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  1. Mass. Wine Guy Feeling the Heat

    joined: Nov 23, 2007
    307 posts
    Northeastern Massachusetts
    I just got a cord of very good-looking wood. I was told it was seasoned for 15 months and it looks it. I want to stack it, but my wife thinks that is unneccesary because we'll go through it pretty fast in the next month or so. It doesn't make sense to me to leave the wood piled randomly in a huge stack, even if I cover it up. I have a tarp that I think would fit underneath, so at least the wood wouldn't be resting directly on the ground.

    I'd be grateful for advice.
    #1

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  2. Heem New Member

    joined: Dec 13, 2008
    174 posts
    Connecticut
    If you can, stack it.

    I left my cord in a pile on the ground, tarped up - we got 10" of snow before I got home from work the day it was delivered, so it never got stacked. I'm wishing now that I had stacked it.
  3. smokinj Minister of Fire

    joined: Aug 11, 2008
    15,548 posts
    Anderson, Indiana
    if your going through it quick, month or so a pile is fine
  4. mayhem Minister of Fire

    joined: May 8, 2007
    1,938 posts
    Peru, MA
    If its seasoned and not int he way where it is, I wouldn't bother stacking it. I would, however, make sure its covered so it doesn't get soaked or embedded in ice.
  5. fossil Super Moderator

    joined: Sep 30, 2007
    9,266 posts
    Bend, Oregon
    It's always best to protect the wood from direct ground contact. But if you're going to use it all fairly quickly, even that probably doesn't matter. A cover over the top of the heap will protect the wood from surface moisture and keep it more convenient to handle as you tote it in and burn it up. Shouldn't be a problem for the short term just leaving it unstacked. Rick
  6. cityevader New Member

    joined: Dec 16, 2008
    80 posts
    Santa Cruz "Mountains"
    If you have the space, pile it! sames time/energy stacking. No sense working if you don't have to.
  7. Backwoods Savage Minister of Fire

    joined: Feb 14, 2007
    24,500 posts
    Michigan
    If it were mine, I'd stack it. If nothing else, get a couple of landscape timbers, probably $5 apiece and stack the wood on that. It will keep the wood off the ground and once it is stacked it won't take much to cover THE TOP ONLY.

    As an added benefit of stacking, it will still allow more evaporation of moisture, or more than it would get just thrown into a pile.
  8. savageactor7 Minister of Fire

    joined: Jan 25, 2008
    3,699 posts
    CNY
    I think what the wife thinks...you should listen to her more often.[IMG]
  9. trek5900 New Member

    joined: Nov 23, 2008
    4 posts
    Yes, dear is about as good advise as I have ever had. Work on saying it with sincerety and don't over use it. Life will be much better for you.

    As for stacking the wood see above.
  10. Mass. Wine Guy Feeling the Heat

    joined: Nov 23, 2007
    307 posts
    Northeastern Massachusetts
    Hmm. If a man speaks in the forest and there's not a woman around, is he still wrong?
  11. Mass. Wine Guy Feeling the Heat

    joined: Nov 23, 2007
    307 posts
    Northeastern Massachusetts
    Why? What happened to your wood?
  12. Doing The Dixie Eyed Hustle Minister of Fire

    joined: May 27, 2008
    4,022 posts
    Ridge, LI, NY
    That's a rhetorical question, right?

    ;-P
  13. Heem New Member

    joined: Dec 13, 2008
    174 posts
    Connecticut
    Well, the tarp became frozen to the ground, and covered in quite heavy ice and snow. once I got past that, everything is covered in a light dusting of snow, even though i secured the tarp in 10 different places with heavy items, the wind was still strong enough to blow snow under there. And then it just sits under cover with snow available to seep in.

    Then warmer temps came, and then colder. now the wood is covered in ice and frozen together.

    Had I just stacked it, and covered the top only, I'd just have to knock off a little bit of snow that may have blown into the cracks in between. Instead, I have a giant mess on my hands.
  14. fossil Super Moderator

    joined: Sep 30, 2007
    9,266 posts
    Bend, Oregon
    How can you get away from Mother Nature? There's always a woman around to hear us, and yes, we're still wrong. 8-/ Rick
  15. captaintone New Member

    if she is anything like my girlfriend she is going to ask me why did I have to be in the woods alone. Then I am wrong
  16. billb3 Minister of Fire

    joined: Dec 14, 2007
    3,107 posts
    SE Mass
    I'd put the tarp over it, not under it.

    Rain or melted snow and more of these frigid temps can mean retrieveing wood from the pile with a rather large hammer. Even if the bottom layer sticks to the ground it can be abandoned till next year, or better weather.


    A little dirt won't hurt anything but saw teeth.
  17. mainstation Feeling the Heat

    joined: Jan 4, 2009
    342 posts
    N.Ont.
    Stack it, in the wind if possible...hey it's like what 2 hours of work?? Fresh air, exercise, 3 cold beers later...I would stack it.
  18. Ditto

  19. only if he is married.
  20. Mass. Wine Guy Feeling the Heat

    joined: Nov 23, 2007
    307 posts
    Northeastern Massachusetts
    I like your thinking.
  21. TreePapa Minister of Fire

    joined: Dec 24, 2008
    583 posts
    Southern Calif.
    If the wife finds out, yes.
  22. Cluttermagnet Minister of Fire

    joined: Jun 23, 2008
    838 posts
    Mid Atlantic
    It's only a cord. Stack it. Cover only the top of the pile.
  23. ansehnlich1 Minister of Fire

    joined: Dec 5, 2006
    1,525 posts
    Adams County, PA
    I say stack it, nice and neat. All my wood gets stacked. And the top gets covered. And it's all stacked on pallets or 2x4's, NOT on the ground.
  24. slowzuki Feeling the Heat

    joined: Feb 1, 2007
    477 posts
    New Brunswick, Canada
    How much time do you have on your hands? Stacks are pretty I suppose but I've got plenty of other things to do!
  25. iceman Minister of Fire

    3 beers?? come over my house and stack please!!! i can't go out with less than a 6 pack

    well you could stack to confirm its a cord
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