 

[ppkgmsy]

Leave uncovered in the spring, summer and fall, let Ma Nature do her thing with wind and sun. Until I build that wood shed I keep promising to do(!) I tarp the tops and a couple feet on the sides of the end rows so there's no ice and little mositure when bringing in for burning.

 

[woodyman]

I just cover the top and let the wind and heat do it's job.

It looks like I have a cord or so not covered

 

[Moss Man]

The last few years we have been piling in single rows on top of pallets running east to west, a four foot high pile with the bark facing up and no cover. 4 or 5 piles like that, 20 feet long or so.......is all we need to be warm.
After it dries fully, we pile it in the basement and feed it to the stove.

 

[Adam_MA]

Thanks for the tips guys. As we don't really see too much rain here I think I will just leave them uncovered, and in the early winter, before the snow, I'll throw a tarp over the top.

Now, if I can just get motivated to finish stacking it all! I'm sure not a fan of stacking, but I guess the only good thing is that no power tools are involved, so I can relax, drink some beer, and stack at my own pace.

 

[MJR]

Only the stuff that will be used past the next season gets covered.

 

[Mike Van]

Adam, just for a test - pull a piece out of the middle of your stack sometime in August & split it. See how wet it is inside. If it looks really wet, you shoulda covered it. If it's oak, uncovered, it'll be as wet as it is now.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Item 3 is by far the easiest. That's what I do. Cover nothing. Wet wood dries out very fast indoors in the winter, especially when piled in a small stack next to a hot stove.

 

[husky455rancher]

i dont cover till the end of summer or early fall. whe i do i only cover the top and a couple feet down from the top.

 

[Constrictor]

I dont cover ever. When fall comes i will just haul about a cord onto my covered front porch about a month or so early. and if it was wet it will be dry when i burn it.

 

[logbutcher]

Downeast Rules:
1. You use wood for heating: build a wood shed.
2. Just theory, BUTT: sun, wind, rain cycles dry the sap. Near 2 cords for Fall/Early winter heat until December, are open stacked near the stoves. It's worked for a long , long time.
3. See #1.
4. Nice stacks in a woodshed or open make for a nice disease of WoodPiles:
sneaking and lurking to peak at your handiwork w/wo a brew at any hour. It drives the unknowing to crazies.
JMNSHO opcorn:

 

[xrayman]

I leave mine uncovered, all mine for this winter was split and stacked a year ago so it'll have 2 summers of drying on it, this fall when it cools down it'll be moved into the wood shed:greenchainsaw:

 

[wobdee]

I've tried everything, tarps, uncovered piles, covered stacks and Holz Hausens. The best thing I found is to get 2 or more years ahead on your firewood supply if you have the room and it will be dry no matter what.

This year I built a wood shed with enough space to hold 2 years worth and now I don't have to mess with tarps, brush off snow or worry about wet wood.

 

[Northwind]

I don't cover mine. I stack a bunch in the garage and basement when it's dry in the fall and let the snow cover it in the winter. Brush off the snow and load into basement window when needed.