where did I go wrong and now what

Your best bet is to get it stacked inside the stove room for as long as you can before you burn it. Your method of stacking wood will be an ongoing problem in regards to seasoning your wood properly. In other words, you would probably be better off burning in 1 year with single rows than 2 years with three rows packed.. Just my opinion.

If your maple is in windy and sunny location it won't get punky, just better.

tumm21 said:

My stacks are on pallets 3 rows deep stacked pretty tight but I dont have the room to stack it any other way.

Click to expand...

Was it at least top-covered? Multiple rows tight against each other without anything covering the tops is asking for problems.

Jon1270 said:

Was it at least top-covered? Multiple rows tight against each other without anything covering the tops is asking for problems.

Click to expand...

Nobody has ever told my wood that so it doesn't know any better. This is our normal stacking method:

Backwoods Savage said:

Nobody has ever told my wood that so it doesn't know any better.

Click to expand...

What's your point? Both of your pics show top-covered stacks.

tumm21 said:

Hey guys. I have been burning 2 year split and stacked silver maple since November. I have had no problem with it until now. I seem to have gotten into part of the pile that is heavier and almost like it is frozen within. Now when I burn I am having a hard time keeping temps up. I have to run the stove with the damper open. I have white oak and honey locust that I am saving for next year due to it only being seasoned about 14 months. I tried burning some of the oak but it hisses a little but still burns a hell of alot hotter than the maple. The oak hisses for a couple minutes and then its fine. What should I do. My stacks are on pallets 3 rows deep stacked pretty tight but I dont have the room to stack it any other way. Im afraid the maple will get punky if I leave it another summer. Should I keep burning the oak or maple or honey locust or mix it all. I am trying hard to get my wood seasoned 2 full summers.

Click to expand...

Burning firewood is like anything else in life - you do the best you can with what you have.

EASY RULE OF THUMB #1: Burn the driest wood you have now. Don't get hung up on "this year" and "next year" and so forth. If "next years" wood is drier, burn it "this year"

Jon1270 said:

What's your point? Both of your pics show top-covered stacks.

Click to expand...

Jon, my point is not the top covered stacks. You know I do that. My point was on the multiple rows not drying. I have never had any problem with it.

Backwoods Savage said:

Nobody has ever told my wood that so it doesn't know any better. This is our normal stacking method:

Click to expand...

Stacks look good to me!

Enjoy them! I am not finding fault. I am trying to help.

With multiple rows close together, I've found that cross stacking helps a heck of a lot in drying. Wood needs air movement throughout the stacks... and closely stacked wood doesn't always get the air flow it needs.

Besides, the center row gets no sun exposure at all.

tumm21 said:

Wow slow down guys. No fighting lol. My stacks are not top covered until November. Should I top cover immediately? Either way I am doomed for this year.

Click to expand...

Ah, who is fighting. I haven't spotted that.

As for that center row getting no sunshine, I don't even care if any of the rows get sunshine. As for that center row not drying, would someone please explain to me why, when we stack 3 rows together, do all 3 rows dry at the same rate? I could give many examples but one should do the trick nicely. In most years we stack in spring and then top cover just before snow. That way all 3 rows have a full chance of evaporation of the moisture; none is locked in and can go up and out. After a year, we find all 3 rows at the same height. After 2 and 3 years we find the same situation. Now if that center row did not get the moisture out, would not that center row not be at the same height? For example, when we top cover we normally find that all 3 rows measure approximately 4' in height or a bit over. All were stacked at 4 1/2' in the spring. The same situation after a year and after 2 years and after 3 years or more. All rows will still measure at the same height because all rows have lost the same amount of moisture (hence the shrinkage).

It does not bother me if some do not believe and you can continue to stack as you please. All I am saying is that stacking the 3 rows together has no effect on drying the wood at our place. However, if that wood were stacked up against a building or fence, then I would expect different results.

I don't think changing stack height has much to do with moisture loss - rather it's just the wood settling. When I put fully dried wood in the basement in one big 6 or 7 cord cube, it also settles, all over.

Also, Jon above said 'tight against each other'. I don't think yours is stacked tight so it should get some drying in the middle. I agree with Jon, multiple rows stacked tight will hinder drying of the inner rows.

Neighbor down the road has a big nice house that his only heat is two wood inserts. He cuts almost exclusively oak. He stacks it in long tight rows with no top covering and the oak he cuts in march he burns that winter. He says it works fine for him, been doing it that way for 30 years and I was not about to argue if you know what I mean. Different strokes for different folks. Personally, if I was stacking several rows together, and I have, I would want to give at least one/two feet between the rows for ideal air circulation. And if I was going to burn it that winter I wouldn't even bother to top cover. If I was letting it dry for two years or more I would top cover soon after stacking. Just my opinion.

I find places within my stacks where the wood didn't season as well as other places. Sometimes this is in the middle, sometimes near the edge. I'd put aside any really wet maple and keep going through the stack expecting you'll find better wood in another part of the stack. Leave the wet stuff for next year or at least later this year.

I have most of my wood stacked two rows deep up against a cinder block retainer wall on my property. I built shed roofs off the retainer wall so the wood is covered, but I leave the stacks a few inches below the roofs so air can circulate a bit. I'm able to let the wood season for three years and the open side of the wood faces south, so I get sun almost year round on the open face. Most of my wood is oak and cut in big splits and seems to dry out pretty well. I've burned some of it in just one year on occasion without much of a problem, but for sure it burns better the longer it can season.

I definitely wouldn't burn the oak, the locust might be ok, as far as the maple I'd bring it in and set it near the stove to dry out before putting in, try that and see how it burns.
I stack three rows deep on pallets and my wood seasons just fine, I don't buy the middle rows don't season philosophy. I leave it uncovered for a year then top cover til I burn it.

maple1 said:

I don't think changing stack height has much to do with moisture loss - rather it's just the wood settling. When I put fully dried wood in the basement in one big 6 or 7 cord cube, it also settles, all over.

Also, Jon above said 'tight against each other'. I don't think yours is stacked tight so it should get some drying in the middle. I agree with Jon, multiple rows stacked tight will hinder drying of the inner rows.

Click to expand...

Sorry, moisture loss does make a big difference. Yes, the wood could settle some but not a large amount and certainly no 6". I have always stated that we do not attempt to stack really tight as that defeats what you are attempting to accomplish. Air circulation is the key and if the wood is too tight, you won't get as much circulation.

I still maintain a shrinking pile is getting more of that shrinking from just settling than moisture loss. Especially if stacked loose to start with - more air spaces for it to settle into.

Roughly speaking, hard maple shrinks around 3% tangentially and 2% radially from around 30% MC to 18% MC. It doesn't shrink any getting down to around 30%.

So a solid round 4' in diameter would shrink an inch. Add in the air spaces in a stack of smaller stuff 4' high & there is less potential for wood shrinkage.

Sorry, maybe we'll just have to agree to disagree.

That is 60' long and 4-5 rows deep w/o any top cover. I may get some roofing material eventually to top cover some of it -but maybe not. If it ain't broke don't fix it theory. Note how it is all the same level throughout depending on 1/2/3yr age noted by color. It looses moisture equally for me and sticks from the center are within .1-.2 on the meter give or TAKE. If it was effecting the moisture loss rate the center would have a noticeable hump I suspect. I know Dennis was making this point and has many times. That center section is mostly in my basement or into the atmosphere at this point and I have at least twice that bucked and ready to be split to replace it in the spring. I am fortunate to have a lot of open space to get my friend the wind to go to work which allows me to go uncovered without any trouble so far. Time will tell. That is 90% ash - all my oak gets stacked in it's own lonely, arrogant pile.

Tumm21, I dont think you went wrong. If you tried a cheap meter to determine which wood was actually drier, it would just confirm your suspicions.
I constructed 2 facecord racks inside my house . Its a little redneck, but reserves my premium wood. Plus a log hoop that holds another .25 facecord.
So I had 2.25 facecords inside exposed to wood heat. This solution may finish off your maple.
If the oak is drier..by all means...finish the maple by cooking it with oak heat.

maple1 said:

I still maintain a shrinking pile is getting more of that shrinking from just settling than moisture loss. Especially if stacked loose to start with - more air spaces for it to settle into.

Roughly speaking, hard maple shrinks around 3% tangentially and 2% radially from around 30% MC to 18% MC. It doesn't shrink any getting down to around 30%.

So a solid round 4' in diameter would shrink an inch. Add in the air spaces in a stack of smaller stuff 4' high & there is less potential for wood shrinkage.

Sorry, maybe we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Click to expand...

No need to be sorry. But would you please explain to me this settling of the wood?



The stack of wood the ugly guy is leaning on was stacked in April 2009. The stack on the right is that same stack. The measurements were taken only on the cribbed ends. You will notice that the cribbed ends were mostly all rectangle shaped. Does one of those flat rectangular splits settle into the one below it? The measurements were also not taken from the ground to the top of the stack but rather from the bottom split to the top split. Where did they settle?

BobUrban said:

That is 60' long and 4-5 rows deep w/o any top cover.

Click to expand...

Damn impressive ... a stack like that would consume 1/2 my backyard.

Craig - this is my method of limiting my mowing time. The more wood I can get stacked out there the less time I spend mowing all summer. Well that and it really helps my OCD personality to have a productive project to do all winter. I used to get it all split and stacked by April but now that I am a few years ahead I think I will take a different approach and just work on the SS portion of CSS as I want all spring/summer until I get it done. I need better pics but to the left and right of my wood cutting pal and over the top of him in the second pic you can see some of the ash and cherry waiting to be split with plenty more to come. As the saying goes here: "get it before it rots"

Lots more ash and cherry down behind the house to gather this winter.