An Abundance of Wood - What to do when offered more?

[davidmsem]

In my experience it definitely doesn't last as long if it is not split.

It won't truly dry out inside if not split. Bark is a moisture barrier. Rot feeds and lives on moisture.

Thank you I'm starting to learn this now. I will get splitting . This was a valuable post for me.

 

[davidmsem]

Storing in rounds isn’t really the best way. Some flavors will actually rot from inside out. Some do okay for quite awhile in rounds as long as there is no ground contact. By far the best way is to split them all. Store off of ground contact and the wood will last for many years in most cases.

Thanks this has been really educational and I'm glad I posted it. Some of those rounds , that I have stored for over a year, we're not full rounds. Some of the larger ones I had to split and quarter so hopefully there won't be damage started to them . I'm going to get splitting and appreciate this form as I've learned so much over the years.

 

[davidmsem]

I usually keep savaging, but become a lot fussier. By barn is filled to the gills right now, and I have logs laying in the aisle with no place to go. I probably have 3 years worth that I can burn now, and more that'll be cured by then. I've turned down Norway Maple, but am planning to help a neighbor with his white oak in exchange for the wood. Good luck with your wood! Curt

Yeah scoring Oak is awesome! Thank you Curt .

 

[davidmsem]

Split. Stack. Cover.

In a few years from now when you're laid up from an unexpected injury or illness, "donations" of wood have dried up or you just don't have the time to process the wood one year you'll appreciate having the extra wood.

Barring that . . . save the wood until February or March and then advertise well seasoned wood for sale.

As Woody said though . . . I have a hard time parting with my wood after all of the work processing it. I did trade half a cord to a buddy for some work he did on a vent pipe on my roof though.

Thank you. I do not cover the wood but do keep it off the ground on pallets. I was thinking the same thing about if I was injured or didn't have time , but thought I was just trying to rationalize being a little crazy about getting wood . I really enjoy the work. I am definitely going to split what I have that is in rounds and quarters . So lucky that I made this post as I was going to store it that way for a few more years . Always appreciate the great support from this forum . Absolutely love scoring oak !

 

[davidmsem]

I just split some ash that's been in rounds, stacked on the ground, for about 14 months or so. All it did was allow more of the bark to fall off while splitting, which actually is a good thing. But I agree not all species will cooperate like that. Oak, as far as I know, is one of the more resilient ones.

It's funny even with that quantity of wood you're probably second guessing selling it, if you're anything like me. It's too easy to get caught up in how much work it is vs the pay out from selling some...It's basically working for peanuts unless you do it on a large scale.

So much Ash in Connecticut because of the Ash Borer. Do you have the same thing going on in as NY?

 

[davidmsem]

I'm local if you want to unload some. I have been striking out with wood lately.

Hi Rob. Right now I'm going to hang on to what I have. So much downed wood in Bethany from the tornado it's crazy.

 

[weatherguy]

I do not cover wood , But do keep it off the ground by stacking it on pallets.

You're good for awhile then.

 

[mar13]

8 years from now you'll be wishing you had gotten those few extra cords... If not, you can barter your past labor and seasoned wood for somebody else's labor.

 

[robj80]

Hi Rob. Right now I'm going to hang on to what I have. So much downed wood in Bethany from the tornado it's crazy.

Oh I know it. I'm in Oxford but the in-laws are in Bethany on 42. I'm amazed at the destruction in both towns. I don't know if you know Bill Marek in town but that is my father in-law. Keep him in mind for all your Excavating and Septic needs :D !

 

[MrWhoopee]

Being well ahead affords you the luxury of being selective. Take the best species, focusing on the least driving and effort. Leave the rest. If you just can't resist, sell it in rounds if you can. Only you can determine maximum storage life based on species and your system. Just be sure that you are always burning the oldest wood.

 

[davidmsem]

Being well ahead affords you the luxury of being selective. Take the best species, focusing on the least driving and effort. Leave the rest. If you just can't resist, sell it in rounds if you can. Only you can determine maximum storage life based on species and your system. Just be sure that you are always burning the oldest wood.

Thank you. I do make sure to burn the oldest wood first , and will be picky about what I take from my neighbors cleanup effort . Thank you .

 

[billb3]

Thank you Bill. I'm understanding now that as rounds moisture is trapped in them. I thank you all for the education. Luckily some were too big to lift so I had to split them to large chunks which seems like it will help.

Well that's certainly true of birch, but I've left pine in rounds ( hey they were sticky at the time and then I had better things to do, it's not like anyone was going to take them ) and they seasoned to about 20% in a about a year and a half instead of 6 -12
months or so. Same with maple - just takes a lot longer to season. I have some white oak that's been in rounds for two years, I'll have to crack one open and stick my meter in it.

 

[PistolPeets]

Good idea. Trade the wood for people, then sell the people. Haha. I kid

I lol'd! This is a problem I'd like to have. Hopefully soon I can start hoarding some wood myself. I can't imagine I'd ever get that far ahead though.

 

[davidmsem]

I'm local if you want to unload some. I have been striking out with wood lately.

Rob, I'm still cutting for my neighbor and there is probably more wood there than I will need. Are you still interested? Felled trees I cut into rounds. You would have to pick and haul.

 

[heavy hammer]

Take everything you can split it stack it off the ground if possible. I have a few piles of logs stacked off the ground that I will get to in the next few months. If you keep it off the ground you will be amazed how much longer it lasts.

 

[ohlongarm]

Hello, I live in CT and in spring of 2018 a tornado passed over the block I live on. I have been picking downed trees out of the woods and storing them as rounds or large chucks I can lift. I am assuming that storing as rounds will extend the storage life of the wood. I burn about 3 cords per year and have 4 cords in my woodshed seasoned 3+ years and about 8 cords split and stored on pallets in my yard uncovered. I have another ~9 cords from the tornado that I have on pallets in rounds and large chunk. So that's a total of approximately 21 cords, which is about 7 years of burning. My calculations are approximate, but I bet not too far off.

This weekend I offered to help a neighbor clear up his backyard from the storm. He does not burn wood and said I can take what I want. The first tree we cut up this past weekend was a HUGE OAK!

So my questions are:

1) Does storing as rounds extend the storage period? Seems like a no brainer but looking for justification to have 21 cords.
2) I should at least take the oak from my neighbor, right?
3) How much wood is too much wood, that is, should I take more than just the oak from my neighbor.

I have plenty of room for storage with 1.6 open acres, but my neighbors, who are friendly, think I have some issues.

Google view of my backyard provided.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

DavidView attachment 252143

I have rounds stored off the ground with the top covered 10 years with no discernible deterioration,ash,oak,maple,hemlock,locust.

 

[davidmsem]

Take everything you can split it stack it off the ground if possible. I have a few piles of logs stacked off the ground that I will get to in the next few months. If you keep it off the ground you will be amazed how much longer it lasts.

Thanks. I will.

 

[davidmsem]

I have rounds stored off the ground with the top covered 10 years with no discernible deterioration,ash,oak,maple,hemlock,locust.

What do you top cover with? I hesitate to cover because of the look.

 

[maple1]

I just put a tarp on top same width as the stack then put one more layer of wood on that.

 

[Sawset]

What do you top cover with? I hesitate to cover because of the look.

Some guys mention these. I'm tempted to try them out.

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[WiscWoody]

What do you top cover with? I hesitate to cover because of the look.

I started using canvas tarps 5 years ago. I bought them when they were on sale at Menards and while they do cost more than plastic tarps they last much longer and they are easier to keep in place when the wind whips up. I make anchors for them by filling a food can with cement and putting a hook in them then I hang them in the grommets. I don’t care how my tarps look... but someday I’ll build a wood shed and be done with tarps altogether.

 

[davidmsem]

I started using canvas tarps 5 years ago. I bought them when they were on sale at Menards and while they do cost more than plastic tarps they last much longer and they are easier to keep in place when the wind whips up. I make anchors for them by filling a food can with cement and putting a hook in them then I hang them in the grommets. I don’t care how my tarps look... but someday I’ll build a wood shed and be done with tarps altogether.

Thanks Woody. I have a woodshed that holds 4 cords. Since I'm many years ahead on burning (guessing 5 to 7 year supply) I am wondering if I should at least top cover what I have.

 

[Woody Stover]

Did not know that storing in rounds shortens life. I would've thought the opposite

Some wood will hold up better than others in rounds. I have some Black Locust and Hedge rounds that have been out there for years. No problem. Hickory doesn't hold up well in rounds, or uncovered. Here are some White Oak rounds that were cut about two years ago:

 

[davidmsem]

Here are some White Oak rounds that were cut about two years ago:

Thank you Woody. I just scored a very large white oak. I have begun to split all my wood in rounds.

 

[peakbagger]

Some wood will hold up better than others in rounds. I have some Black Locust and Hedge rounds that have been out there for years. No problem. Hickory doesn't hold up well in rounds, or uncovered. Here are some White Oak rounds that were cut about two years ago:
View attachment 252804

Looks like an ideal spot and wood to grow shitake mushrooms. I have friends who have grown them and they get about 5 years off a oak log before its totally rotted. The big problem is squirrels love them when they are ripe so they need to lug the logs into their screen porch when they are getting near ripe.