Keeping your seasoned firewood dry if you don't have a regular shelter for it.

[FLHX Storm]

I know I'm a bit green at this, but I have been reading up on the subject.

What I've found is if the firewood to be used for the heating season is if it's left uncovered in it's stack, it will likely be too wet to burn. Covering it with a tarp will help as long as the sides are left open for air flow. Closing up the sides will promote condensation and set back the drying process several months or more.

But, one thing I noticed in placing a tarp over the top, that there is still condensation that forms under the tarp which will migrate to the firewood. To put a stop to that, I placed a couple of sheets of roofing felt over the tops of the piles and then placed the tarp over those. I also went ahead and extended the tarp out about a foot on each side and used an old piece of conduit to keep the ends from draping down the sides and act as kind of an awning on a camping tent which keeps the rain off the sides of the pile. At the ends of the pile I secured each corner of the tarp with bungies so that as I remove some of the wood, it will still remain tight, at least for a while. But I have smaller bungies set off to the side when it becomes too loose.

The wood I have piled in racks on the porch can still get wet due to condensation from the roof of all things. When the porch was put together, no plywood sheeting was used so it's basically all tin with the exception of the 2x6's and purlins. I went ahead and put a tarp over the piles to help keep the condensation from the roof from dripping on the piles and instead of using bungies, I used some old window weights I found in the shed to hold the tarp in place using ball bungies to attach the weights.

I've only owned this place for 2 years now as of the 13th of this month and this is my first year of burning firewood in a wood stove so I guess y'all could say I'm getting a crash course in all of this just like I'm getting a crash course in just about everything I'm doing on the house and the rest of the property.

I had also converted the chimney from a Class B (for propane) over to a Class A using the rigid stainless steel liner (single wall) for in the chimney itself including the cleanout at the very bottom. Double wall from the stove to the chimney. But that's another topic all together for another time

If y'all have any additional suggestions for keeping firewood dry without a shelter, they would be appreciated.

 

[mountainmandan]

I do not know about everyone else, but I do not cover any of my wood. I take in a week or two supply in the house, and that is it. I think it is climate related, it is not very cold here and our summers are very hot, so our wood has no problems being dry. The wood on the top of the stack acts like a roof anyway.

I have used roofing felt and noticed no difference. I couldn't cover all my wood anyway, I did 45 cords this year.

Dan

 

[AIM]

My suggestion would be to not mess with anything to cover it. The wood just won't get all that wet from rain. When it does rain, it seems that it doesn't really soak in.

I've covered my stacks in the past but more to keep ice from freezing everything together. I don't even do that anymore.

 

[Uncle John]

Leave it uncovered till a few days before you burn it.

 

[Ductape]

I do much the same as you...... mostly just cover the top of the stacks with a tarp. Honestly, I would really like to build a wood shed, with air flow through three sides. I'm afraid I'll never get my wood shed...... not because of the cost to build it, but because of the cost of the taxes on it. Unfortunately, my town is on a tear to raise taxes, without raising taxes. After talking to my neighbor, I found out the town has his small shed assessed at a $16,000 value dizzy Looks like I'll contue to tarp the tops of my piles for awhile.

P.S. I do find a little wood a bit damp at the bottoms of my piles (on pallets), but overall its a small loss

 

[FLHX Storm]

I do not know about everyone else, but I do not cover any of my wood. I take in a week or two supply in the house, and that is it. I think it is climate related, it is not very cold here and our summers are very hot, so our wood has no problems being dry. The wood on the top of the stack acts like a roof anyway.

I have used roofing felt and noticed no difference. I couldn't cover all my wood anyway, I did 45 cords this year.

Dan

I live in the mountains myself and when it rains, whew does it rain. I also have clouds that tend to just sit on the top of the mountain and sometimes sinks down far enough where it covers the house. (I just pray it doesn't fart or something)

The reason I mentioned using the felt was because when I went out to check the wood after noticing heavy dew or condensation on top of the tarp, I figured I might as well check underneath. Sure enough, it was wet! So I left the pile uncovered for most of the day to dry back out as much as possible and then decided on the roofing felt with the tarp over the top. It was either that or use that pink extruded styrofoam from home depot to help keep that moisture from coming in contact with the wood.

Temperature wise here, it can be as much as 10 degrees one way or another from the nearest town. In winter, it can be 10 degrees below, and in the summer it can be 10 degrees above what the nearest town is which is about 5 miles away.

 

[FLHX Storm]

I do much the same as you...... mostly just cover the top of the stacks with a tarp. Honestly, I would really like to build a wood shed, with air flow through three sides. I'm afraid I'll never get my wood shed...... not because of the cost to build it, but because of the cost of the taxes on it. Unfortunately, my town is on a tear to raise taxes, without raising taxes. After talking to my neighbor, I found out the town has his small shed assessed at a $16,000 value dizzy Looks like I'll contue to tarp the tops of my piles for awhile.

P.S. I do find a little wood a bit damp at the bottoms of my piles (on pallets), but overall its a small loss

I do have a wood shed that is now 28 x 12 feet but I'm in the process of cleaning the half out where I could store the firewood. The shed was 40 x 12 but 12 feet of it was in really bad condition since it was used as a chicken coop. So rather than rebuilt that section, I removed it and salvaged what lumber I could for other repairs or projects.

Taxes are nuts! My place was assessed at $45k and taxed at that rate even though I purchased it for $30k. With the improvements I've made, I'm sure my taxes will be going though the roof when it is re-assessed. The condition of the place was Fair to Poor! That wasn't the selling point though. It was because of it's location being some 750 feet off the Blue Ridge Parkway (50 miles from the North Carolina/Virginia border)

Even though I do have a shed, it is clear on the other end of the property which would mean I would have to be moving the wood to an unprotected area for the winter months (lots of rain, some freezing, some snow) which is why I opened the discussion to find a way to keep the seasoned wood dry. I'm even considering covering the tops of the holz hausen's I've been putting together.

 

[bowtechmadman]

The rain isn't going to unseason good seasoned wood. It will be wet just on the outside. Many years I burned w/o it covered. Finally put up a wood shed so I wouldn't have to deal with ice/snow. Our assessor tried that on me when I put my wood shed up...I showed her the receipts and offered to sell it to her for 13K. She had based the increase on an aerial photo once I described what it was she dropped it to 2K increase.

 

[Uncle John]

I do much the same as you...... mostly just cover the top of the stacks with a tarp. Honestly, I would really like to build a wood shed, with air flow through three sides. I'm afraid I'll never get my wood shed...... not because of the cost to build it, but because of the cost of the taxes on it. Unfortunately, my town is on a tear to raise taxes, without raising taxes. After talking to my neighbor, I found out the town has his small shed assessed at a $16,000 value dizzy Looks like I'll contue to tarp the tops of my piles for awhile.

P.S. I do find a little wood a bit damp at the bottoms of my piles (on pallets), but overall its a small loss

Consider a metal carport. Open on 4 sides. About $800 around here for 18x21 installed.

 

[Rudedog]

I just cover the tops of my stacks I am going to burn this winter with 6 mil plastic sheeting with a few large rocks or old fence posts to keep it from blowing away just before the first rain of September.

 

[flyboy553]

As a rule, I do not cover my stacks of firewood. I just don't see the need for it. And I am in MN where it has been known to snow on occasion. Rain will only make the surface wet and does not penetrate the fibers of the wood. It will dry again in no time. Very important to get as much sun and wind as possible to the entire stack.

IF I had a wood shed, the wood would not be put in it until the moisture content was on average, below 22% MC. You will wait a long time for it to dry in a shed with no sun/wind exposure.

This fall I did try combining stacking and piling, and covering with a tarp, which is all in another thread. HUGE mistake on my part. Will never do that again!! I would put a link to that thread here if I just knew how!

Ted

 

[FLHX Storm]

As a rule, I do not cover my stacks of firewood. I just don't see the need for it. And I am in MN where it has been known to snow on occasion. Rain will only make the surface wet and does not penetrate the fibers of the wood. It will dry again in no time. Very important to get as much sun and wind as possible to the entire stack.

IF I had a wood shed, the wood would not be put in it until the moisture content was on average, below 22% MC. You will wait a long time for it to dry in a shed with no sun/wind exposure.

This fall I did try combining stacking and piling, and covering with a tarp, which is all in another thread. HUGE mistake on my part. Will never do that again!! I would put a link to that thread here if I just knew how!

Ted

No worries, I've been following the other thread and have posted a response there as well:
http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/216711.htm

I figure the more I glean from this site, the better informed decisions I will make in the future and perhaps keep me from making mistakes. Even correct the mistakes I'm making now.

 

[danthe]

I normally cut my firewood Jan-Feb and then carry it out, bucked and stack by end of June, my firewood will be well seasoned by fall. Once stacked I leave it uncovered all summer and put a tarp on at the end of Aug as the best of the drying season is over and also like other members have said it also serve to protect the wood from freezing rain and snow. I leave the tarp hang out on both side by 2 ft but I screw it on one feet down so when it is windy..(great for drying) you will see the side flap out but the top keep ant precipitation off.

I left it uncovered once a few years ago...never again. Handling icy and snow caked wood is a pain.

 

[Whitespider]

I'll be 55 in January... I've been burning wood for heat in the house since my early 20's (with a couple of short hiatuses). Before that, both my Granddad and dad burned wood in stoves and fireplaces; so really, I’ve been around in-home wood burning since I was wearing diapers. We never “covered” firewood, and I still don’t… with the exception of (sometimes) laying some old boards or such, only on the stack(s) I plan on using that heating season, just before first snow. I don’t do it to keep the wood “dry”, it’s more so I can easily throw the ice and snow off before hauling it to the house. Some years I don’t even bother with that and just brush the snow off when I do the cars. Granddad had a woodshed (lean-to) that he would move some fully seasoned firewood under just before first snow… but that was more to keep Grandma out of the weather when she stepped outside to grab an armload.

I’ve never had a problem with “wet” firewood. Sure, when it rains the top couple of rows and maybe the ends on one side of the stack (wind and rain) get a little wet, but it dries right off in a day or two… even in sub-zero weather. Rain water doesn’t “soak in”, heck most of it runs off and drips on the ground; and like I said, I rarely find wet wood any deeper than two or three rows anyway… even after three days of rain. Really, storing firewood in a shed or covering it just keeps the rain and snow off it… but it can’t stop damp, humid, foggy atmosphere from getting to the wood (unless your shed is climate controlled).

Until I joined AS I’d never heard of storing unseasoned (fresh-cut/split) firewood under cover or in a shed. A woodshed is where you stored the stuff after it had fully seasoned in the open for a couple years… and few people even bother with the shed anyway.

Take those covers off your firewood so it gets plenty of air and sun when it shines… it will stay dryer in the long-run. If ya’ know a healthy rainstorm is on the way just haul enough wood under cover to last for a couple days… and if ya’ don’t it ain’t a big deal… three rows down will be dry firewood, and the wet stuff will be dry tomorrow. Heck, haul some rain-wet firewood in the house and set it by the hot stove, it’ll be bone-dry in an hour or two… even less than an hour, depending. For that matter, just toss it in the hot stove; it ain’t like ya’ do it every day, and the wood is only “wet” on the outside… it ain’t like you’re tossing “green” firewood in there.

If ya’ want a woodshed then you should have one… but only use it to store fully seasoned firewood.
Personally, I don't care to handle and move mine that much.

 

[darkbyrd]

You aren't far from me, just higher elevation. Hi neighbor!

Just cover what you are about to use, when it is dry. If it is already seasoned, you can wrap it up tight. Surface moisture isn't a problem, but it does make it harder to get a fire going. I keep about 2 weeks worth on pallets near the door, and cover with a tarp when weather is expected. I have some lumber tarps I cut up and use on a couple of the stacks that will be coming to the house soon, so they are also dry. But I didn't cover anything until a month ago. I stack all my wood on pallets, sometimes 2 pallets high. Best thing I've done for getting and keeping the wood dry.

 

[stihl023/5]

I only cover the top to keep the snow and ice off.:msp_ohmy:

 

[Whitespider]

I only cover the top to keep the snow and ice off.

And there is considerable merit to doing that... if'n ya' live where snow and ice are commonplace and happen often enough to justify doing it. Normal years, 'round here, that would mean covering sometime after Thanksgiving.

 

[Freakingstang]

best thing is to let it air dry, uncovered out in the open.... Then before winter..cover just the top to keep fresh rain or snow off of it.. make sure you keep it off the ground. i use pallets on top of treated pressure treated 4x4's.

 

[stihl023/5]

I only cover in winter after it is moved near the house.

 

[slowp]

This all depends on your climate. If I can get the stack to stay upright I cover the just cut firewood with some sheets of metal roofing and then maybe a tarp on top of that. Sides are left open. Then, after sitting that way through the summer, I move it into a shed in the fall. It'll go in the back. So far, I've only used about half the wood in the shed during a full winter, so the next fall, that wood gets moved up to the front.

Wood won't get dry here if left uncovered. It rots. I made the mistake of throwing a tarp over what I'd thrown out of the pickup and split. After a couple of weeks, the wood was starting to grow fungi.

We have 9 months, or more, of wet weather. This year, we had a very dry August and September, and I uncovered the woodpile for that. I'm starting to ponder building another woodshed, but with all open sides on it.

We cut our firewood in the fall and winter months and that is for burning in the winter after the winter. Confused yet?

Oops. That's the unseasoned stuff. It is seasoning. The year old stuff definitely goes into my converted woodshed complete with a plywood floor. Seasoned wood has to be under some kind of rain protection, or it isn't seasoned.