best way to store 15 cord 20 ft. log length for longterm use

[sdbrownie]

I had cleared some land summer 2009 which resulted in 15 cord of hardwood approx. 15-20 ft. length logs. The excavators created five (5) stacks - each stack is 3 cord. All logs are piled up. I live in the northeast kingdom of Vermont. I'm trying to figure out what I should do to keep these logs from getting punky, spongy or rotten over winter 2010 and spring 2010 and well into 2011. We burn about 3-4 cord per year. The wood could last up to 4 years I'm told if I store the wood properly, but I don't know how to do this and I know for certain I'm not going to be able to get all 15 cord bucked and split and stacked in 2010.
I'm debating whether or not I should cover these massive wood piles with tarps until summer 2010 when I can get to them to START THE PROCESS of bucking and splitting the wood.
Someone told me that if I cover the wood I will create more moisture. I don't understand how that is possible in the winter when the air is so dry? Maybe I should leave them uncovered in the winter then cover them in the spring?

I would like to make a wise decision on how best to keep the wood from rotting so that I could buck and split 3-4 cord each year. I know I won't have the time to buck and split all 15 cord by summer 2010. It will probably take me a few summers to do all the work.
Thank You for any insights you have... Diana

 

[schwaggly]

I rode my bike on the NEK trails last month and really enjoyed it. You have a nice set up from my perspective.

off the ground no cover full sun

 

[Wood Duck]

I'd get as many of the logs off the ground as possible. Can you place a couple of logs in one direction, then pile others at a right angle on top, so that there is space beneath? I admit, it sounds like a lot of work to move all that wood. If it is in a pile, then at least most of the logs are already off the ground. I don't think I would cover the wood. The cover is more likely to trap moisture inside than keep moisture out. The cover will keep out rain, but the larger issue is humidity and dampness from the ground. A cover will not help prevent humidity from getting to the wood, and it will trap ground moisture. If you can create a roof or tent over the wood so that air can flow beneath,thatis possibly a good thing, b ut I think a tight cover, or one laying on the wood is worse than none at all. If the wood was already seasoned, it might be a different situation, but this wood isn't very well seasoned, I assume.

Logs that aren't touching the ground seem to last a pretty long time outside.

 

[peakbagger]

Generally when people get a pulp truck load, the operator lays a couple of sacrificial logs cross wise to the main logs to get the majority up off the ground. The wood that isnt in direct contact with the ground will be fine but dont expect it to dry much. The ends crack up and look dry, but cut in one stove length and it will still need seasoning. I wouldnt tarp it but if you still have a "dump" in your town, old metal roofing works well. The one big caveat is white and yellow birch really needs to be cut and split ASAP. I used to run a saw up and down the length of birch logs on two sides to cut the bark to let moisture out, and it did help, but it still gets punky quickly until its cut and split. Once its split it stores about as well as any other hardwood. If you dont do this with white birch, plan on it being rotten to the point its not worth burning in about 1 and half seasons. It rots from the inside out so placement in the pile doesnt make much difference.

The way the forecast looks for the upcomign weekend, they may be covered with snow!

 

[sdbrownie]

Hi Thanks for all of your tips/advice, as I will apply it asmap. unfortunately, I will lose some of the wood as I can't move the logs because I need an excavator with an arm as these logs are large. All the excavators are in storage now even though November has been a dry and warm month, everyone is getting ready for the snow this weekend. They did put some small poplar trees on the ground first so that the better hardwood would be off the ground. The wood is mostly White Birch, Maple, Ash and some beech with a little White Pine and Poplar.
I won't cover it because of what you all said about the moisture and humidity from the ground. Unfortunely, the wood isn't getting full sun but rather full shade now that the sun is low on the horizon.

So, I suppose I need to plow through this and buck and split as much as possible by summer 2010. The only thing I'm concerned about is that if I don't buck and split it withing 1 year that it was felled, it will begin getting punky. A logger told me the decomposition process takes place after 1 year that the tree has been felled here in VT.

To the biker - Yep, VT is a great state for biking - Mountain and Street! Actually, VT. has some pretty spectacular winters too! Some of us are looking foward to the cold, quiet and beauty of snow. I will enjoy watching the snow sit on those 5 piles of logs as I contemplate how I'm going to get it all bucked up and split within the next year.

Thanks again everyone, Diana

 

['bert]

could you offer up some of the wood as payment for getting someone to help you buck / split the pile? You lose a bit of the wood, but it would be done, you may lose less by doing that then the amount you may lose if it rots.

 

[SolarAndWood]

My logger left me 2 25 cord piles 4 years ago of 20' logs in the Adirondacks. Year 1 was all good. Year 2, the birch was on its way out. This year, I finally got around to finishing the last 10 cord and won't ever leave logs around that long again. I have found that at least blocking them buys you a lot of time. Maybe you can find a guy with a processor to come and bang it out for you? Or maybe a group of gung ho friends with saws for a weekend? Then split as you have time.

 

[sdbrownie]

Thanks again for this excellent advice. I'll try to find a crew who needs the work, maybe our local St. Johnsbury Academy forestry department. Also, I like the idea of sharing the wood with someone who can assist with bucking and splitting. Anyone need some firewood for next year?

Diana

 

[Bigg_Redd]

I had cleared some land summer 2009 which resulted in 15 cord of hardwood approx. 15-20 ft. length logs. The excavators created five (5) stacks - each stack is 3 cord. All logs are piled up. I live in the northeast kingdom of Vermont. I'm trying to figure out what I should do to keep these logs from getting punky, spongy or rotten over winter 2010 and spring 2010 and well into 2011. We burn about 3-4 cord per year. The wood could last up to 4 years I'm told if I store the wood properly, but I don't know how to do this and I know for certain I'm not going to be able to get all 15 cord bucked and split and stacked in 2010.
I'm debating whether or not I should cover these massive wood piles with tarps until summer 2010 when I can get to them to START THE PROCESS of bucking and splitting the wood.
Someone told me that if I cover the wood I will create more moisture. I don't understand how that is possible in the winter when the air is so dry? Maybe I should leave them uncovered in the winter then cover them in the spring?

I would like to make a wise decision on how best to keep the wood from rotting so that I could buck and split 3-4 cord each year. I know I won't have the time to buck and split all 15 cord by summer 2010. It will probably take me a few summers to do all the work.
Thank You for any insights you have... Diana

The best thing to do is saw it, split it, and stack it - preferably off the ground and under cover. At the very minimum you should get it off the ground.

 

[JustWood]

I wood get the maple, beech and birch cut up first and in the shed as it will rot the fastest. Then go after the hickory, cherry and oak. The bark will be barely falling off by next summer . I think you have plenty of time.

 

[mayhem]

Buck it and stack the rounds off the ground. Split as needed later.

 

[billb3]

I still move a few pine logs from Hurrican Gloria out of my way.
Every now and then there's one that is still rather solid and has to be moved, usually they can just be driven on and they fall apart.
I doubt you'll experience huge losses in two years.
Especially with less valuable stringers on the bottom.
I wouldn't try to cover, either.

 

[Jeff S]

I had a wind storm blow over several Aspen trees over probably 7-8 years ago,last year was the first year I got around to cutting them.All of the ones that was laying flat on the ground were rotten,but the ones that fell on other trees or logs and did no touch the ground were perfectly seasoned for burning. hope that helps.

 

[sdbrownie]

Thanks for sharing your experiences with LOG length wood. You all have helped me tremendously as I had a hard time finding info. on long term storing of hardwood log length logs anywhere on the web but here. So, hearth.com is very helpful. Hopefully as I gain more experience with wood I'll be able to help others... If anyone else has tips/ideas by all means, please share! Happy Thanksgiving! Diana

P.S. Once I get all this hardwood cut split and stacked, will the 15 cord actually last 4 years like everyone here in VT is telling me?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I had cleared some land summer 2009 which resulted in 15 cord of hardwood approx. 15-20 ft. length logs. The excavators created five (5) stacks - each stack is 3 cord. All logs are piled up. I live in the northeast kingdom of Vermont. I'm trying to figure out what I should do to keep these logs from getting punky, spongy or rotten over winter 2010 and spring 2010 and well into 2011. We burn about 3-4 cord per year. The wood could last up to 4 years I'm told if I store the wood properly, but I don't know how to do this and I know for certain I'm not going to be able to get all 15 cord bucked and split and stacked in 2010.
I'm debating whether or not I should cover these massive wood piles with tarps until summer 2010 when I can get to them to START THE PROCESS of bucking and splitting the wood.
Someone told me that if I cover the wood I will create more moisture. I don't understand how that is possible in the winter when the air is so dry? Maybe I should leave them uncovered in the winter then cover them in the spring?

I would like to make a wise decision on how best to keep the wood from rotting so that I could buck and split 3-4 cord each year. I know I won't have the time to buck and split all 15 cord by summer 2010. It will probably take me a few summers to do all the work.
Thank You for any insights you have... Diana

Welcome to the forum Diana.

It sounds like you have an excellent situation here but not all of the information is completely true for sure.

If they indeed stack those logs on some poles to keep them off the ground, you are in luck because that is exactly what needs to be done. But remember that you will still have to move some of those logs a bit before cutting them into firewood. Naturally it depends upon the size of the logs as to what you need or if you need a tool. The most ideal thing is to purchase a cant hook. Try Googling cant hook and click on Images at the top so you can see what they are. You want a cant hook rather than a peavy. (I rarely go to the woods without one of these.)

I would not worry about covering the logs and only after you get the wood cut, split and stacked would I cover. Then cover the tops of the stacks only.

When you start to cut, do the birch first as that will rot quickly if not cut into firewood length. I would then go for the oak simply because that is the wood which will take the longest time to season. We usually give oak 3 years after split to season. Ash needs the least amount of time to season so cut that last.

Having time on your side is a big plus. If you don't get it all cut this winter you will still be in good shape and if you can indeed find someone to help cut it or cut it on shares, so much the better.

As to the point of the wood rotting, except for the birch, don't worry about a thing. Below are some pictures of the wood we cut last winter. It was split and stacked in April and we just covered the tops of the stacks this week. That wood won't be burned until probably the winter of 2014-2016 or later. We are not worried at all that it will rot or turn punky. The wood we are burning this year is 7 years in the stack.

btw, most of those stacks are ash but there is just a little bit of soft maple there too. Soft maple also is what we use for kindling.

Here is how I split wood:

Easy does it. No lifting, no bending (except to sit) and no sweating. The splitter is a 20 ton and does extremely well.

Good luck to you.

 

[sdbrownie]

Hello Dennis,

Thank you so very much for the photos Especially of you and the splitter! What a cool idea! Well, we still have no one who would re-stack these logs for us onto pallets or other logs so we will loose some of the bottom logs which are mostly poplar and cedar. Your wood is very neatly stacked and the fact that it will last until 2014 is awesome! Very encouraging to me. If we don't get too much snow this winter we will try to buck up the white birch first as you mentioned and we will save the ash for last! Thanks again! Happy Thanksgiving. Diana

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Thank you Diana. One reason I was telling you about the cant hook is that if the logs aren't really big, one man or a stout teenager could lay some poles right beside the log stacks and roll those logs onto the poles which would get all of them off the ground. However, I still would not worry much as those bottom logs may very well be still okay when you get to them. Lose no sleep over it.

btw, we do have enough wood on hand that is cut, split and stacked for 7 years. We never worry about any of it rotting either. The wood in the picture was stacked on poles but there is grass under the stacks. We live on yellow sand and we have an area with no grass and it is on high ground. That we don't even put poles underneath. Just a few minutes ago (yes, I needed a break) I was bringing wood to the porch from a stack that is 7 years old and no poles under the wood. I have not ran into even one piece that is the slightest bit punky. The bottom layer is well sunk into the sand, but the wood is just fine. But I'll still stack most of the wood up off the ground.

 

[iskiatomic]

Anyone need some firewood for next year?

Diana

Hmmmmmmmm, no one jumped at this?


KC

 

[savageactor7]

Absolutely don't cover the logs. As far as re stacking...meh, you're gonna process 'em within a year anyway. Next time you pay a crew to stage up logs have em lay a few down cross-ways first...btw they should have known and done it that way to begin with.

 

[ansehnlich1]

First thing I think I'd do is round up 2 or 3 buddies with nice chainsaws and ride on over to them stacks and saw ALL OF THEM logs into the lengths I need for my stove.

Then I'd get a whole bunch of pallets or 2x4's and stack ALL OF THEM rounds off the ground.

Then I'd commence splitting as needed.

Just my opinion.