What is the minimum suggested winter storage

[Woodbee burner]

Hello I am new to wood and just bought 4 cords of wood and a wood stove. I live in the city so interior storage space can be a bit of a premium. I have most of the wood stacked in single rows with the bark facing up along the perimeter of my yard.

Also, I live in a dry climate with some occasional snow (5-10 times a year and usually melted within a day or two). Rain here is usually short lived.

I am just finishing clearing an area that will store 3/4 cord and I would be able to store a 3ft long stack next to my back door as well.

My question. Is it reasonable to leave most or all of your wood out in the elements in winter and even burn directly from those stacks or must your wood be in covered storage? Also can I stack the wood rows so they touch if they are dry?

I have pine at about 22 % and mixed hardwood (oak, almond) 20 % moisture according to my cheap meter after splitting a few.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Sconnie Burner]

I wouldn't worry about getting it inside at all. Head over to your local lumber yard and get the lumber covers they take off their boards. They will work great at keeping the rain and snow off your wood! If your wood is completely dry as you mention I would try to cover it ALL the way around. If its still a tad wet just top cover it. If some does get a little wet from rain or snow getting under the cover, just make sure you uncover it on the nice days so the surface moisture can dry back up

 

[firefighterjake]

I might throw a tarp over the top of the wood if snow or rain is in the forecast . . . but I wouldn't worry too much about getting a whole lot of wood under cover. In my first year of burning here in Maine I tarped the wood and had about a week's worth of wood on my covered porch . . . but there were times I would take the wood directly from under the tarp, bring it inside and put it into the stove.

 

[bassJAM]

I leave all my wood outside tarped, and just bring in enough for 2 weeks at a time.

 

[Woody Stover]

Welcome to the forums. I think you have your answers, but just a heads-up; Double-spacing the lines in your posts may bring out the bandwidth police.

 

[Jags]

Double-spacing the lines in your posts may bring out the bandwidth police.

The enter button doesn't consume much bandwidth.

TOP cover and you will be fine especially since you have some immediate use storage. It will give you the opportunity to reload the immediate use when it makes sense (no snow or rain).

 

[Seanm]

I didnt see it mentioned above but having dry wood rows touching isnt a problem but if you have the yard space single rows are best. I have a space issue on my property so for me its all double rows sitting on pallets and top covered with tarps. I arrange it so that any wood that isnt dry off the saw goes in the front row and all the wood around 20% or lower goes in the back row which is several inches off the fence. We are much wetter than you and have snow on the ground from November until Aprilish with lots of snow depth. You seem quite dry so you might even be able to get away without top covering. Lots of threads on here about people debating whether to cover or not to cover so I think it depends on climate. We store about a weeks worth of wood in our attached garage but I have no problem going out to the stacks to gather wood if Im so inclined.

 

[Fred Wright]

I leave new, or green stacks uncovered for the first year. They get a top cover after that. For stacks that are to be used for the forthcoming season, you could top cover in late summer so they'll be dry.

 

[Applesister]

I like having a cord of super dry stuff in a stash somewhere. A safety net of stuff I know will burn well. Just in case some unforeseen storm hits. Everything else comes from outside. I was digging tunnels to my stacks last winter. Also have a log hoop right next to the stove for helping to dry surface moisture.

 

[Wood Duck]

In Nevada you should be able to leave the wood uncovered and have rows touching and be just fine. I keep my wood outside in soggy, snowy PA and after a couple of days indoors by the stove it is fine. You should have much drier firewood than most of us in the east, even those of us with a woodshed.

 

[Woodbee burner]

Thanks so much for the advice. I should have about 1 - 1.5 cords ready to go and covered behind my shed. I am told by most I will need about 2 cords of hardwood (I have 3 ready plus almost a cord of pine) The rest is stacked in single rows uncovered for now. It has been a lot harder than I thought to get my yard ready to own a wood stove as I didn't consider the storage aspect as carefully as i should have.