Burning Wood After Rain

[jonross14]

Hey all! New newbie question... We've had a few soaking rains (a couple inches per storm). I leave the top of my wood covered with a tarp but let the sides breathe. I've noticed after a rainfall the wood will be a little wet for a day or two. Using a moisture meter if I measure the content at any other part of the wood it'll be under 15%, but if I measure it where the wood got wet it'll be 20-30%, or sometimes more.

Is it OK to burn this wood? I'm guessing this issue will continue when the rain turns to snow. I'm also guessing this moisture is superficial so it'll dry up quicker in the stove than actually green wood. Thanks in advance!

 

[tarzan]

Best to get your wood covered better. In the meantime dig into a second layer that's not as wet or bring your wood in a day ahead to allow for drying.

 

[jonross14]

Best to get your wood covered better. In the meantime dig into a second layer that's not as wet or bring your wood in a day ahead to allow for drying.

Thanks, tarzan! I seem to recall being told to keep the sides open so they can breathe. You're right though that I think my tarp has a couple holes in it making some spots get wetter than others on the top. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Woody Stover]

I leave the sides of my stacks open but I have an "on-deck circle" close to the door that is more protected from blowing rain. It will slowly dry out there over a week or two. If you bring the wood in and stack it near the stove like tarzan said (observing clearance to combustibles,) it dries really quick. Not everyone wants to do that, though...

 

[tarzan]

You're right. Leave some separation between rows to allow for air movement. Top cover with sides open.

Putting rain wet, even seasoned rain wet wood in your stove is still moisture that has to burn off. It's no good for your chimney and makes for frustrating reloads.

 

[Highbeam]

I have lots of wood outside. In the late summer I top cover the wood that will be burned the coming season. First with black plastic held down with string stapled to the wood, and then the next two rows are covered with 3' wide sheets of metal roofing that hangs over the stack by a few inches on each side. The metal roofing does a vastly superior job of keeping the wood dry. The plastic keeps the top foot of the stack dry but the water runs down onto the sides of the stack and makes the wood wet.

The only real solution is a wood shed. Second best is enough metal to cover the whole winter's worth.

I do as above and bring one cord of wood up to the house where I have a dry carport and this gives time for final drying. I also reject particularly wet splits and send them to be burned in the barn non-cat stove which is much less sensitive to moisture than a cat stove run relatively cool.

 

[Dave Miller]

It's not a great idea, it will never burn as well as dry wood. Your best option is going to be investing in a solid built shed.

 

[tarzan]

I have lots of wood outside. In the late summer I top cover the wood that will be burned the coming season. First with black plastic held down with string stapled to the wood, and then the next two rows are covered with 3' wide sheets of metal roofing that hangs over the stack by a few inches on each side. The metal roofing does a vastly superior job of keeping the wood dry. The plastic keeps the top foot of the stack dry but the water runs down onto the sides of the stack and makes the wood wet.

The only real solution is a wood shed. Second best is enough metal to cover the whole winter's worth.

I do as above and bring one cord of wood up to the house where I have a dry carport and this gives time for final drying. I also reject particularly wet splits and send them to be burned in the barn non-cat stove which is much less sensitive to moisture than a cat stove run relatively cool.

Good advice and nice looking stacks.

BTW, you let the cat out of the bag with that pic! I see sunshine

 

[JotulOwner]

Hey all! New newbie question... We've had a few soaking rains (a couple inches per storm). I leave the top of my wood covered with a tarp but let the sides breathe. I've noticed after a rainfall the wood will be a little wet for a day or two. Using a moisture meter if I measure the content at any other part of the wood it'll be under 15%, but if I measure it where the wood got wet it'll be 20-30%, or sometimes more.

Is it OK to burn this wood? I'm guessing this issue will continue when the rain turns to snow. I'm also guessing this moisture is superficial so it'll dry up quicker in the stove than actually green wood. Thanks in advance!

I like to use well secured (with something that won't break under windy conditions) plywood to cover the top of my wood piles. I found that tarps will leak in time due to wear and tear and the sun. I move wood I will use within a couple of weeks to a location that is completely dry so I don't have to concern myself with rain moisture. Dryer wood = better heat and less creosote.

 

[2broke2ride]

My wood is loosely top covered with tarps, it gets wet...... but my stove is in the unfinished basement which allows me to bring in my wood a week in advance thus negating any surface moisture.
Plus my stove is an old smoke dragon that will burn a wet sponge when shes cranking good and hot.

 

[redyute]

Wow that stack would last me at least 8 - 10 years lol

 

[jonross14]

Thanks so much for the advice, folks! My stove is an insert in the living room and I have two canvases for wood... I usually burn one canvas load per fire so the other canvas is sitting by the stove and drying even further.

 

[Woody Stover]

Wow that stack would last me at least 8 - 10 years lol

I'm guessing Hb's stacks might be about 2/3 cord each, maybe a bit more, so I might burn between one and two of those, depending on the winter. Looks like low wood usage this year with the mild start to the season...but we're finally gonna get a couple nights that might get below 20.

 

[redyute]

Yeah with my old insert I went through just under 2 cords per season and that's loading every 3 hours, with the new insert I reload every 7 hours so I'm guessing I would burn about 1 cord this season, give or take a 1/3

 

[Highbeam]

I'm guessing Hb's stacks might be about 2/3 cord each, maybe a bit more, so I might burn between one and two of those, depending on the winter. Looks like low wood usage this year with the mild start to the season...but we're finally gonna get a couple nights that might get below 20.

Over 1.25 per row. I'm about three years ahead.

I'm not so sure how long a split of dry/seasoned wood can be rained on and still be called only "surface moisture". Those bottom splits out in the rain seem pretty dang waterlogged.

 

[Sawset]

"Is it ok to burn this wood"
I recently had a similar situation - wood stacked outside, uncovered, nice and dry at 15%. Then September rains for a week. Brought some inside after a hard rain, and into the stove. What appeared to be very soaking wet, and completely unusable shoulder season wood, turned out to be, just as you mention, superficial, wet on the outside, dry on the inside. Burned off the moisture for a short period, then it was fine. If that's all anyone had, its definitely not ideal, but not the end of a season either. Try it, and burn it with more air as long as necessary to keep the chimney temp up. And think about ways to get it inside or under a shed roof for next year.