The Do's and Don'ts of Storing Next Years Firewood

[Baconaman]

This is our 2nd winter heating our home and domestic water with an outdoor wood furnace. The title makes it look like I am here to offer some expertise however I am really looking for it.

We primarily burn Doug Fir and Red Alder because that is what is available where we live. We live in the coast range in Oregon and it is technically considered a temperate rain forest so it is a very moist area - moss, ferns, green green green. I was barely staying ahead of our needs last year and found myself searching for the next dead standing in order to keep warm. I am mostly set for this winter as I acquired a bunch of 2 year old rounds, logs, etc - slash a lot would call it or pulp ingredients as Weyerhaeuser calls it, from a landing nearby. Wow, this is taking way longer to explain than I anticipated! Anyway, I buddy of mine manages some apartments in town and they cut down a bunch of ornamental plum trees that were pretty good size. It looks like I may be able to get 2-3 cord out of it. I don't have the barn space right now so I was hoping to just dump it in a pile and deal with it in the spring. We can get snow for 2-6 weeks during the winter but none so far this year so I can't always count on frozen ground. Soooooooooo.............. am I going to ruin the wood by dumping it and leaving it uncovered on the ground until spring?

 

[johnnyballs]

the wood i've cut and split from ornamental plum trees around here ( some call them sand cherries ) doesn't hold up that well in my experience, but i would definitely keep the wood off the ground on pallets or whatever, and maybe just cover the top of the pile...good luck.

 

[LondonNeil]

The Prunus I've had seems to stay wet, rots and didn't burn. This was only small pieces of branch at 'no split' size though. I'm guessing it's like birch in that the bark is so waterproof it doesn't dry unless split, split should be ok though hopefully. So don't leave it too long before you split.

 

[sunfish]

Split and stack off the ground is the best bet in all cases.

 

[svk]

I do not know about your specific species in question but I'd try to make time to process it before the snow flies. The longer you can have your wood stacked out of the elements the better.

 

[NSMaple1]

The answer to the question is - maybe.

 

[sirbuildalot]

In my experience,

A few key things are very important for drying firewood.

* Keep the wood in an open and sunny area
* Do not stack the wood multiple rows deep, unless you keep a space between rows. If you do the middle rows wont dry well
* Keep off the ground with skids, pallets, runners, etc.
* Cover the top only not the sides. Otherwise the moisture will get trapped in
* Stack as neat as possible to avoid tip overs

 

[TimberWolf530]

While the previously given advice is all good, and that would be the best thing to do. To answer your question if it will be OK on the ground for a few months, the wood will most likely be fine if you cannot stack it properly until spring. I am not familiar with the species you have, but no wood I've ever seen is going to rot that fast. The main problem you will run into if you leave it like that is that it will get pretty dirty. While you CAN leave it if you have to, you will be happier in the long run if you put it up.

 

[c5rulz]

It's is not firewood till it's SPLIT!!!!!!!!!!!

It won't begin to season until it is. Nuff said.

 

[unclemoustache]

Good advice here. Only issue about keeping wood in a sunny place means that the OP will have to move. Portland is drizzly and overcast for about 9 months of the year.

Be that as it may, I would recommend moving. Portland isn't worth it and Slowp doesn't like having you live there, but she's not here on AS anymore.

 

[cantoo]

Thanks for reminding me of that Uncle, it's been a busy week already and it's always nice to remember good things. I've said it before I don't hate many people but her, yeah.

Like mentioned I would at least stack it off the ground on pallets. I would stack pallets 2 or 3 high in the sunniest spot you can find, cover the top and hope for the best.

 

[muddstopper]

Slowp is gone????? What, when, how??. did she get caught up with Senator's Conyers and Franklin in some scandel.

 

[LuDookie]

I wouldn't worry too much over it. Keep it off the ground and it should be ok. I just stack all my wood on the ground and usually just rotate what's on bottom when I get to it to the top of my ugly's pile for a day or two. But, it's so dry where I live, the pine dang near splits itself in about 6 months.

 

[unclemoustache]

Not to hijack the thread, but I actually liked slowp. I didn't agree with her on most things, but deep down she had a warm side and a sense of humor. She named her rescued dog "The Used Dog."

 

[Baconaman]

Thanks for all the opinions and advice. The plan is to dump this and the next couple loads on a combination of pallets and cement pavers and process it sometime in February - probably a little too aggressive of a time frame considering everything else going on but at least it's a plan. The ground around here is just too wet to dump it on the ground and not get to it soon enough. Somewhere up the thread someone mentioned handling the wood too many times which is absolutely true, but until the pole barn/garage/shop or whatever you want to call it is built, the old barn will be full of stuff instead of wood, and handling the wood too much is inevitably going to happen.

 

[svk]

Not to hijack the thread, but I actually liked slowp. I didn't agree with her on most things, but deep down she had a warm side and a sense of humor. She named her rescued dog "The Used Dog."

She hated me for a few reasons, but the main reason was because I was the (un)lucky moderator who drew the short straw to force a cease fire between her and Olyman's incessant war of words in here. PS don't ever volunteer to be a moderator of an online forum, it's a thankless job where you get blamed for everything whether you were involved or not.

She seems like a good person who has some trust/anger/resentment issues and felt the need to bully people online. I hear from reputable sources that shes a good person in real life.

 

[MountainHigh]

wet wet wet - moisture makes all the difference when wood is on the ground.

In my neck of the woods (similar temperate rain forest but a little to your north) I've had softwood show signs of mold and softening in as little as 3 months on wet bare ground.

on the other hand, I have kept un-split rounds on palettes with tarps covering the wood to keep rain off, but making sure to not stop the flow of air under the palettes, for 2+ years with zero issues. This is what I do when I don't have the time to split and stack.

 

[Baconaman]

wet wet wet - moisture makes all the difference when wood is on the ground.

In my neck of the woods (similar temperate rain forest but a little to your north) I've had softwood show signs of mold and softening in as little as 3 months on wet bare ground.

on the other hand, I have kept un-split rounds on palettes with tarps covering the wood to keep rain off, but making sure to not stop the flow of air under the palettes, for 2+ years with zero issues. This is what I do when I don't have the time to split and stack.

Thanks MountainHigh, yours is the confirmation I needed since your experience is most like what I am up against.

 

[unclemoustache]

She hated me for a few reasons, but the main reason was because I was the (un)lucky moderator who drew the short straw to force a cease fire between her and Olyman's incessant war of words in here. PS don't ever volunteer to be a moderator of an online forum, it's a thankless job where you get blamed for everything whether you were involved or not.

She seems like a good person who has some trust/anger/resentment issues and felt the need to bully people online. I hear from reputable sources that shes a good person in real life.

Well, Oly is another radical troublemaker who says nothing but hurtful comments.
And I think we are all a bit different in real life. Maybe even Oly.

 

[svk]

Well, Oly is another radical troublemaker who says nothing but hurtful comments.
And I think we are all a bit different in real life. Maybe even Oly.

You probably wouldn't believe me but he is a really good guy in person. I have delivered saws to him that he bought from near my home and dropped them off on my way to a GTG.