The value of covering wood piles

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Constrictor said:
I think the only value in top covering is if you need that particular wood in the next 7 days.
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Wrong again - been there, done that, still does't burn right after 7 days.
It must be a climate thing.
 
I think I've done a 180 on this. I used to think that it was unnecessary while in seasoning mode, when it's stacked out in the yard to dry long before you're planning to burn it. But my feeling now is simply that covering it can't hurt.

I have a bunch of old rubber roofing strips I bought from a guy last year, and they're better at staying in place than tarps. So there's not a lot of extra work involved in covering.
 
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Cant believe the "climate" in Ma in that much different, I can remember years were we had all sorts of rain and flooding and my wood was fine, the only time I have ever had mushrooms was on some punky wood that held moisture. Sure loose bark traps moisture but it dries out fairly quickly, it is quite windy here most of the time but not so much in the summer but maybe more so than where some of you are at.
 
I have had absolutely horrible results with 2 year old uncovered wood (mostly Beech). I almost gave up on burning wood for heat.

After top covering, it was like a switch got thrown, no more sizzling, cat lights right off, no more coaling problem, and much more heat. Oh yea, and now I clean the flue less often.
 
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I don't stack in single rows. It's hard enough for me to keep my wife happy with 20+ cord on the lot. Single rows would result in Alimony Payments, which I hear are more expensive than heating oil.

But I do try to keep the rows at least 10 inches apart.
 
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I'm sure wood seasons just fine without top cover (to a point and I sure wouldn't try it in say Seattle). But, considering only the top row, maybe two,would benefit from the extra sun that leaving the top cover off affords, I don't think I can be convinced that not top covering has any benefit. Yes, surface moisture will dry off but surface moisture won't need to dry off if it never gets there in the first place. It is just completely logical to me that if you take two identicle stacks of wood, top cover one and not the other, the covered one will be drier and last much longer. Will the uncovered one be burnable in a year or two? In most places, I'm sure it would. Would the top covered one be drier? In most places, I'm sure it would. The really isn't a right or wrong here, though. Either way will "work".
 
oldspark said:
Cant believe the "climate" in Ma in that much different, I can remember years were we had all sorts of rain and flooding and my wood was fine, the only time I have ever had mushrooms was on some punky wood that held moisture. Sure loose bark traps moisture but it dries out fairly quickly, it is quite windy here most of the time but not so much in the summer but maybe more so than where some of you are at.
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It indeed is much different out east. It is amazing how wet it can be out there. Here in MI we get more than most of Iowa but get further east and Wow! Even Indiana and Ohio get much more than we do. Get into Pa and east and it is a whole different story. We've been to our son's place in Pa several times and I am always amazed at the difference.
 
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BWS, like I said we have had very wet years here and could not tell any difference from the dry ones and we have went from one extreme to the other several times in the last 35 years that I have burnt wood.
 
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Backwoods Savage said:
It is a pretty well accepted fact that the eastern states do need to cover right after splitting. As you move west, we do not get nearly as much rain as the eastern states. We have a son living in PA and it is amazing to us just how much rain falls out there. Most of the time when it rains here, it rains for that day or at most, 2 days. That is usually followed by some strong NW wind that is really dry and indeed, less than 24 hours after a big rain, our wood will be dry. Wood is not a sponge unless it is punky. So it takes a lot of water to soak into stacked wood....but it can happen. So it is not costly and does not take much time to top cover the wood. However, I shudder every time I hear of someone covering wood when it rains then uncovering. Then covering again. That would get tiring very fast! Just top cover it and leave it. Let the wind do the drying.
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I cover an uncover to keep the varmints out. Makes the stacks less hospitable to them. My set up, takes me a few minutes max, morning and evening. Do it before the dog's first walk, and after his last walk....
 
No doubt. I have stacks that were top covered and the snows came fairly deep.....the sides have snow on the ends...but since the tops are dry the wood burns great. I had a last minute brain storm when I built my garage this summer. I had them add a 4 foot overhang so I can easily fit multiple 9 x 4 pallets under the overhang...so now I just reach out of the garage and grab some splits. I cannot get all of my wood under there but it is good for 5-6 cords.
 
It rains here October to May. No way I'd leave my wood out without covering it.
 
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blacktail said:
It rains here October to May. No way I'd leave my wood out without covering it.
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You get a pass because you live in Washington state.;lol
 
I intend to improve my wood storage arrangement when the weather warms up. My hope is to just add strips of some sort of roofing over each row. What I'm wondering is, is an overhang a significant benefit? I'd rather avoid having one, since any overhang will make it harder to walk between the rows.
 
There are those who claim they have been burning freshly cut wood for 30+ years and see no problem, so I suppose it makes sense there are also those who claim not covering wood is perfectly acceptable.

All I can say is that for my particulars of climate, woodstove and draft, it is extremely necessary for me to season my wood while top covered for 2+ years before burning it, unless it's oak and then it's 3 years. Otherwise, like I said earlier, I would be burning expensive heating oil out of frustration.
 
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Old spark and I live in the same area and I'm with him: no cover necessary here. We get plenty of wind year round and less than 30 inches of rain a year.

I did cover one stack once with tin and a bunch of bricks. Then about two months later a big wind storm took it off and half the stack fell over. I don't cover anymore.

I do have an old grain bin that I opened the top on and leave the door open and load up with wood that has less than 25 % moisture when cut (dead standing). It does dry in there too, just not as fast. It is nice though to not have to dig through ice and snow though so I will concede that a covered wood shed with open sides is best, I just don't want to pay for it.
 
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Dennis makes a good point. (He has been known to do that on occasion) :)

Out East we get days, sometimes a full week of rain, and then to make matters worse it can stay sticky, humid and windless (and cloudy) for days. My situation is even worse again since we have hills blocking the wind and lots of tall trees blocking the sun.

So bottom line: Do whatever works for you.
 
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I top cover because I am a rookie burner and don't know what is best yet. :confused:
Interesting thread. I'll have to try an uncovered stack whenever I fully get ahead!

Bruce
 
"There are those who claim they have been burning freshly cut wood for 30+ years and see no problem, so I suppose it makes sense there are also those who claim not covering wood is perfectly acceptable."
I hope you are not comparing us to them, I dont take wet wood into the house (sounds like some here have) and I have never talked to anybody that has burnt freshly cut wood for 30 years, more than likely they have had a few chimney fire and think that part of the wood burning expeirence.
 
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When you live in the middle of 1000's of acres of cornfields it's pretty tough to keep a cover on yer woodpiles. The plus is that what with some 40 mph winds it dries out faster. Folks been burnin wood since the begining of time to keep warm with and cook over. It really aint no big mystery I'm thinkin.
 
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fire_man said:
Dennis makes a good point. (He has been known to do that on occasion) :)

Out East we get days, sometimes a full week of rain, and then to make matters worse it can stay sticky, humid and windless (and cloudy) for days. My situation is even worse again since we have hills blocking the wind and lots of tall trees blocking the sun.

So bottom line: Do whatever works for you.
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fire_ man you you are getting wiser by the day
 
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