I know a wood shed would be best, but that isn't possible for my wife and I right now. I was wondering the next best way to store wood that I will be burning over the winter months. As of now I'm going to put tarps over the wood, then bring the wood inside about a week before I actually burn it to be sure it's dry. All of the split wood is below 20%. Will tarps be ok? And for tarps should I just put it over the top of the stacks or cover the whole stack? Thanks for any advice!
Wood storage over winter
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bioman
Feeling the Heat
HowieSubGuy
Member
FWIW, I would also recommend bringing in only enough wood that you will burn in the next 48hrs. If you leave wood inside too long, the bugs taking refuge inside the wood might be tricked into believing that there is an early spring, and you don't want larvae/bugs/spiders greeting the Mrs.
Just sayin'.
Just sayin'.
Seanm
Minister of Fire
I dont have a wood shed and keep my double row stacks outside on pallets top covered. I will sometimes drop the sides of the tarps down if I foresee lots of fall rain or driving snow but most of the winter its top cover only. Honestly most of the snow will evaporate that gets into some of the cracks in your stacks but a full blown blizzard will drive it right in there which I dont want. If you are below freezing most of the winter then wet ends or a bit of snow around the edges will blow off or evaporate. Fully covering your stacks with tarps for the entire winter may allow them to pick up some moisture.
Throw a couple of pallets on top of the piles with a bit of slant. If you can find some steel roofing it would work great, especially if you have it overhand the sides of the stack, otherwise overhang the pallets over the sides and attach a tarp over the top of the pallet leaving the gap open to the air. I have wood shed for my current winter wood but it doesn't store all the wood. I have stacks on either side covered as described, once the woodshed empties out I pick a nice winters day and move one of the stacks indoors.
Fred Wright
Minister of Fire
A wood shed is good to have but it's not a necessity. Covering the tops of your stacks will serve. You can get a shed built later. No need to cover the sides, a top cover only will shed the elements and keep your firewood nice and dry.
Most any waterproof material will do for covers. I prefer 6 mil plastic sheeting myself, it's inexpensive and does a good job. When it gets tears and holes, toss it and replace with new. Over time it's cheaper than buying those inexpensive tarps every year.
Don't forget to weigh the cover down so the wind won't blow it away. Odd-shaped pieces, uglies and shorts will hold a cover in place if you use enough of them. Tent it slightly along the centerline and you'll avoid puddles that become ice blocks when they freeze.
Most any waterproof material will do for covers. I prefer 6 mil plastic sheeting myself, it's inexpensive and does a good job. When it gets tears and holes, toss it and replace with new. Over time it's cheaper than buying those inexpensive tarps every year.
Don't forget to weigh the cover down so the wind won't blow it away. Odd-shaped pieces, uglies and shorts will hold a cover in place if you use enough of them. Tent it slightly along the centerline and you'll avoid puddles that become ice blocks when they freeze.
Wood Duck
Minister of Fire
I store my wood outside uncovered, then move a week or so worth of wood onto the back porch, which is covered by gets some blowing snow. I store a day or two of wood inside. This works fine for me. It can be a but of a pain to have to shake snow off the wood when I move it to the porch, but it really isn't that big a deal. The snow doesn't make a big difference in the moisture content inside the wood.
Oldman47
Minister of Fire
Snow only contains about 10% of the water for an equal volume of liquid water. Figure a whole inch of snow is about like 1/10 inch of water so the small amount of snow that accumulates in the spaces between splits really isn't much at all in terms of how much water is present to wet your wood.
I built a wood box on the porch. It holds 3-5 days worth depending on the season and keeps it handy plus dry, while not storing it indoor.
I have mine stacked outside with tarps or plastic over the top only, using the odd pieces to hold it down. Then I bring in a day or two at a time. Has worked for me just fine.
BigCountryNY
Burning Hunk
I also only top-cover the wood that I'm going to burn that winter. Tarps go on around mid-September and stay in place until the spring. If you get a lot of snow, you'll be bringing popsicles into your house, which make a mess when they thaw out if they are covered with snow and ice. Top covering is a lot less expensive than a shed and works nearly just as well.
I bring in a couple of days worth of wood at a time, keeping it in wood boxes that I built.
I bring in a couple of days worth of wood at a time, keeping it in wood boxes that I built.
Thanks for all your advice and help in this thread! I greatly appreciate it.
Hickorynut
Feeling the Heat
Nice looking wood stacks there Fred. I use 6mil black plastic too and mine will last several years even in the direct sunlight. Get you a bostich/arrow hammer stapler and staple the plastic down both sides a little(about a ft.) and it will stay for a long time without a worry
Noreasters here will often blow snow/rain and refreeze the slush in a stack to where you are busting splits out with a sledge hammer and thawing them in the garage or basement floor for days if not weeks.
Having had to do the above several times I'll cover the north and east sides of [ at least ] the stack I'm pulling from. I have a little wood shed that holds about three days outside the back door and can keep a couple extra deals on the porch in a pinch if need be.
Having had to do the above several times I'll cover the north and east sides of [ at least ] the stack I'm pulling from. I have a little wood shed that holds about three days outside the back door and can keep a couple extra deals on the porch in a pinch if need be.
Therivermonster
Burning Hunk
I load a face cord at a time from my stacks to this little rack that I built under my carport. It's just outsied the side door, so it's very convenient to go out there and load up a couple 5 gallon buckets to bring inside.
Otherwise, I simply top cover the stack that I am using that year with 6 mil plastic held down with uglies and the wood stays very dry.
Otherwise, I simply top cover the stack that I am using that year with 6 mil plastic held down with uglies and the wood stays very dry.
kennyp2339
Minister of Fire
This is what I did last year, brought a seasons worth in the driveway, covered it with tarps, then had the supply in the garage. The funny thing is that I ran my old stove until the 1st week of December. I was filling that rack every 4 -5 days with the old stove, installed the BK princess and that rack would last me 10-12 on average, and it was a very cold winter.
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Poindexter
Minister of Fire
Well, ya kinda gotta cover, but tarps and etc are my last choice. The only thing I know of worse than getting firewood out from under snow covered tarps is getting firewood stacked on pallets with big enough gaps to trap my winter boots with snow loaded tarps on top of all that mess.
If you got a deck wait until the ground is frozen solid, temps won't be above freezing until spring and then stash every stick you can under there with a tarp on top to catch the little bit of snow that makes it through the floorboards. Vast improvement.
If you got a deck wait until the ground is frozen solid, temps won't be above freezing until spring and then stash every stick you can under there with a tarp on top to catch the little bit of snow that makes it through the floorboards. Vast improvement.
Poindexter
Minister of Fire
One thing you don't want is your stacks covered top and sidea during the freeze-thaw-freeze cycle at both ends of winter.
During the day that little greenhouse will pump a heart braking amount of water vapor into the tent. When it cools to dew point all that vapor condenses on the wood and starts soaking in, day after day.
During the day that little greenhouse will pump a heart braking amount of water vapor into the tent. When it cools to dew point all that vapor condenses on the wood and starts soaking in, day after day.
I usually just tarp my over-winter wood with 4'x16' tarps to keep the snow off, the wood stays dry and continues to season even in the frigid cold. I get the tarps from I think Northern Tool, very inexpensive, they usually last 1-2 years.
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