A question about wood storage.

[ohlongarm]

I'm actually really well set with wood and will be burning nothing less than 2 years old,now the problem is ,I hit a muther load of locust along with some cherry,black and yellow birch.The cherry is fresh cut,as is the birch. The locust consists of some fresh cut but a chit and a half load of primo debarked air dried stuff. I was thinking of just hauling all I can and just stacking the rounds,of which 90% are 16 in the rest from 18 to 20 in.I was going to stack the rounds on oak pallets,which are set on bricks.and not worry about splitting until needed which will be quite a while. Is this the way to go? and shall I leave the rounds exposed to elements or cover just the top,Thanks for any input.A stupid question,stack em horizontal or ?vertical,have seen it done that way in Amish country vertical that is.

 

[Gasifier]

Niether. If it is going to be too long, the wood may rot. Can't have that. Split it up so it will dry nice. Then stack on large trailer and bring it to my house. I can use it 13/14. Should be nice by then.

 

[woodsmaster]

I would at least split it in half at minimum to avoid it getting punky and rotting.

 

[Blue Vomit]

I would haul all the locust first. That stuff takes a long time to rot.

 

[katwillny]

Split it and stack if you have the room. i came across some nice locust today, same as you it had been cut about two years ago so the bark was coming off as I was cutting it up. I put the moisture meter to it and its at 12 % so now that its split it will probably be at less than 10 % by this winter. Its still sitting in the truck as my back is barking right now from cutting and splitting and installing wood floors.

 

[rdust]

Everything I've heard of locust is it doesn't rot,(not fast anyway) get it off the ground with a top cover and worry about splitting it when you have time.

As for stacking I never stack with the end grain up/down, so no vertical stacking for me.

 

[firefighterjake]

My own opinion . . . I would split it all and start the seasoning process . . . even if you are ahead. You never know . . . you could get hurt this summer in an ATV acccident or fall off your roof and may be laid up for some time without the ability to work on wood . . . getting another year ahead is not a bad thing. I think if I was thinking I would have wood out that long I would definitely get it off the ground and top cover (even though I don't top cover my wood when it is only outside for a year or so) . . . top covering would keep leaves, needles, etc. from getting into the stack. I think if I was truly that far ahead and wasn't planning on burning it for several years I would get in touch with my creative side and build one or two holz mietes . . . or go with traditional stacked wood.

 

[Flatbedford]

Stack it all ASAP. Get the drying started. Most species get harder to split as they get drier. Keep the splits off the ground too. I do not cover my stacks unless there is snow or ice in the forecast. The I will only cover the next weeks worth or so. I keep a bout 1/3 cord on my covered front porch through the burning season.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I'm actually really well set with wood and will be burning nothing less than 2 years old,now the problem is ,I hit a muther load of locust along with some cherry,black and yellow birch.The cherry is fresh cut,as is the birch. The locust consists of some fresh cut but a chit and a half load of primo debarked air dried stuff. I was thinking of just hauling all I can and just stacking the rounds,of which 90% are 16 in the rest from 18 to 20 in.I was going to stack the rounds on oak pallets,which are set on bricks.and not worry about splitting until needed which will be quite a while. Is this the way to go? and shall I leave the rounds exposed to elements or cover just the top,Thanks for any input.A stupid question,stack em horizontal or ?vertical,have seen it done that way in Amish country vertical that is.

I would not stack in the rounds. I'd get it split now and then stack it. You are going to stack on pallets so the wood will be off the ground and rot would be the last thing I'd worry about. For example, last fall we had some 8 year old wood and it burned wonderfully. No rot either. We've burned wood that was older than that and I know of some that was 20 years in the stack with no problems.

Notice that we top cover our wood.....but not until after the first summer and fall. We top cover before the snow flies and then leave it covered like that until it is needed.

Notice also in the second picture that wood is not stacked off the ground. There was no problem with that wood and some of it was there in the stack for 8 years and we found no rot anywhere. I don't recommend stacking like that but here we can get away with it. For example, that stack was on high ground and we are on yellow sand. No moisture problem here, but, we do normally stack off the ground and have been lately because we've moved where we stack the wood. The reason for moving the wood piles is there is now a barn there.

 

[ohlongarm]

I would not stack in the rounds. I'd get it split now and then stack it. You are going to stack on pallets so the wood will be off the ground and rot would be the last thing I'd worry about. For example, last fall we had some 8 year old wood and it burned wonderfully. No rot either. We've burned wood that was older than that and I know of some that was 20 years in the stack with no problems.

Notice that we top cover our wood.....but not until after the first summer and fall. We top cover before the snow flies and then leave it covered like that until it is needed.

Notice also in the second picture that wood is not stacked off the ground. There was no problem with that wood and some of it was there in the stack for 8 years and we found no rot anywhere. I don't recommend stacking like that but here we can get away with it. For example, that stack was on high ground and we are on yellow sand. No moisture problem here, but, we do normally stack off the ground and have been lately because we've moved where we stack the wood. The reason for moving the wood piles is there is now a barn there.

 

[ohlongarm]

Thanks for the input all of you ,but what I think I'm going to do now is just haul all I can and stack the rounds on pallets raised on bricks ,that would give me 8 inches of airspace on the ground.I plan on going 5 feet tall and won't cover the stacks until just before winter making sure all is dry before covering the top.I plan on putting the slow seasoning stuff at ground level and working upwards according to what I think will season next in sequence,example,oak first ,locust,birch,maple and cherry.Seventy% is locust,20%oak,cherry and birch,and hard maple the remaining 10%.I don't think I can hurt myself doing it this way,keep in mind I'm 5 years to the good before I get into this stuff.Right now I need to cut and haul all this as only 30% is cut already,all the stuff needs hauled out of the woods in a atv,then into truck and then home 1/4 mile distance so my plan is to get another 5 years wood on hand and worry about splitting later.Hope I'm doing the right thing.

 

[ohlongarm]

Thanks for the input all of you ,but what I think I'm going to do now is just haul all I can and stack the rounds on pallets raised on bricks ,that would give me 8 inches of airspace on the ground.I plan on going 5 feet tall and won't cover the stacks until just before winter making sure all is dry before covering the top.I plan on putting the slow seasoning stuff at ground level and working upwards according to what I think will season next in sequence,example,oak first ,locust,birch,maple and cherry.Seventy% is locust,20%oak,cherry and birch,and hard maple the remaining 10%.I don't think I can hurt myself doing it this way,keep in mind I'm 5 years to the good before I get into this stuff.Right now I need to cut and haul all this as only 30% is cut already,all the stuff needs hauled out of the woods in a atv,then into truck and then home 1/4 mile distance so my plan is to get another 5 years wood on hand and worry about splitting later.Hope I'm doing the right thing.

PS I plan on leaving 3 inches of airspace between the stacked rows.

 

[Flatbedford]

The seasoning clock doesn't start until the wood is split. You aren't getting ahead with stacked rounds.

 

[ohlongarm]

The seasoning clock doesn't start until the wood is split. You aren't getting ahead with stacked rounds.

All excellent replies ,my plan was get all the wood rounds and stuff hauled out of the woods ,get it stacked and off the ground,then when I'm done hauling worry about splitting. There's only so many hours in a day,and I want to devote all my time to just acquiring now.No need to worry about seasoned wood now easily 5 years worth on hand.I feel the rounds stacked will still begin drying.

 

[Woody Stover]

If that's Black Locust, any of it that you cut now that is brown on the inside is ready to burn now.

 

[weatherguy]

All excellent replies ,my plan was get all the wood rounds and stuff hauled out of the woods ,get it stacked and off the ground,then when I'm done hauling worry about splitting. There's only so many hours in a day,and I want to devote all my time to just acquiring now.No need to worry about seasoned wood now easily 5 years worth on hand.I feel the rounds stacked will still begin drying.

Thats what I did last year as I only had so much free time so I used it to gather all the rounds, I stacked the rounds on pallets and in racks and I splt them later, some wood splits better green but at least I was able to get 6 cords, if I split it right away I might have only get 3 or 4 cords.

 

[ohlongarm]

Thats what I did last year as I only had so much free time so I used it to gather all the rounds, I stacked the rounds on pallets and in racks and I splt them later, some wood splits better green but at least I was able to get 6 cords, if I split it right away I might have only get 3 or 4 cords.

I'm kinda leaning your way,the rounds IMO will keep a long time stacked and covered come winter,in the meantime I devote all my time to cutting and hauling.Besides my 34 ton Brave will split anything out there,so green seasoned ,it doesn't matter.

 

[ohlongarm]

If that's Black Locust, any of it that you cut now that is brown on the inside is ready to burn now.

90% is debarked but still bright yellow on the inside.