Dirt on Wood

Burn the dirt along with the wood.

If it's a LOT of dirt I just knock two pieces of firewood together to knock some dirt off and then burn away.

Same with any bugs in the wood - burn them.

I also don't store wood inside.

Shari

Shari said:

Burn the dirt along with the wood.

If it's a LOT of dirt I just knock two pieces of firewood together to knock some dirt off and then burn away.

Same with any bugs in the wood - burn them.

I also don't store wood inside.

Shari

Click to expand...

+1.

Leave it out in the rain/snow, then carry on

Before I break the stacks to load the barn for the winter, I take a stiff broom to the bottom splits and brush the dirt off - only takes a minute. I wouldn't bother worrying about avoiding the splashed dirt in the first place - it won't hurt anything. Cheers!

You've got good replies. Burn it. As I'm moving wood from outside stacks to pole shed, I smack them together to get dirt and debris off of it.

Uncle said:

I just put together my first wood pile. I have them temporararily being stored on a pair of treated 4 by 4's. I noticed that the first foot above the ground has dirt covering the wood from the rain hitting the ground and spattering up.

My question is what do you experianced wood stackers do to avoid this?

Click to expand...

I put my wood in a woodshed

You could spread gravel, limestone or even cheaper, mulch to avoid it. Watch for a tree job and grab some of their chipping.

I never worry about a bit of dirt in the wood stacks, but I do tend to make sure my wood is clean before I cut and split.

Dragging logs through muddy woodland and then putting the saw across that dirt might cause extra wear on the chain ;-)

Something I've never been concerned with. Most of that dirt falls off when it dries and you move the wood. But if you wish, you can just take a broom and brush it off.

What dirt doesn't fall off the splits when they dry . . . and what dirt doesn't fall off when I haul the wood from the drying stacks to the shed to my porch and then to my woodbox . . . well it goes into the fiery bowels of hell . . .

This title, i simply must share...

A women and i started talking about burning wood one day at work. She said she had one of those fancy three sided fireplaces, they used it for heat too....i know i wasnt going to begin with that one. She was telling me they bought the wo9d bundles you see outside gas stations and grocery stores when the temps dip..i cringe, for those of you who know they are sold as 1/64 of a cord. States so on the package to be lawful. The budles go for 5 bucks or so..

she was asking about the dirt..i shurgged, never really though about it. Then she proceeds to tell me.."oh well we dont burn dirty wood"

Answer, you can give it to me!
If dirty split dry wood was free, oh i dream. Id take it all..

Bigg_Redd said:

Uncle said:

I just put together my first wood pile. I have them temporararily being stored on a pair of treated 4 by 4's. I noticed that the first foot above the ground has dirt covering the wood from the rain hitting the ground and spattering up.

My question is what do you experianced wood stackers do to avoid this?

Click to expand...

I put my wood in a woodshed

Click to expand...

^ +1

only thing you can do is rotate your stock on a weekly basis so no splits sit on the bottom of the stack for an apreciable amount of time.
It's a lousy job but somebody's gotta do it.

bark spread out like mulch might help with the rain splash, but it's so much easier to just ignore.

billb3 said:

only thing you can do is rotate your stock on a weekly basis so no splits sit on the bottom of the stack for an apreciable amount of time.
It's a lousy job but somebody's gotta do it.

Click to expand...

Anyone want a full time job rotating my 3 cords, I've noticed the bottom couple of layers have a little dirt splash.

Good steady job, although little prospect for advancement.

Pleasant outdoor working conditions.

Ideal for someone who has a high boredom threshhold.

Salary negotiable depending on experience................. ;-)

You ever see a professional at turning champagne bottles? They'll go through storage warehouses/caves and turn each bottle 1/8th turn by hand. We're talking 8 hours a day, 5 days a week (or more) for weeks on end, turning bottles by hand 1/8th turn to keeping the yeast working on the good stuff.

Hire some of those guys for your wood stack

joefrompa said:

You ever see a professional at turning champagne bottles? They'll go through storage warehouses/caves and turn each bottle 1/8th turn by hand. We're talking 8 hours a day, 5 days a week (or more) for weeks on end, turning bottles by hand 1/8th turn to keeping the yeast working on the good stuff.

Hire some of those guys for your wood stack

Click to expand...

It's called "riddling"...but now they mostly have machines to do it. I guess too many riddlers keeled over from sheer boredom. %-P

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparkling_wine_production

woodchip said:

billb3 said:

only thing you can do is rotate your stock on a weekly basis so no splits sit on the bottom of the stack for an apreciable amount of time.
It's a lousy job but somebody's gotta do it.

Click to expand...

Anyone want a full time job rotating my 3 cords, I've noticed the bottom couple of layers have a little dirt splash.

Good steady job, although little prospect for advancement.

Pleasant outdoor working conditions.

Ideal for someone who has a high boredom threshhold.

Salary negotiable depending on experience................. ;-)

Click to expand...

Does that also include travel expenses?

Reminds me of when I was a young lad and we used to make root beer. Had to keep turning those bottles and it was a real struggle to not open at least one while doing that task.