This is my first year with a stacked wood pile near the basement walkout wall. I have a piece of plastic covering just the top, and the pile has cinder blocks placed all over the top to keep the cover from blowing away. Well we just got a couple inches of sticky snow last night, and I looked at the wood pile. There's snow all over the sides of my splits. How do you guys deal with stuff like this? Do you just throw the pieces in the wood stove even with a little snow on them? Do you bring it inside the basement/garage/house for a couple days to let the splits dry off? I'm trying to figure out a procedure here. My pile is a long ways away from my garage so bringing it into the garage is out, but I could bring it into the basement. The biggest problem I'm noticing now is I've just been grabbing pieces from the top of my pile so now almost every piece is exposed to the weather (except the few splits directly underneath the cinder blocks).
I think I'm missing something here....
- Thread starter Crash11
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I have an attached garage, so I bring a couple weeks supply at a time on a pallet into the garage. Though my garage isn't heated it usually is either warm enough to melt the snow off or at least it's a buffer area for the snow to fall off as it is handled.
Bigg_Redd
Minister of Fire
Crash11 said:
Take one piece in each hand and gently bash them together to knock the snow off
OR
Use a broom to knock the snow off the sides of your pile
OR
If you have a neighbor you do not care for use a leaf blower
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
Well I have a woodshed this year just so I don't have to deal with what you're experiencing . . . but last year what I would do was take the two pieces and knock them together before transferring them to my "This Week's Wood" Stash on the porch . . . whatever snow or ice didn't come off then or during the week would be knocked off again before I would bring the wood into the living room where I would transfer it to the woodbox . . . which has a plastic bin to catch whatever melting snow/ice/debris would fall off of it during the course of the day. Worked pretty well for me.
While the wood is seasoning I like to leave the wood uncovered but once snow starts to fly I like to be able to use the wood without a lot of labor like chipping off ice or scraping off snow. Tight fitting tarps on the sides is not good but I like to "tent" a tarp over the stack to keep snow from piling and ice from forming on the wood. Condensation will only be possible when there is warm moisture available. Tarp lengthwise ground to ground over the stack but leave the ends loose to permit some air flow.
CarbonNeutral
Minister of Fire
I just put tar paper over my stacks, so that should last at least until 3pm today when the wind picks up..
Once you are ready to use - I'd say cover not only the top - but sides too. Last year, my wood was stored outside the back door on the deck and covered with a blue tarp. I got tired of the noise it made when the wind blew (my bedroom is directly above) and I got tired of digging a snow path and clearing the snow off it.
This year, I put one car out and stored all my wood inside the garage. Much happier.
You can bring a bunch of that wood inside to thaw out before using it. I would set a few stacks up by the stove to melt the snow off or inside an attached garage - it will dry out.
This year, I put one car out and stored all my wood inside the garage. Much happier.
You can bring a bunch of that wood inside to thaw out before using it. I would set a few stacks up by the stove to melt the snow off or inside an attached garage - it will dry out.
LLigetfa
Minister of Fire
I've leaned a couple scrap pieces of T111 and / or used plywood up against the windward side of a stack rather than mess with tarps.
A hole in the top, a piece of twine and a weight over the other side of the stack to keep it in place.
Neighbors can't see my piles so pretty it doesn't have to be.
A hole in the top, a piece of twine and a weight over the other side of the stack to keep it in place.
Neighbors can't see my piles so pretty it doesn't have to be.
Sounds like my best option is to try bringing in a bunch of wood into my basement first. If I start to get insect problems I'll transfer the intermediate pile to the attached garage. My garage is also very well insulated and stays above freezing all winter long.
Aauuhh yes... I remember my days before the wood shed.
Ducking under a tarp to get wood and getting snow down the back of my neck, or knocking two pieces of wood together to knock the snow off and get my cold finger between the two pieces......those were the days. :ahhh:
Ducking under a tarp to get wood and getting snow down the back of my neck, or knocking two pieces of wood together to knock the snow off and get my cold finger between the two pieces......those were the days. :ahhh:
quads
Minister of Fire
The snow won't hurt anything. Clunk two splits together and chuck them in the stove.
I keep one month's worth of wood on the porch, and a day's worth in by the stove. For awhile right after I refill the porch, there is a little snow on them and when I refill the box by the stove, the first splits that go in the stove have snow on them.
This is a picture I took two years ago, but is typical of every year for my woodstacks. The mound of snow in the background has one of my stacks of firewood under it, uncovered. It doesn't bother me to roll around in the snow a little once a month, and the wood doesn't seem to mind either.
I keep one month's worth of wood on the porch, and a day's worth in by the stove. For awhile right after I refill the porch, there is a little snow on them and when I refill the box by the stove, the first splits that go in the stove have snow on them.
This is a picture I took two years ago, but is typical of every year for my woodstacks. The mound of snow in the background has one of my stacks of firewood under it, uncovered. It doesn't bother me to roll around in the snow a little once a month, and the wood doesn't seem to mind either.
savageactor7
Minister of Fire
Crash that's why we'll never buy a pedestal stove...a stove with legs you can toss seasoned but surface wet wood under the stove to dry off.
In the winter when possible I cut standing dead and burn the seasoned tops...this wood I cut last year was mostly snow packed when I brought in.
In the winter when possible I cut standing dead and burn the seasoned tops...this wood I cut last year was mostly snow packed when I brought in.
woodjack
Minister of Fire
savageactor7 said:Crash that's why we'll never buy a pedestal stove...a stove with legs you can toss seasoned but surface wet wood under the stove to dry off.
In the winter when possible I cut standing dead and burn the seasoned tops...this wood I cut last year was mostly snow packed when I brought in.
I can read your dog's mind. "There he goes again. Pop is nuts about his wood. Now he's taking pictures of it. That guy is crazy."
Bigg_Redd
Minister of Fire
I use my fireplace to stack a weeks worth of wood..It makes sure its dry and it's at room temp before loading it in the stove.
Tony H
Minister of Fire
I bring wood in from the tarped stacks piled outside to the boiler shed I can fit about a week or more worth and since it's a bit warmer any snow melts off this also brings the wood temp up so I am not loading wood that's frozen solid.
If I have snow on wood I need to lead I not so gently knock them together until the snow is off.
If I have snow on wood I need to lead I not so gently knock them together until the snow is off.
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