Best place to store dry wood

[DamienBricka]

I am having 2 cords of hard wood delivered next week.
I have two options to store it.
1) store in the garage which is not heated.
2) Store it outside and cover it with plastic so it does not get wet.

What is my best bet

Thanks for your insight guys.

Damien

 

[Holiday]

I'd say garage if you don't need the space and it's convenient for you. Outside is fine too under cover.

 

[lml999]

I am having 2 cords of hard wood delivered next week.
I have two options to store it.
1) store in the garage which is not heated.
2) Store it outside and cover it with plastic so it does not get wet.

Is this freshly split wood?

If so, you will want to stack it outside for 12+ months. See the wood pile sub forum for discussion on stacking, covering, etc.

If it's dry (split and properly stacked for two+ years), you want it stacked somewhere dry....but if your garage is an old wood frame garage, do you really want a potential bug source inside? Again, see the wood pile forum for more discussion...and the search feature will help you find lots of information already posted.

I wouldn't store wood inside unless it was kiln dried.

 

[madison]

sun and wind

 

[aansorge]

I load up my attached garage as it is very convenient. Wet wood no, dry wood yes. I also wait to load up my garage until it is good and cold out. Prior to that, I stack it under an eve. I'll bring my first load to my garage this weekend.

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

I have to agree with some of the others, I would choose the garage if you can spare the space. It may help making the trips to the woodstove with wood more convenient and less of a hassle going to a wood pile.

The only real concern would be making sure you get seasoned wood. I have learned over the years dealing with certain folks that you do not get what you pay for when it comes to wood splits.
Make sure you get your splits are less than 20% MC. It will make a world of difference when you heat this winter.

 

[logger]

Bugs, man... bugs. Not sure why so many folks here store wood indoors. I've seen tons of bugs in all kinds of wood. Not only do I store outdoors, but I keep it a good distance from the house. Just my 2 cents.

 

[DamienBricka]

Logger, My garage is detached from the house and is about 40 feet away.
And the garage is cinder block

 

[logger]

Logger, My garage is detached from the house and is about 40 feet away.
And the garage is cinder block

Gotcha. Mines on a slab and is mostly wood, guess thats what I envisioned most to be like.

 

[firebroad]

I assume you are not going to burn it this year. If so, stack it outside and cover only the tops of the stacks. You can move it into the garage next fall. Cinder block and ceilings will not help dissipate moisture that well; you will be creating a greenhouse.

 

[DamienBricka]

This wood is already seasoned and will be burned this winter. If I cannot do that I have a big problem on my hands

 

[firebroad]

This wood is already seasoned and will be burned this winter. If I cannot do that I have a big problem on my hands

Then in the garage it goes!!

 

[DamienBricka]

What I will do then to put myself at ease is by a wood humidifier and confirm that is is really dry.

 

[Dakotas Dad]

I have never seen a report of "seasoned" wood, turn out to be "seasoned wood". Good Luck.

I think you mean a "moisture meter", not a "wood humidifier", which, be definition, would put moisture into wood..

To use your new MM, split a piece of firewood, then measure on the fresh face.

 

[DamienBricka]

Hello Dakotas Dad. So are you suggesting that the wood that will be deliver may have to be seasoned for 2 years if so were do I get my wood in the mean time?

 

[dmmoss51]

Most wood delivered is still pretty green. Lots of threads here on it. If you get it seasoned save the guys number and plan for next year too. In meantime look for sources like old pallets, kiln dries scrap, and bio bricks to mix in.

 

[DamienBricka]

Thanks for the correction. Any suggestion on moisture reader brands

I know his wood is seasoned because he delivered a cord two weeks ago.
I have been heating the house with it.
No problem so far.
Damien

 

[dmmoss51]

Find a delorian with a flux capacitor get up to 88 mph and cut some wood and stack in in your yard 3 years ago, when you get back home with doc brown it will be seasoned and ready to go for serious answer see some suggestions in my above post.

 

[DamienBricka]

dmmoss51..................I just remembered I have a delorian in the garage.............time to put it to use lol..............

 

[firebroad]

You can get a moisture meter on amazon, or I hear Harbor Freight Tools has them relatively inexpensive.
You will have to pick out the dryest of wood, and mix it with like dmmoss51 suggested. Just burn occasionally this year, your liner will thank you. Don't feel like the lone ranger, I am now burning wood that I bought two years ago, and I have last years out there, and will be getting more this spring.

 

[DamienBricka]

thanks for all the help. enjoy your weekend. take care, bye

 

[weatherguy]

Lowes also has a decent one that a lot of us have, I think I paid $29.

 

[rkusek]

Most of the time seasoned wood means "cut and split last month" when you buy at this time of year. I bought some in spring 2012 that I stacked uncovered along side a 14' high metal building that faced south. It sat their all summer 20-30 degrees higher than ambient next to that steel building and I put a tarp over it in late Sept. It was all around 20% when I burned it that winter. It also depends what kind of wood it is. Ash will dry the fastest (1 yr) and oak will be the slowest (>2 yrs) while most varieties need 2 seasons to dry. I've gotten by with 1 year with various elm varieties and walnut as long as they stacked next to the hot metal building during the summer months. The downside is extra handling since my winter access burning pile location is shaded and sees very little sunshine. My goal for 2014 is to contruct a new "woodshed" using some hail damaged steel from my existing building that has the favorable southern sky orientation. Keeping the bugs and termites away from your home and buildings should be a concern as well.

As far as buying wood today that you could burn tomorrow, I would get a $15 tester from Harbor Freight and test what you are buying. You could also look on craigslist for a someone who has a woodpile that they are selling and has obviously been cut, split, and stacked for a while. These go fast and I was always too late when I was buying wood back in 2012.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Damien, welcome to the forum as I don't think I've welcomed you yet and I'm sorry it took so long.

For sure, if that wood is dry, you are amongst the 1% of buyers who can buy dry wood. They will all say it is dry but.... Simply put, wood sellers can not cut, split and then stack their wood outdoors to let it dry. Then they would have to load that wood into their trucks to deliver. Most do not have the needed space and none want to handle their wood one more time; that is labor cost and would take away any profit. So it is easier to tell people it is already seasoned. However, even if a tree is cut down, it might lay there for 3 years before being cut and split. You would find that the wood is not seasoned, or dried. It needs to be split and stacked out in the wind to dry. Top covering the wood is fine and most times necessary but some even go overboard on this. You need to let the moisture evaporate and that won't happen well if it is entirely covered nor will it happen as well in a closed building. It can dry in that building, but it will take more time.

One other tidbit; you state this is hardwood. Saying it is hardwood is almost a meaningless term. After all, willow is a hardwood technically but makes for some very poor firewood. In addition, while some wood can indeed be ready to burn in a year (with a very few taking less time), if you plan on burning oak, know that it is the slowest drying wood out there. Some of the very best firewood but it dries super slow. In our house, oak will not be burned until it has been split and stacked for 3 years or more.

Good luck.

 

[ddddddden]

I know his wood is seasoned because he delivered a cord two weeks ago.
I have been heating the house with it.
No problem so far. . .

If the wood is dry enough, you got lucky. Maybe 1 in 20 vendors sells dry wood.

If you get seasoned, save the guy's number and plan for next year too. . .

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