Need advice

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Bushels20

Feeling the Heat
May 20, 2018
421
OH
The situation is this: I have about 3-4 cords of ash and oak rounds that will be split by November in the back yard. I also have 4 cords of seasoned wood for (this) winter in the racks.

If I split the rounds and just throw them in a pile (I separate my oak from everything else) and as I use up the 4 cords this winter, replenish the racks with the newly split 4 cords of rounds, am I losing anything (primarily) on the oak by way of seasoning time? Basically, does the winter matter??

Your first though will be “build more racks, dummy!” I am out of space. I have 3 years stacked, 12 cords. That’s all I can handle without the neighbors hating me.

I’m not worried about the ash, this wood is for 2021-2022 at the earliest. I’m worried about the oak. Is having the wood stacked by novmember and down with a deal breaker, knowing that the entirety of the pile may not be fully stacked until March, or even April? (The conceivable end of my burning season).
 
Gotta do what you gotta do . . . if you don't have the space to stack now, stack when you get the space. Some seasoning does take place over the winter, but the general consensus is not as much as it does in the other seasons. Sounds like you are ahead of the game and a few months will not make a huge difference whether stacked or piled at this point.
 
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I normally do the "3rd" year pile then fill the empty racks in the spring, The outside pile does seem to dry out, but theres really no progress on any splits that are either on the ground or in the middle of the pile.
 
The simple answer is no, you not waisting your time. Once split open the seasoning process has begun. Will the wood season as fast as in the summer that answer is no. I have split and stacked as early as January. Keep it in an area that gets wind.. keep it top covered.. the drier the wood stayes the faster it will season..good luck
May the force be with you...
Always...
 
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It is always better to have the wood split than in rounds.