when to cover wood?/when to take it inside?

[spam]

well over the summer i got about 50% of my wood to a moisture content of about 18% the other half is still at 20-38% moisture. But it just keeps raining and raining here and if this fall is like most it will bring more rain several of my splits that wear dry are now heavy with moisture again my thought was to fill one log rack inside my screen porch once every 1-2 weeks to get it out of the weather before burning it but i dont know if supply will meet demand? tarps are an option but it can get very windy here late fall so that could be a major PIA. any thoughts? tricks? pics? keep in mind i am very limited on space , my area for stacking outside is about 4'x35'

stove:1987 jotul 3 non cat
pipe: 6" ss flex about 18' tall
wood: a mix of every kind of wood there is

 

[TreePointer]

In the situation you're in right now, I'd tarp this season's wood during rain and remove tarp during stretches of no rain.

I'll try to get some pics up later....

 

[wood spliter]

I do the same as TreePointer

 

[gzecc]

Its been my experience that the truly seasoned wood will dry well enough after a couple of dry days, if it is stacked correctly in the first place. Moving and covering and uncovering is too much additional work, for an already very labor intensive process. If covering was needed, we would never find ready to burn wood in the forest. We all find that occasionally. These are usually the smaller branches that were from the tree tops that dried, off the ground for one reason or another.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

well over the summer i got about 50% of my wood to a moisture content of about 18% the other half is still at 20-38% moisture. But it just keeps raining and raining here and if this fall is like most it will bring more rain several of my splits that wear dry are now heavy with moisture again my thought was to fill one log rack inside my screen porch once every 1-2 weeks to get it out of the weather before burning it but i dont know if supply will meet demand? tarps are an option but it can get very windy here late fall so that could be a major PIA. any thoughts? tricks? pics? keep in mind i am very limited on space , my area for stacking outside is about 4'x35'

stove:1987 jotul 3 non cat
pipe: 6" ss flex about 18' tall
wood: a mix of every kind of wood there is

This is how we cover our stacks.

 

[spam]

is that ply wood on top? what about snow? what about rainy 35 degree days? how much wood do you bring inside the home on a daily/weekly basis? I tried to burn some wood the other day that was seasoned but out in the rain and it did not want to catch,it was a PIA

 

[gyrfalcon]

is that ply wood on top? what about snow? what about rainy 35 degree days? how much wood do you bring inside the home on a daily/weekly basis? I tried to burn some wood the other day that was seasoned but out in the rain and it did not want to catch,it was a PIA

Gotta bring the wood inside before it rains, or else leave it out until there's been a couple of dry days. It also dries out lickety split if it's stacked near the hearth for a half a day or so. The key is to have someplace indoors where you can keep a couple days supply. If you don't have that, then you absolutely need a woodshed. The water only penetrates a fraction of an inch and doesn't take very long to dry off indoors. I keep about two days' worth right around the stove, another couple days farther away in the stove room. If it's really dire, the wood is very wet and it keeps raining/snowing, I set the wet splits out singly around the hearth just outside the combustbiles range, and it dries out within a couple of hours.

I have several terrific long plastic "boot trays" I got from Gardener's supply that work very well to stack damp or snowy wood indoors. The trays catch both the drips and the debris.

 

[bogydave]

I think Denis uses old metal roof sheets & galvanized corrugated metal sheets
Plywood will work. Paint the top & it'll shed water better & last longer. angle a little to the front or back with a few inches of overhang so the drips miss the wood.
Small holes in the corners to bungee down to the pallets.
Storing some on the porch is a good idea, (many members do it that way during burn season) easy to grab when needed & dry. Dry is good

 

[Slow1]

I've taken to putting a tarp over my "ready to burn" pile - to make it more eye pleasing I bough a heavy duty tarp that is brown (hate those bright blue ones). To keep it on without covering the sides, I staple it to the top row of wood all the way around until I'm ready to pull the wood out, then leave a small section free just where I'm 'raiding' the wood to burn. This makes it a tight fitting 'showercap' look and with enough staples (I use a heavy duty hammer stapler) wind can't get under it. Needle nose pliers do the trick for pulling them out later btw.

As to when to pull the wood into the house - I won't do that until after the first freeze simply as I want all the bugs to either die off or hibernate (their choice) for the winter first. I will stack my deck rack sometime in early October (1/4 cord) if the first burn time gets here so I don't have to walk all the way to the main pile, but that is outside....

 

[Backwoods Savage]

is that ply wood on top? what about snow? what about rainy 35 degree days? how much wood do you bring inside the home on a daily/weekly basis? I tried to burn some wood the other day that was seasoned but out in the rain and it did not want to catch,it was a PIA

That is old galvanized roofing on top and it works great. What about snow? In between the wood stacks in the first picture you'll notice something covered with a tarp. That is the wood splitter. If you look at the wood pile you'll see a piece of the galvanized laying at a slant at ground level. That is what we do as the wood is removed; use the galvanized to cover the shorter piles (after we've taken part of the pile away).

For many years we have stacked wood on the porch which is inside a carport. This year we'll do it a bit different as we have a small porch on the opposite side of the house and a sliding glass door leading to it. That doorway is right beside the stove so it will really be easy getting wood this year.

We also built a barn last year so 3 cord will go into the barn sometime this fall for use this winter. That means I won't be taking wood out from under the snow any more.

 

[spam]

thanks for all the info guys,,think i have a plan now

 

[raybonz]

is that ply wood on top? what about snow? what about rainy 35 degree days? how much wood do you bring inside the home on a daily/weekly basis? I tried to burn some wood the other day that was seasoned but out in the rain and it did not want to catch,it was a PIA

That is old galvanized roofing on top and it works great. What about snow? In between the wood stacks in the first picture you'll notice something covered with a tarp. That is the wood splitter. If you look at the wood pile you'll see a piece of the galvanized laying at a slant at ground level. That is what we do as the wood is removed; use the galvanized to cover the shorter piles (after we've taken part of the pile away).

For many years we have stacked wood on the porch which is inside a carport. This year we'll do it a bit different as we have a small porch on the opposite side of the house and a sliding glass door leading to it. That doorway is right beside the stove so it will really be easy getting wood this year.

We also built a barn last year so 3 cord will go into the barn sometime this fall for use this winter. That means I won't be taking wood out from under the snow any more.

Good pics Dennis! You're gonna love having that ready wood in the barn!! I load my wagon inside my shelter which keeps me out of the weather while loading then gently coax the loaded wagon onto the ramps and it is heavy! I have dropped the wagon off the ramps a few times lol.. I may look into a way to make the transition onto the ramps better as I do the same with the snowblower that also lives in the shelter..

Ray

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Ray, we did use the barn last winter and yes, it is nice not having to move the snow to get at the wood.

 

[bogydave]

and yes, it is nice not having to move the snow to get at the wood.

+1 to that. & no tarps to chase down
Love'n my wood shed more every year.

 

[tfdchief]

Good pics Dennis! You’re gonna love having that ready wood in the barn!! I load my wagon inside my shelter which keeps me out of the weather while loading then gently coax the loaded wagon onto the ramps and it is heavy! I have dropped the wagon off the ramps a few times lol.. I may look into a way to make the transition onto the ramps better as I do the same with the snowblower that also lives in the shelter..

Ray

Ray, I don't understand. What are the ramps for?

 

[raybonz]

Good pics Dennis! You’re gonna love having that ready wood in the barn!! I load my wagon inside my shelter which keeps me out of the weather while loading then gently coax the loaded wagon onto the ramps and it is heavy! I have dropped the wagon off the ramps a few times lol.. I may look into a way to make the transition onto the ramps better as I do the same with the snowblower that also lives in the shelter..

Ray

Ray, I don't understand. What are the ramps for?

The floor of the wood shelter is over a foot from the ground.. I place 2x10's to roll the wagon out of the shelter full of wood and move the ramps to move the snowblower in and out of the shelter.. Can't leave fixed ramps as they would be in the way parking my car etc.. The 2x10's are stored inside the shelter until I need them.. Another advantage the 2x10's stay clean of snow and ice this way...

Ray

 

[tfdchief]

The floor of the wood shelter is over a foot from the ground.. I place 2x10’s to roll the wagon out of the shelter full of wood and move the ramps to move the snowblower in and out of the shelter.. Can’t leave fixed ramps as they would be in the way parking my car etc.. The 2x10’s are stored inside the shelter until I need them.. Another advantage the 2x10’s stay clean of snow and ice this way…

Ray

OK, I get it now. Maybe you could make a hinged ramp that folds up into the shelter and folds down when you need it?

 

[raybonz]

The floor of the wood shelter is over a foot from the ground.. I place 2x10’s to roll the wagon out of the shelter full of wood and move the ramps to move the snowblower in and out of the shelter.. Can’t leave fixed ramps as they would be in the way parking my car etc.. The 2x10’s are stored inside the shelter until I need them.. Another advantage the 2x10’s stay clean of snow and ice this way…

Ray

OK, I get it now. Maybe you could make a hinged ramp that folds up into the shelter and folds down when you need it?

I have thought that too Steve but I use the 2x10's on my saw horses as a work table so they get some use beyond the shelter.. I know they make extruded pieces to attach to planks for ramps just need to find a set .. Maybe Lowes or HD carries them?

Ray

 

[certified106]

The floor of the wood shelter is over a foot from the ground.. I place 2x10’s to roll the wagon out of the shelter full of wood and move the ramps to move the snowblower in and out of the shelter.. Can’t leave fixed ramps as they would be in the way parking my car etc.. The 2x10’s are stored inside the shelter until I need them.. Another advantage the 2x10’s stay clean of snow and ice this way…

Ray

OK, I get it now. Maybe you could make a hinged ramp that folds up into the shelter and folds down when you need it?

I have thought that too Steve but I use the 2x10's on my saw horses as a work table so they get some use beyond the shelter.. I know they make extruded pieces to attach to planks for ramps just need to find a set .. Maybe Lowes or HD carries them?

Ray

Got mine at Lowes and they didn't cost that much. I have had the set for a few years and they have held up well.

 

[raybonz]

The floor of the wood shelter is over a foot from the ground.. I place 2x10’s to roll the wagon out of the shelter full of wood and move the ramps to move the snowblower in and out of the shelter.. Can’t leave fixed ramps as they would be in the way parking my car etc.. The 2x10’s are stored inside the shelter until I need them.. Another advantage the 2x10’s stay clean of snow and ice this way…

Ray

OK, I get it now. Maybe you could make a hinged ramp that folds up into the shelter and folds down when you need it?

I have thought that too Steve but I use the 2x10's on my saw horses as a work table so they get some use beyond the shelter.. I know they make extruded pieces to attach to planks for ramps just need to find a set .. Maybe Lowes or HD carries them?

Ray

Got mine at Lowes and they didn't cost that much. I have had the set for a few years and they have held up well.

Jesse are those the extruded aluminum ramp adapters and what are they called? How much did you pay for them?

Thanx,
Ray

 

[certified106]

These are the ones I bought from Lowes and they are still around $20. I used them for about a year and the only real problem I found was when putting something really heavy on them like my Dutchwest they would bow a bit more than I wanted them to so I picked up some scrap angle iron from work and fastened it to the edge of each ramp.

Ramp Links

 

[raybonz]

These are the ones I bought from Lowes and they are still around $20. I used them for about a year and the only real problem I found was when putting something really heavy on them like my Dutchwest they would bow a bit more than I wanted them to so I picked up some scrap angle iron from work and fastened it to the edge of each ramp.

Ramp Links

Thanx Jesse! My local Lowes carries them for about 20 bucks! Those should do the trick nicely!!

Ray

 

[golfandwoodnut]

Spam, a few random thoughts. You really only need dry wood to get your fire started. Once you have coals, as long as your wood is seasoned, I find it will light right up. It will dry out in a heart beat once you throw it in the stove. That said, dry places to store wood is always great. First year I burned, I put in the basement and carried it up the stairs every day. Was a little messy and I did not have bug problems, but I don't think I will ever do that again. Last year I built a covered wood rack close to the house that held about 3/4 of a cord and refilled it a few times and also walked to the stack that were covered with rubber roofing material. Like metal roofing material it works great, more heavy duty than tarps but not too heavy to deal with (molds to the top of the wood piles and folds back easily). Flat roofers are glad to get rid of it from old jobs. This year I did build a barn and might put a few cord in there but not looking forward to walking that far regulary, I cold load up the trailer on the quad and bring it up to one of the garages. Finally, this year I think I came up with something really slick. We put a tent like structure on the deck (remains of my tent I used to store the truck under until we built the barn). My wife thought it would look nice for a party. we somehow got it up on the deck and I am going to give it a whirl as long as it will last (I got it at Harbor Freight last year). Storing wood under it will be sweet as it is only a few feet from the stove and a slider will open right under it. This issue was getting the wood up the stairs. I cheated and figured out I can use my Bobcat to raise the wood up a bucket load at a time and easily fill the area. Point is, you will figure out what works best for you. I am still figuring things out.
Link to HF canopy I am using:
http://www.harborfreight.com/10-ft-x-20-ft-portable-car-canopy-68218.html
A little later I will post some pictures in a new thread.

This link actually would make a pretty nice wood shed for cheap. The key is keeping real heavy snow off the roof it you get several feet.
http://www.harborfreight.com/10-ft-x-15-ft-portable-garage-68217.html