To cover or not to cover

The only wood that I cover is what I'm going to be burning this season. Anything that is for next season or the following season is in the wind and sun even during the winter months. I normally cover the wood that I am going to use in the late summer months.

For my wood that is seasoning over the winter (and will not be used this winter) I just cover the top of the stacks with roofing tin to keep most of the rain and snow off of it. That leaves the sides of the stacks open to wind, air and the sun.

1970roadrunner said:

For my wood that is seasoning over the winter (and will not be used this winter) I just cover the top of the stacks with roofing tin to keep most of the rain and snow off of it. That leaves the sides of the stacks open to wind, air and the sun.

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Roofing tin?

I top cover it all, getting sick of tarps though, I'm on the hunt for some used roofing tin.

I have two pile rotations, one I cover and one I don't. The first year, I leave it uncovered. The second year (in the fall, usually September) I cover the stacks until the next September when I bring the wood into my barns. I don't cover both years because I don't have enough old steel roofing material to cover both stacks.

What about rubber roof materiel. Its pretty heavy, waterproof.

mass_burner said:

What about rubber roof materiel. Its pretty heavy, waterproof.

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I'd scoop that up in a heartbeat, but it's easier to find tin off old barns than rubber.

mass_burner said:

Roofing tin?

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For air drying hardwood lumber here in Michigan I came across a few lead printing plates many years ago to cover the tops of my stacks. It's almost like roofing tin but has pictures of Kellogg's Corn Flakes boxes and others with Tony the Tiger on them.....they must have come from Battle Creek. For wood junks at our summer home in Newfoundland I don't even think of covering them. Newfoundland is the wind capitol of the world and anything put on top of my stacks would wind up in Ireland.

ChipTam

Sniper8541 said:

Off topic but, what do you guys think about burning mahogany decking? It was stained once, never sealed.

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Stained wood would not be on my list to burn. Painted, treated or stained wood can give off toxic fumes and may damage a cat stove.

McKeznak said:

I'd scoop that up in a heartbeat, but it's easier to find tin off old barns than rubber.

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Rubber is nice but tin would direct the water farther away from the pile. Given a choice i would use TIn though i have a lot of rubber.

We've gotten up to 3 years' worth of firewood stacked now. I remember Dad telling me years ago that you don't need to cover wood until a month or so before you'll be using it. So the only stack that's top covered is the one we're burning this winter.

I don't top cover . . . but I also leave my wood outside for a year or two before moving it to the woodshed where it sits for another year before use (thanks to a large woodshed which holds enough wood for two years of burning.)

Fred Wright said:

We've gotten up to 3 years' worth of firewood stacked now. I remember Dad telling me years ago that you don't need to cover wood until a month or so before you'll be using it. So the only stack that's top covered is the one we're burning this winter.

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Fred Wright, be care. I am now burning from wood stacked in 2007 that actually was top covered two or three years ago. The red oak has rotted pretty bad in places, while the black cherry, black walnut, persimmon and red maple are doing pretty good. PS. I love my Husky 353

I never cover my wood that is drying, I do stack in single rows in the sun and wind and my wood drys quicker than most reported here. I do cover my wood that will be used for this years burning, really cover it, I learned a hard lesson last year that snow and rain can also travel sideways......

I'm new to this all but have loads of roofing tin lying in a pile from the previous owner of this house. I cover all my stacks with the roofing tin, works well for me.

Sniper8541 said:

Off topic but, what do you guys think about burning mahogany decking? It was stained once, never sealed.

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How much ate we talking about? I make stuff out it, its a beautiful wood, sanded with some boiled linseed oil or penefin on it.

I agree with the replies to leave what is seasoning and not to be used this year out in the elements. I believe that exposure helps with the seasoning process.

I think it is area dependant. In my part of the world we get lots of rain/snow and not enough sunny days. I'm in the woods as well, so my property doesn't get a ton of sun even on sunny days.
If my wood isn't covered it gets moldly.

Leave mine uncovered until mid August before burning.
Ran out of covered seasoned shoulder stove wood a couple weeks ago (first time ever) and regret not having more undercover.
Even wet seasoned wood sucks !

I took extra precaution this year on keeping my red to burn wood dry.....

I top cover my wood that is not in the wood shed. I think it dries quicker. Even though I tend to still leave it sit for a couple years. I guess it is whatever works for you.