When to fill the shed?

[Monkey Wrench]

I have 8 cords of seasoned splits stacked on pallets bathing in the sun and wind in an open field. 50% oak 20% cherry 20% maple 10% other.

My wood shed is really a small tractor shed with 1 side, south side open.

My thought is to bring in 1/2 cord now for shoulder season and refill as I use it. When the snows start to fly than fill the shed. Approx/Dec.

I'm thinking leaving the wood out will allow it an extra 3 mo. to season even better with the dry fall winds.

Is this the recommended process?

Thanks

 

[Wallyworld]

I have 8 cords of seasoned splits stacked on pallets bathing in the sun and wind in an open field. 50% oak 20% cherry 20% maple 10% other.

If its seasoned why not bring it all in? I'm probably in the minority here but I like my wood in the wood shed where its covered.

 

[PapaDave]

I was planning to wait until right about now to fill the shed too, but then did it in early Aug., I think it was. The fall weather is generally rainy, and I figured the splits would need a couple sunny days at least, to dry before I moved the wood. Those are kind of hard to come by around here in the fall.
I'm glad I moved it when I did. Much easier to do when I don't have to fight the snow, too. YMMV

 

[Bigg_Redd]

When to fill the shed?

As soon as I get around to splitting and stacking.

IMO, moving wood more than you have to (from "open, sunny, windy area" to "woodshed") is stupid, if not just dingy.

Don't believe everything you read on the internet.

 

[PapaDave]

So, you're saying you c/s/s WET wood in your shed?
The amount of wood I need would not DRY in the woodshed. I really dislike handling firewood anymore than is needed too, but you're calling pretty much most people on this forum stupid for stacking their wood in the open somewhere other than it's final resting place before being burned.
I guess it works for you. Happy burning.

 

[oldspark]

When to fill the shed?

As soon as I get around to splitting and stacking.

IMO, moving wood more than you have to (from "open, sunny, windy area" to "woodshed") is stupid, if not just dingy.

Don't believe everything you read on the internet.

Hi my name is stupid whats yours?

 

[Elderthewelder]

So, you're saying you c/s/s WET wood in your shed?
The amount of wood I need would not DRY in the woodshed. I really dislike handling firewood anymore than is needed too, but you're calling pretty much most people on this forum stupid for stacking their wood in the open somewhere other than it's final resting place before being burned.
I guess it works for you. Happy burning.

Well if you are like me and live on a small lot in the city, you do not have much of a choice. I stack my wet wood right into my wood sheds after splitting, as much as it rains around here it makes sense to me to do it that way, I have 3 so called "sheds" I call them bins two of them hold a little over a cord the third one a little less. all 3 of them are full of seasoned wood right now. I usually have a heaping pile of split wood in my backyard that I will put in one of the bins as i empty it during the winter. I wont go through more than 2 of these bins during a winter (hopefully) so the 3rd one is always ready for the next season and the ones I filled during the winter are usually good to go as well as they all face south and get alot of sun.

 

[Monkey Wrench]

I'm going to withdraw my question.
I do not, nor did I expect an argument.

Thanks for all the replies.

Stay Safe.

 

[oldspark]

I'm going to withdraw my question.
I do not, nor did I expect an argument.

Thanks for all the replies.

Stay Safe.

Dont worry about it, a good question that deserves a good answer, I wait till Oct. usually and a good dry spell to make sure all the rain has dried off, I live in NW Iowa and has worked well for over 30 years, no internet back then just what works well for me.

 

[shawng111]

I was just looking at my stack today wondering the same thing, I'm with Oldspark though, and bring it to the woodshed sometime in October. I brought up some in November last year but that's just too late for me as we could already be having snow by then.

 

[PapaDave]

MonkeyWrench,
No worries man, we all do what we do to get and stay warm, whatever it is.

 

[branchburner]

When the clock strikes November I get nervous. So I shoot for late October, and just keep an eye on the extended forecast. If we're sitting in a week of sunshine and heading for a week of rain, I get my butt in gear. Whatever I can't get inside, I cover the tops, unless it's for next season or beyond.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

So, you're saying you c/s/s WET wood in your shed?
The amount of wood I need would not DRY in the woodshed. I really dislike handling firewood anymore than is needed too, but you're calling pretty much most people on this forum stupid for stacking their wood in the open somewhere other than it's final resting place before being burned.
I guess it works for you. Happy burning.

If you have more wood than will fit in your shed, then by all means put the driest stuff in first. If you stack/move wood twice because you read on the internet that wood dries a lot faster stacked in the open, then you are stupid. If your woodshed is properly ventilated your wood will dry just fine.

 

[nate379]

My folks have heated with wood for 25 years so they had a "system".

Usually around now, maybe at late at first couple weeks of October, we would haul in the wood.

They keep the wood in the basement of the house though. About 3.5-4 cords down there each year. Now there is actually 5-6 cords down there, but some of that is cedar/pine/spruce used for starting fires... some of that has been there for easily 20 years!

It's not an option to keep it outside and haul it during the winter. Far too much snow, would just be a huge PITA. (They get 10-15ft of snow a winter usually)

 

[SolarAndWood]

Before the snow flies.

 

[oldspark]

So, you're saying you c/s/s WET wood in your shed?
The amount of wood I need would not DRY in the woodshed. I really dislike handling firewood anymore than is needed too, but you're calling pretty much most people on this forum stupid for stacking their wood in the open somewhere other than it's final resting place before being burned.
I guess it works for you. Happy burning.

If you have more wood than will fit in your shed, then by all means put the driest stuff in first. If you stack/move wood twice because you read on the internet that wood dries a lot faster stacked in the open, then you are stupid. If your woodshed is properly ventilated your wood will dry just fine.

Having a well ventilated building to store firewood in Iowa would be stupid as the snow blows in side ways here, plus it would be a rather large building for 3 years worth of wood, not sure what your problem is with moving the wood inside, have been doing it for 30 years and it works for me, any building I put up would be enclosed so still have to move it inside.
Do you think people do everthing just because they read it on the internet, my wood burning skills have been developed for many years and I find your attitude rather presumptuous.

 

[PapaDave]

So, you're saying you c/s/s WET wood in your shed?
The amount of wood I need would not DRY in the woodshed. I really dislike handling firewood anymore than is needed too, but you're calling pretty much most people on this forum stupid for stacking their wood in the open somewhere other than it's final resting place before being burned.
I guess it works for you. Happy burning.

If you have more wood than will fit in your shed, then by all means put the driest stuff in first. If you stack/move wood twice because you read on the internet that wood dries a lot faster stacked in the open, then you are stupid. If your woodshed is properly ventilated your wood will dry just fine.

Let me clarify for you.
I stack wood in the open because the wood does dry better that way.
I've had wood stacked behind a shed w/o any appreciable sun or wind, and it tends to get moldy and punky and takes much longer to even resemble dry than it would stacked in the open.
I started the process I use before I found this site, found that it works, so I continue using it. To go back to the previous method, for me, would be stupid. YMMV
Have a great winter, and happy burning.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

So, you're saying you c/s/s WET wood in your shed?
The amount of wood I need would not DRY in the woodshed. I really dislike handling firewood anymore than is needed too, but you're calling pretty much most people on this forum stupid for stacking their wood in the open somewhere other than it's final resting place before being burned.
I guess it works for you. Happy burning.

If you have more wood than will fit in your shed, then by all means put the driest stuff in first. If you stack/move wood twice because you read on the internet that wood dries a lot faster stacked in the open, then you are stupid. If your woodshed is properly ventilated your wood will dry just fine.

Please forgive me as I usually do not like to post like this. However...

Bigg Redd, I usually read your posts (most are very few words) and have no problem with them. However, you are totally out of line with this type of an answer. Would it not be better to simply agree that not all of us do the same things and in the same ways? Now please do not take too much offense and I'll be looking for more of your posts which are usually much better.


As for me, let me now state that we are putting up a barn. We will be stacking some wood inside that barn. However, like others on this forum, that wood will first dry outdoors where the sun and wind will do its work. It (or some of it) will then be moved into the barn. We'll take the winter's supply of wood from the barn and then refill that space the following fall. Yes, it will mean an extra handling of the wood and that is a shame to have to handle it again. However, it will also mean we have the very best wood to burn and when I go to the wood pile during the winter months I won't have to remove the snow first. Not that removing that snow has been a big problem as it hasn't been all that bad. But now I won't have to shovel any snow and probably won't even get some of that snow inside my gloves. Yes, I expect it will be rather nice and worth the time. Besides, I don't hold down a regular job so have the time and need the exercise. It is better than joining a gym.

This is what I am referring to.

Yes, I can remove that snow with a shovel but will no longer need to do it. btw, that is the log splitter between the wood piles.

 

[BrotherBart]

So, you're saying you c/s/s WET wood in your shed?
The amount of wood I need would not DRY in the woodshed. I really dislike handling firewood anymore than is needed too, but you're calling pretty much most people on this forum stupid for stacking their wood in the open somewhere other than it's final resting place before being burned.
I guess it works for you. Happy burning.

If you have more wood than will fit in your shed, then by all means put the driest stuff in first. If you stack/move wood twice because you read on the internet that wood dries a lot faster stacked in the open, then you are stupid. If your woodshed is properly ventilated your wood will dry just fine.

Enough with the with the word "stupid" Redd. It has no place on this Forum.

If not for people learning things on the Internet this site wouldn't be here.

 

[vvvv]

even mother nature agrees that a shedroof should be white!

 

[Bigg_Redd]

*sigh*

OK. Move/stack wood as many times as you think it'll take to dry it.

 

[branchburner]

It is better than joining a gym.

I think that simple line sums up how I feel about all the cutting, splitting, stacking, hauling, and however many repeats of stacking and hauling that I do. Then, when I grill my marbled chuck-eyes over the coals, my arteries can relax just a little.

 

[burleymike]

In September we go cut/haul the wood. We split it as we take it off the truck and trailer then make a pile in front of the wood shed. I don't stack it at this time because I would spend a lot of time letting the splitter idle. About a week later when my back is less sore I take it into the wood shed.

All we have is beetle killed lodgepole or fir and it is already seasoned. Last year I came across a lady that had a bunch of poplar trees cut down on her property and she offered me the wood. It took a couple weeks of hauling it but I got a boat load. That stuff is nasty it does not like to split and I took the enter summer to season. I should not complain though since most parts of the country have higher humidity than the 20-30 we usually have. I remember how long it took fir to season when living in NW Oregon.

 

[Elderthewelder]

. I remember how long it took fir to season when living in NW Oregon.

How long?. IMO fir seasons pretty fast 7-8 months has been my experience

 

[Bigg_Redd]

In September we go cut/haul the wood. We split it as we take it off the truck and trailer then make a pile in front of the wood shed. I don't stack it at this time because I would spend a lot of time letting the splitter idle. About a week later when my back is less sore I take it into the wood shed.

All we have is beetle killed lodgepole or fir and it is already seasoned. Last year I came across a lady that had a bunch of poplar trees cut down on her property and she offered me the wood. It took a couple weeks of hauling it but I got a boat load. That stuff is nasty it does not like to split and I took the enter summer to season. I should not complain though since most parts of the country have higher humidity than the 20-30 we usually have. I remember how long it took fir to season when living in NW Oregon.

Me too. About 4-6 months.