Red oak (grrr)

[Dune]

So I am burning a five plus year old plus stack.

The maple, juniper, pine, (white and pitch) are all fine.

The red oak is coming in punky and wet.

I didn't cover the stack until late fall.

I likely will have half of this stack still at the end of the season.

I will then restack into the wood shed.

I hate restacking, but 9 months in the wood shed will save this wood, and give me a heck of a nice fuel next winter.

Freaking red oak. Super abundant on Ole Cape Cod, easy splitting, good BTU content, but wants to return to the dirt.

Well, another lesson learned. Segregate the species, all red oak goes in the shed.

Also I figured out it is time to build another shed, one for loading, one for burning out of.

Somehow I got by all these years with the one shed, every other year working off a covered stack instead.

Did I mention I hate restacking?

Haven't had locust or white oak in years now, have to adapt or be cold.

 

[Dune]

My new shed plan involves using old fiberglass prams for the roof. Been thinking about it for years, haven't totally fathomed construction method yet. Probably just some poles at each end.

 

[pen]

I'm debating building a second shed as well. I hate restacking, but what I hate more is messing with snow covered / frozen tarps in the winter.

Right now, I can keep about 1.5+ years worth in my "shed" (under my deck) and keep another year's worth out in the yard. Each spring, what is out in the yard gets brought in under the deck, and I work to refill out in the yard.

I debated burning what was out in the yard around new year's so I wouldn't have to re-stack, but the moisture meter proved to me that doing so was going to be disappointing.

 

[Typ0]

I am in the process of trying to figure out what to do about this situation too. Restacking sounds like such a silly proposition. Still, I have some great sun out in the yard but it's away from the house ... so I want to take advantage of that but not have my wood way over there when the season comes. My problem is I don't even know if it matters!

I can think of different configurations. My back porch is pretty big and has doors on both sides...my best scenario is stack 6 cord on one side and 6 cord on the other. Pull from one side a year and then fill er up in the spring. That would give a good 1.75 years seasoning for all the wood at least...some of it would be getting twice that. Sounds like a winner...but the one side of the house gets very little sun and is very damp. That is the part that concerns me.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

5 year old oak should be good to go unless you didn't stack it properly, meaning single row in the sun and wind.....
What went wrong?

 

[Chimney Smoke]

Has it been sitting for 5 years uncovered?

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

All my wood stays uncovered till I'm ready ready to move it to the area that I use to burn for that year.... My red oak dried in 2 years due to handling it properly, I did cut it on the thinner side but I wanted it dry, now that I'm 3 plus years ahead I cut larger....

 

[Dune]

5 year old oak should be good to go unless you didn't stack it properly, meaning single row in the sun and wind.....
What went wrong?

Seasoned then got wet and started rotting. All rows are at fence line, little choice there.
Like I said, all the species are fine with this treatment except the red oak. Too prone to rotting.

 

[Dune]

Has it been sitting for 5 years uncovered?

At least. Maybe six.

 

[Dune]

All my wood stays uncovered till I'm ready ready to move it to the area that I use to burn for that year.... My red oak dried in 2 years due to handling it properly, I did cut it on the thinner side but I wanted it dry, now that I'm 3 plus years ahead I cut larger....

Well now you know that it may start rotting..

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Even though you hate restocking, if it were me, I would restack all non rotted wood in early spring in a spot that will get sun and wind, keep an eye on it by testing and make a decision by the end of August.... Do you have a moisture meter?

 

[Typ0]

you said you were going to restack in the wood shed...rot is rot is that ever going to be any good?

 

[bholler]

I top cover as soon as i split it i know wood can dry without being coverd but I found it dries allot faster if you keep it dry

 

[Dune]

you said you were going to restack in the wood shed...rot is rot is that ever going to be any good?

you said you were going to restack in the wood shed...rot is rot is that ever going to be any good?

Oark is funny. You can have and inch of punch and then solid wood. I don't mind a little punk on the outside at all as long as it is dry.
The rot will stop as soon as the wood dries out from being in the shed. It is already very seasoned so drying for 9 months would make awesome fuel.

 

[Dune]

I top cover as soon as i split it i know wood can dry without being coverd but I found it dries allot faster if you keep it dry

Yep, that was often my way. This pile is an experiment, since so many were touting the benefits of un-covered piles, I figured I would try it.
All part of the great learning curve for me. I have actually lost red oak before, at the bottom of a five year old pile of unprocessed stuff.
All the locust was perfect, the red oak had rotted. I had gotten such a mountain of wood from one big storm that it took 5 years to process it all.

 

[bholler]

All the locust was perfect

Yeah the locust wont rot at all. I dont have room to get as far ahead as id like so i have to do everything i can to speed up drying.

 

[Chimney Smoke]

I wouldn't leave any wood uncovered for 5 years and expect it not to rot. I usually leave uncovered for the first year and then top covered after that.

 

[Dune]

Even though you hate restocking, if it were me, I would restack all non rotted wood in early spring in a spot that will get sun and wind, keep an eye on it by testing and make a decision by the end of August.... Do you have a moisture meter?

This wood is thoroughly seasoned, it just needs to dry.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Holding your rounds and splits in an improper way will result in rot, stacking in the sun and wind with no top cover will not....

 

[Dune]

I wouldn't leave any wood uncovered for 5 years and expect it not to rot. I usually leave uncovered for the first year and then top covered after that.

Good thought. Sometimes the obvious gets lost. Thanks.

 

[Dune]

Holding your rounds and splits in an improper way will result in rot, stacking in the sun and wind with no top cover will not....

My wood pile begs to differ.
Perhaps our respective environments differ significantly as well?

 

[bholler]

I really don't see the benefit of not top covering unless you live in an area with very little precipitation.

 

[husky345 vermont resolute]

As soon as my wood is split and piled on skids the top gets covered with steel roofing. I find this method to work out great for me and the wood seems to dry quite fast.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

I really don't see the benefit of not top covering unless you live in an area with very little precipitation.

WHen you get ahead it just isn't necessary.... This maple I split extra big because I finally don't have to worry about needing it, it won't see a cover till it's in line to be burned for the year. I get all sorts of weather but when you stack like this uncovered red oak only takes 2 years to be under 20%........

 

[bholler]

I get all sorts of weather but when you stack like this uncovered red oak only takes 2 years to be under 20%........

If i don't cover i don't get much of anything under 20% in 2 years. But covered i can get most stuff down in a year