Question for those with big, deep wood sheds

[JonOfSunderland]

Are you seasoning the wood out in the open, and then moving it in to the shed when it's close to being ready to burn? Or are you stacking it in the shed freshly cut and split, 3/4/5+ rows deep, and letting it fully season there?

 

[Waulie]

It's much better to season it outside first. That's what I do (not that I have a huge woodshed). If you get enough air flow through the shed the wood in there might eventually be dry enough to burn but it would take forever. Even stacking wood outside 5+ rows deep in full sun and wind can really delay the drying of the inner rows. I know it adds a step, but dry first then put in shed is the way to go.

 

[tcassavaugh]

outside, then shed it. have stacks going for next year and will fill in from one side and take from the other next year.....works for me.

cass

 

[JustWood]

My wood is left out 3+ years then put in the shed the spring before burning. It gets to be undercover for 6-8 months before use.Last year was the first year ever the shed wood was not used due to no snow on the ground. My outside stacks were used because I could get to them easy.
I think depth of stack definetly makes a difference in seasoning time.

 

[gmule]

I leave my wood outside and load it in the shed in the summer months before I am ready to burn it.

 

[bogydave]

I have a 3 section shed, each section a years supply.
Season outside in double spaced rows for a year.
The section that gets used this winter will get filled with
the one year outside stuff in August/Sept to be burned 2 years later.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

We rarely burn wood that is not 3 years or more in the stack so it all drys outside. In October, we move the winter's supply into the barn.

 

[Standingdead]

I dry my wood in outside stacks with little to no cover. I generally bring a seasons worth of wood into my heated basement in early September. I stack my wood on pallets in a breezy location. After 1 year stacked in the round and 1-2 CSS I find my MM reads 16-18%. I always felt drying wood needed air more than anything else.

 

[wishlist]

I stack outside and then move into shed in the spring usually. However, here in Michigan we have so much dead ash that sometimes if the tree is smaller I will split it as needed and stack into shed. It does save some work and with my shed I get air circulation no matter which way the wind blows. Of course, green wood is outside for 3 plus years.

 

[Jack Straw]

I have 2 wood sheds. All of my wood is stacked outside for 2+ years. I fill the 1 shed in the spring so I have 1/2 my wood ready to go in the fall. I use the other shed for storage in the summer and fill it up late in the fall or early winter.....that reminds me, I have a shed to fill!

 

[cptoneleg]

Same as everyone else dry outside than move into shed.

 

[raybonz]

Like the other replies I stack it outside for around 2 years then move it into the shelter when done burning for the season. I keep the sides of the shelter open until it's time to burn again. With the recent hurricane the sides were rolled back up to avoid destroying the sides and breaking my bungees.. Definitely a smart move Here is a pic of my setup.

Ray

 

[PapaDave]

I stack mine in full sun/wind for at least 2 years in long rows.
The rows are now farther apart than they have been to assure the back row gets full sun all year.
This year, I stacked 6 cord in the shed in June....7 rows deep on the L/H side and 5 rows deep on the right. I waited for a nice dry spell before moving the wood.

 

[GeneralBill]

I try to have it dry outside over the summer, but I once was given a dozen cords worth and CSS because it was Fall. The shed had a high ceiling, good air, and I stacked 5' high single rows spaced 6" apart. How did they not fall down? 3' lengths of branches were stacked every foot throughout, thus connecting the stacks. It is very wet in Western Oregon, so I don't like to leave wood out through the winter.

EDIT: My shed only holds 5 cords (with air circulation), so I built big tents out of 12' lumber and tarps and used the same stacking method. Almost no decay or punking occurred.

 

[firefighterjake]

Stacked outside uncovered for 1-2 years. Put into the woodshed where it sits for another year under cover. In Year 3 I send the wood to its Maker.

I do have the woodshed set up and the wood stacked so that I take out the wood from front to back in rows vs. the usual side to side rows . . . that way I don't end up with the oldest, most seasoned wood in the back of the shed year after year after year if I don't burn it all.

 

[ColdNH]

Makes me wonder, is it more work to just push some snow off a tarp or go through the effort and expense of building a wood shed and then have to move 3-4 cord of wood every year into the wood shed?

 

[cptoneleg]

Makes me wonder, is it more work to just push some snow off a tarp or go through the effort and expense of building a wood shed and then have to move 3-4 cord of wood every year into the wood shed?

Never regret building the Woodshed Is it worth it HELL YES- when you are far enough ahead it is actually easy- I don't put anything on the outside stacks - now that I have a shed

 

[Monosperma]

Makes me wonder, is it more work to just push some snow off a tarp or go through the effort and expense of building a wood shed and then have to move 3-4 cord of wood every year into the wood shed?

Try as I might, the wind eventually will move the tarp from how I wanted it. And the sun will destroy a plastic tarp (high altitude) in 1 or 2 years, unless animals speed the process along. But I have an already-built barn to tuck my wood into, so I am a tad biased.

 

[PapaDave]

For my setup, I'd have to move the wood from the back field to either the shed or stacks in front of the house.
I prefer the shed.
The shed is a one time thing, the snow pushing is constant,.....all ....winter.....long. Every ....winter. I've done both.
Did I mention, I prefer the shed?
Oh, and, I prefer the shed.
I also use a plow (wish I could afford a snowblower for my tractor) for my 200' drive, instead of using a snow shovel. Seems like a smart thing to do.

 

[firefighterjake]

Makes me wonder, is it more work to just push some snow off a tarp or go through the effort and expense of building a wood shed and then have to move 3-4 cord of wood every year into the wood shed?

Easy answer . . . no comparison. When you're standing inside your shed and it's pouring buckets out or the snow is whirling all around you in near blizzard like conditions and you don't have to fight with tarps, knock off snow and can leisurely pick and choose which splits you want to bring inside you'll never remember those "fond" days of wrestling with the tarp and getting the back of your neck cold and soaked.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Makes me wonder, is it more work to just push some snow off a tarp or go through the effort and expense of building a wood shed and then have to move 3-4 cord of wood every year into the wood shed?

Definitely more work moving it again to the wood shed but getting it out from under a tarp that is covered with ice and snow is not much fun.

 

[stejus]

Are you seasoning the wood out in the open, and then moving it in to the shed when it's close to being ready to burn? Or are you stacking it in the shed freshly cut and split, 3/4/5+ rows deep, and letting it fully season there?

Dry the wood outside the shed, then load the shed. I just finished loading 4 cord this weekend. Roughly 8 hours work alone. Get a few people involved, it goes much quicker. This time is well worth it.

 

[certified106]

I do about 2-3 years outside and then move it into the shed.

 

[rottiman]

16 rows (can fit 20) each 1.3x7.5x9'. Perdominant wind blows in one end and out the other. No problem making 15% moisture level

 

[PapaDave]

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