Compact woodsheds

[EatenByLimestone]

I keep seeing pics of wood sheds stacked tightly and full to the brim. Good stuff!

What I'm wondering though, is the wood in the center, how long does it take to dry? Some of them look pretty deep so odds are there isn't much air movement in the center.

Matt

 

[ANeat]

I think the idea is to put it in the wood shed after it is dry

 

[fossil]

I don't put any wood into my shed that hasn't already had more than sufficient time to season out in the open. My shed is very well ventilated, so wood will continue to season in there under roof, but that's not the purpose of my shed. The purpose of my shed is to have a season's worth of ready-to-burn firewood protected from rain & snow at a convenient distance from my front door. My shed also provides for re-splitting or whatever under roof if necessary. I pack it tight...and still I can feel the breeze come through. Rick

 

[btuser]

I resent having to stack wood at all. It seems like work that doesn't add to the btu content of the fuel, but I don't have the room for haphazzard piles near my house. I stack the sides pretty, but just shove the middle full of wood. every 3feet I lay them vertically (like a holz houzen) to increase the air flow in the middle. I also put a clear roof on it, and the top gets hot, hopefully like a chimeny. Thin rows on a sunny hill would be better, but the closer to the stove the better, and I'm not stacking it twice.

 

[rdust]

IMO a wood shed is for storing seasoned wood not to season wood. I plan to build a shed next year(hopefully) and my wood will be seasoned for a year or two outside before moving into the shed. Sure will stink to move it again but with as much as I have to move it what's one more time!? :lol:

 

[oldspark]

IMO a wood shed is for storing seasoned wood not to season wood. I plan to build a shed next year(hopefully) and my wood will be seasoned for a year or two outside before moving into the shed. Sure will stink to move it again but with as much as I have to move it what's one more time!? :lol:

+1 Yep once it is in out of the weather it can stay there for ever until you need it, I wood like to find a cheap building on a farm sale for just this purpose, wood is a lot of work no matter what way you do it.

 

[ansehnlich1]

I just took a trip to Maine and saw many piles of split wood....not stacked, just piled up. My bet is they split it up there and let it lay in piles a year or so then move it into the woodshed/barn or whatever. I saw a few stacks outside but not near as many as the random piles of split wood laying around.

I don't have a woodshed but would like to have a big pavilion to throw split wood under and eliminate stacking all together. One of those steel carports would be nice if I could get my wife to ok it She say's they are ugly, haha, can you believe that?

So for now, my 12 cord is stacked on pallets outside with the tops covered and that works for me.

 

[SolarAndWood]

My bet is they split it up there and let it lay in piles a year or so then move it into the woodshed/barn or whatever.

That is my current thinking. This is my 2011 heap. While I am sure it would dry better/faster/prettier/more elegantly in single rows, I think it will be just fine by the time I stack it under the roof next October.

 

[firefighterjake]

I keep seeing pics of wood sheds stacked tightly and full to the brim. Good stuff!

What I'm wondering though, is the wood in the center, how long does it take to dry? Some of them look pretty deep so odds are there isn't much air movement in the center.

Matt

Well to get to the heart of your question . . . I'm not sure if anyone knows how long it would take for the wood to dry in the center . . . figure I should at least answer your question . . . or address it at least.

As others have said, most folks with woodsheds tend to put the wood under cover only after it has seasoned . . . although I must admit I jumped the gun a bit this summer since I put my wood under cover after only 9 or so months of seasoning . . . of course this wood will also not be used until 2011-2012 so it will continue to dry out as it sits there in the woodshed . . . albeit more slowly.

 

[SolarAndWood]

I removed some firewood that had been stacked tight in a poorly ventilated shed for 20 years this past fall. A lot of it was rotten.

 

[oldspark]

My bet is they split it up there and let it lay in piles a year or so then move it into the woodshed/barn or whatever.

That is my current thinking. This is my 2011 heap. While I am sure it would dry better/faster/prettier/more elegantly in single rows, I think it will be just fine by the time I stack it under the roof next October.

The problem with piles is you are taking away the elements that dry the wood, wind and the sun plus once it gets rained on is stays wet forever in a pile, I would hate to guess how long it will add to drying time but I would not take the risk on haveing crappy wood espically with the new EPA stoves. As you well know some types of wood take a while to season in single rows in the sun.

 

[oldspark]

I removed some firewood that had been stacked tight in a poorly ventilated shed for 20 years this past fall. A lot of it was rotten.

That can happen too in a lot quicker time than 20 years.

 

[SolarAndWood]

The problem with piles is you are taking away the elements that dry the wood, wind and the sun plus once it gets rained on is stays wet forever in a pile, I would hate to guess how long it will add to drying time but I would not take the risk on haveing crappy wood espically with the new EPA stoves. As you well know some types of wood take a while to season in single rows in the sun.

I don't question the wisdom of all the best practices for drying wood. I think there are a lot of site specific variables that affect what is necessary to get the job done. We are on top of a hill with excellent southern exposure, drainage and high winds. Last fall, I pushed through the 10 cord heap with the loader on the tractor to see exactly what the middle looked like. It was bone dry. I would never use this drying strategy at the camp that gets 3x the precipitation and is in the middle of mature forest. Up there, the stuff that is stacked in single rows spaced a foot apart in a well ventilated shed for a few years still feels wet.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I removed some firewood that had been stacked tight in a poorly ventilated shed for 20 years this past fall. A lot of it was rotten.

The reason for the rotten wood is it was probably stacked in that shed before it was dry. So all that moisture had nowhere to go. First, mold, then punk.

 

[SolarAndWood]

I removed some firewood that had been stacked tight in a poorly ventilated shed for 20 years this past fall. A lot of it was rotten.

The reason for the rotten wood is it was probably stacked in that shed before it was dry. So all that moisture had nowhere to go. First, mold, then punk.

That is exactly what it looked like and the evidence in and around the chimney suggested the same.

 

[oldspark]

Even if the wood is dry I think ventilation is a good thing for a wood shed.

 

[John_M]

My firewood is placed in 5 racks, each of which is (3'd x6'h x9'L) or the new shed (5'd x 6.5'h x 16' L) as soon as it is split. Racks and shed have uninterrupted exposure to sun and excellent ventilation. Wood in racks gets burned this winter. Wood in shed gets burned in winter of 2011. The racks are under a protected rear deck and the shed is 15' from a garage door. Each year my JD Gator anxiously awaits its first trips hauling firewood from the racks or shed to racks in the attached large garage. This works best for me. ;-) No digital camera so cannot provide photos. :red: John_M

 

[Cowboy Billy]

I can't say. But taking a lot of ideas from here. When I build my wood shed it will hold tow or or maybe three rows of wood.

Billy

 

[Battenkiller]

Solar, that pic of your daughter (granddaughter?) in front of the wood pile sure brings back memories of my own little girl holding one of her baby bunnies, long blond hair and all. Sweet shot.

BTW, there is a superb split of musical instrument grade curly maple just to the side of her right shoulder. Please lie to me and tell me you gave all the rest away to some deserving woodworker. :cheese:

 

[SolarAndWood]

Thanks BK, that's my youngest daughter. I see a lot of beautiful pieces of wood go by while I am splitting. Unfortunately, by the time I get to the wood, it is just chunks someone is trying to get rid of.