Red oak (grrr)

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Ram 1500 with an axe... said:
WHen you get ahead it just isn't necessary...
Click to expand...
And like i said not everyone has the space to get very far ahead I have space for about 8 cords i need 6 or so a year so i can have some oak hickory and locust going for longer but i need to get my cherry ash and maple dry in a year. I just dont see why if you are trying to get something to dry out why you would let it get wet. Moisture is not going to migrate out of the wood when the surface is wet.
 
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I got ya, we are all different and get different results....
 
I try to cover mine as soon as I get it stacked. I like to stack single deep too. 24 inches long.
 
This is how I keep my wood dry for the burning season, I have 3 large garbage cans in my garage near basement that I keep full at all times and pull from them to feed the stove, I fill the outside space the first week of September and it keeps completely dry, I have so much wind that those tarps can be seen flying around during the winter. This area gets filled with wood under 20% dry wood.....
I'm not burning as much as my friend bholler so we all have different needs but this is a great way for me that works very well, I've experimented the last three years and this is the winner... Experience is the best teacher sometimes....
image.jpg image.jpg
 
Dune said:
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.
Click to expand...

Dune, I back you up 100%. Any red oak I have left uncovered for several years, which I have, has had some degree of rot in the sapwood. From my experience I will go further and say with red oak, even if you topcover, after 5 to 7 years you will have considerable rot where the water runs down the side and soaks in under the bark. Pretty good firewood otherwise.
 
Dune said:
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.
Click to expand...
I split fresh cut red oak a little over a year ago. Burning like a champ now. Just stacked outdoors with a loose fit cover on the top of the stack and all wood about 6" off the ground.
 
seabert said:
I split fresh cut red oak a little over a year ago. Burning like a champ now. Just stacked outdoors with a loose fit cover on the top of the stack and all wood about 6" off the ground.
Click to expand...
You think it is burning good now, try seasoning it for 3 or more years.
 
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