drying wood - circulate air?

[oldspark]

Black plastic will radiate the heat to the wood, clear plastic will heat the wood directly, so dark wood under clear plastic is best, paint your wood black for best results.

 

[woodchuck357]

Place a piece of steel inside each bag before blowing them up, check the temperature difference of the steel... better yet, see which piece of steel melted through the plastic.
*

Use a piece of wood inside the bags and you will have a valid test. The reason for covering with plastic is to maximize air flow around the wood to carry moisture away. And the black is free.

 

[oldspark]

Black lumber covers are thicker and FREE.

The WHITE side will reflect a lot of light, the reason anything black is black, is that it absorbs all wavelengths of (visible) light, most likely into the longer wavelength infrared spectrum too.

Clear may let more energy through, but the black will be heated up nicely by Mr Sun.

These covers are basically HD poly tarps that are big enough for double coverage on top of 2-3 cords of stacked wood.

Did I mention they are FREE???

I get it, free is good and that's what I wood use if its FREE!

 

[Whitespider]

Use a piece of wood inside the bags and you will have a valid test.

OK fine... use a piece of wood if you'd rather, it will still be warmer in the clear bag.
Besides, it a valid test either way, a cover over firewood ain't a sealed bag... ain't even close to the same thing.

The reason for covering with plastic is to maximize air flow around the wood to carry moisture away.

BULL$H!T...
The reason for covering with plastic is to keep rain off... it will reduce air flow, not "maximize it.

 

[NSMaple1]

Covering with plastic will hardly maximize airflow.

It will minimize precipitation flow into the wood pile though - and maybe keep some heat in.

 

[Mad Professor]

On a sunny summer day, is it hotter inside a car, or inside the trunk of it?

Why don't greenhouses have black coverings?

Because they are not growing mushrooms?

I've had a garden since the 1960s, plants seem to like sunlight.

And yes the reason to cover the top is to keep the rain/snow/dew off the pile.

If drying without a cover works so well, why is fresh cut lumber covered on the top for air drying? And yes I saw my own lumber and know you need air circulation...........

 

[oldspark]

If drying without a cover works so well, why is fresh cut lumber covered on the top for air drying?

They don't want lumber to dry too quickly as it causes cracks and warping.

 

[Whitespider]

If drying without a cover works so well, why is fresh cut lumber covered on the top for air drying?

Because it ain't firewood... leaving fresh cut lumber to the elements, especially sun radiation, will cause it to warp, twist, split and crack.
*

 

[Mad Professor]

Because it ain't firewood... leaving fresh cut lumber to the elements, especially sun radiation, will cause it to warp, twist, split and crack.
*

You don't stack fresh cut lumber in the sun. But you do cover it (top) when you stack it in the shade.

 

[Whitespider]

You don't stack fresh cut lumber in the sun. But you do cover it (top) when you stack it in the shade.

So you're saying something sitting in the shade receives no solar radiation?? You're saying ya' can't get sunburn sitting in the shade??
If the plastic is there to increase heat, increase air flow, increase speed of drying, or whatever... why are you placing lumber in a protected spot, such as the shade??
If covering increases drying, and placing in the shade decreases drying... wouldn't one be counterproductive to the other??
Heck man, ya' place it in the shade for the same reason ya' cover the top... so the lumber drys slower and therefore more evenly, so it don't warp, twist, split and crack.
*

 

[Mad Professor]

So you're saying something sitting in the shade receives no solar radiation?? You're saying ya' can't get sunburn sitting in the shade??
If the plastic is there to increase heat, increase air flow, increase speed of drying, or whatever... why are you placing lumber in a protected spot, such as the shade??
If covering increases drying, and placing in the shade decreases drying... wouldn't one be counterproductive to the other??
Heck man, ya' place it in the shade for the same reason ya' cover the top... so the lumber drys slower and therefore more evenly, so it don't warp, twist, split and crack.
*

I will donate two 1/4 cords of hardwood, stack them the same. Cover one on the top, the other leave free .

YOU EAT the mushrooms on the uncovered stack , 2016.

DEAL?[

P.S. EVER worked cutting lumber at all, HOW?

Ever stacked lumber?
Ever been a Sawyer?
For that matter ever been an Edger??
Done all that been there.

P.P.S. I sold DRY, not "seasoned", cordword ,128 cu ft for 35$ /cord DELIVERED , when YOU were in DIAPERS

Edit - fixed quote box. Steve.

 

[woodchuck357]

Covering with plastic will hardly maximize airflow.

It will minimize precipitation flow into the wood pile though - and maybe keep some heat in.

Really read my post on how I use plastic to help speed drying firewood. There is no way air is trapped and air flow is enough to create a breeze thru the stack on a calm sunny day.

 

[flyboy553]

In 50 years our grandkids will come to this site and continue this argument until their grandkids come here and keep the ball rolling. This is one of those chicken or the egg questions that will never ever in anyone's lifetime have a definitive answer!
But do carry on! Makes for interesting reading! We even get to find out how long tarps have been in existence!

Ted

 

[Whitespider]

But Ted, if there was a definitive answer it would take all the fun out'a the argument‼
*

 

[oldspark]

But Ted, if there was a definitive answer it would take all the fun out'a the argument‼
*

Would not make a difference.

 

[oldspark]

Besides all the silly back and forth crap it can depend where you live but for me I have not covered my wood (until dry) for 35 years and it works very well, single rows have something to do with it also, multiple rows need covered more so.

 

[Steve NW WI]

Pretty much. You cover yours, I'll leave mine open. Changing someone's method is like getting them to switch saw brands. If they're happy the way they do it, they ain't changing.

 

[muddstopper]

Allright Spidey, your birthday is over and you cant be right about everything every day. You will have to wait until next year to get everybody to agree with you on this subject.

Now to answer your question about why you can cover your pool with clear plastic and heat the water faster than if you used black plastic. With clear plastic, the sunlite filters down thru the plastic to the bottom of the pool and reflects back toward the sun where its heat can be absorded by the water and then trapped under the plastic layer. With the black plastic, the plastic absorbs all the heat and the only heat the water gets is what radiates out of the plastic. If you take a white plastic barrel and a black plastic barrel, fill with water and place in full sun, the black plastic barrel will get hotter/faster than the white plastic barrel. This is because the white barrel will reflect sunlit and not absord its heat. The black barrel will adsorb heat and heat the water faster. Covering firewood would work the same way as covering the pool, if the pastic is sealed at the bottom with no air circulating, The clear plastic will let light thru and warm the wood faster than the black plastic will, but neither material will dry the wood. Covering the wood with either the black or clear plastic will keep the wood from drying out because it traps moisture. It takes airflow to remove the moisture and dry the wood. It doesnt matter if you use plastic, tin, 100 yearold tarps, or lumber, Airflow is more important than heat to dry wood. If your only goal is to keep the wood dry after it has cured, then it wont matter if you use black or clear, both will keep the rain out.