Poll: Seasoning wood

[Vic99]

What method will you use to season your wood for the 08-09 season?

Clearly some people season wood by stacking on pallets in the sun, but then a month before the burning season that person moves it indoors or into a wood shed for easy access. Don't count that last move if it's just before the burning season.

Use the multiple answer choices if all of your wood is not stacked in the same way. For example: 75% of your wood stacked on pallets, and 25% as a Holz Haufen. Thanks.

 

[Todd]

I have found little or no difference in drying times for the straight rows verses the Holz Huasen. Still takes a full year to dry wood. The advantage of the HH is space constraints. You can put alot of wood in a small space.

 

[jpl1nh]

Since I burn a ton of standing or lying dead which is closer to rotting than green wood that I'm seasoning, I use pallets or a shed and keep it top covered only.

 

[BrotherBart]

One cord rows six deep with 18" air spaces. I built a 12" x 24' wood shed 20 years ago and it is now so filled up with other crap that I just store the stacks outside with the tops covered.

 

[adrpga498]

My holz's are on pallet bases this year. Even better then prior such as older avatar pics.

 

[Vic99]

My holz is on a pallet as well. Will be 6X6 when done. I'm thinking of doing another.

 

[zzr7ky]

Hi -

My stacks are 8'x8'x6' high. A lillt more than a stack per season. 3 stacks minimum going into winter. About 75% Ash so it seasons even in the center. Oak is stacked separate for more sun and wind.

All the best,
Mike P

 

[woodconvert]

I stack my winter firewood on 4x4's. I stack em' 6ft high x 17ft long and I space them about 7ft apart. It takes a lot of space but i've found if I stack the rows tighter the bottom half of the rows doesn't dry as well (and mid winter is a sucky time to find that out).

My fall and spring wood I heap on pallets.

 

[gyrfalcon]

Stacked on pressure-treated 2x4s 8 to 10 feet apart in full sun and near-constant breeze/wind, but no more than about 4 feet high since my ground is sloped and uneven, my wood is 14 inches or less because of my small size stove, and my three cats love to leap onto the stacks and play! I have to stack carefully, too, to make sure it's as stable as possible, which takes much longer. But I already had one of my first 8-ft-long stacks keel gently over sideways. I figured out a way to stabilize the 2x4's on the ground at least, by pounding a couple stakes into the ground on the uphill side and driving screws through them into the 2x4s, so at least the bottom is solid.

If I can get a few years' worth ahead, I may get to stacking close together up against the west side of my barn on pallets for better stability and less space, but for now I've got to get at least this year's worth to season as much as possible in one summer because my stove sure is finicky. My wood guy split it way down for me-- about half beech and half soft maple-- so I'm hoping.

In fall, the 2 to 3 cords I need for the winter will go mostly into my attached woodshed and some on the porch.

A lotta work for a single gal, especially on top of spring planting and other chores, but nice to feel my muscle strength and my endurance increasing almost daily.

 

[jebatty]

I have two woodsheds, each 8' deep, stacks 6' high, and lengths are 20' and 16' feet. My cuts are at 18", stacks are on 4 x 4's to keep them off the ground, and the 8' rows are butted up against each other. One long side is open to the air, and the sides and back are slotted to let air in. Shed sloped roof on both with plenty of air space above. The two sheds hold 14 cords.

I do a rotation filling/using of the wood, start burning the longest dried and move in a circle around the two sheds. As each row is used, I just start re-filling the rows with fresh cut. Also keep and extra 2-3 cords stacked on 4 x 4's in the open air, each is 4 x 6 x 8, and covered with a piece of corrugated galvanized steel.

As we use 3-5 cords/heating season, I have 3-4 years supply of wood, and burn wood seasoned 3 full summers.

During the course of a year I harvest diseased and wind-damaged or toppled trees. These are bucked, split and piled on the ground, and then used to refill the rows in the sheds.

Right now the sheds and extra are full, and about three cords are piled on the ground. The power company did me a favor with line clearing, and the downed trees made it my cutting very easy this year. Trees are down in our woods that I won't get to because no more room to store wood.

 

[Burd]

I have a 7 x 7 Holz on the ground mixed with ash and oak Im thinking thats about 3 1/2 cords,Then I have four pallets two of them are stacked and today I'll stack the other two with oak I found in the woods Im thinking its been there for awhile so it sould be seasoned for this come season Im also going to make another holz today out of pine Im going to splitt the pine about 3"x18" and use that for start ups That pine will dry so fast in that Holz

 

[syd3006]

What is "Holz Haufen"?

 

[glassmanjpf]

I have my wood for 08-09 stacked in a cube on pallets. The size is roughly 8x15x5 high all maple. I know its not the best way to dry wood but my area is limited. I figure its about 4-5 cords. I also have another pile of oak which is stacked 8x16x5. The oak will be ready for the 09-10 season. Both poles will stay uncovered to fall.

 

[Todd]

What is "Holz Haufen"?

Do a search for Holz Hausen or Haufen. Basicly it a cylindrical wood house that creates a chimney effect that brings the air inside and up threw the structure to dry out the wood. Good way to dry alot of wood if you don't have much space.