Cover wood that you won’t be burning until 2009/2010?

[ClydesdaleBurner]

I've tried searching for my answer, but couldn't quite seem to find what I was looking for.

I have about 3 cords of green wood, just cut down this past fall and split. I will not be burning it until next winter ('09/'10). I currently have it stacked on pallets and uncovered. But with the rain we're having in the NE right now it pains me to see my wood getting rained on... do need to worry about rain and snow this winter slowing down the drying process? I've read that I should leave it uncovered if I'm not burning it this year, but is this true? Should I take some iniative and cover it this winter when it rains and snows? Obviously this summer I'll have it uncovered...

Thanks

 

[fossil]

I have quite a bit of wood (maybe 4 or 5 cords), mostly split, heaped uncovered on a gravel drive that I intend to leave just like that through the winter. My cousin and I have ~20 cords still almost all log length over at his place, and we'll just leave it out there through the winter. All the wood I'll need to burn this winter is well seasoned and under roof.

BTW, I'm going to move your thread over into the Wood Shed. Rick

 

[jqgs214]

OH NO! The covered vs. uncovered debate!!

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I have 1.5-2 cord white oak, some red maple, and pine that might be covered on top this winter. We get a lot of that slushy nastiness then frozen crap for months. If I have the tarps- I might cover until late spring.

 

[ClydesdaleBurner]

Yeah I'm thinking that the benefits of keeping rain, slush, snow and ice off the wood outweigh any benefits from direct sunlight and slightly better airflow. Because like you mentioned once that frozen slush/ice gets on it the sun won't be melting it if its below freezing outside.

Cover it until late spring it is!

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I bet it all about evens up before next season- look at the thread in the Wood shed about drying oak. Surprising results. I'm more worried about rot starting in longer standing woodpiles (cut my oak this past spring) and in the softwoods that are prone.

 

[pinewoodburner]

Cover the top but not the sides. Then you are 50 - 50.

 

[RAY_PA]

I cover the top of all my stacks with old metal roofing, I leave it covered year-round, unless we're forcasted to get a long dry spell, then I'll uncover it for that time...cant hurt, if you feel like doing it.

 

[gpcollen1]

I have about 2 cords of red oak split and another 2 not split that is sitting out right now. No intention of covering them at all. Once they snow disappears they will be moved and stacked and i suspect just fine to burn in 2009/2010.

 

[Yamaha_gurl]

Just wondering is it ok to stove wood in an unfinished basement? We have about 500 square feet of nothing in our basement, could we not store our dry wood there?

 

[fossil]

Depends on a lot of things, I think...especially your climate. Here in the high desert of central Oregon, we'll get our share of snow and freezing, but come spring, we can count on a beautiful dry summer. Wood that I don't need to burn this coming winter can sit outside uncovered without a problem. When the time comes next year to finish processing and stacking it for '09-'10, it'll be just fine. If I still lived back in Northern Virginia, I'd likely be singing a whole different tune. Rick

 

[Yamaha_gurl]

Opps, we live in Southern Ontario Canada, and the wood for this season...it's seasoned and dry, would that be ok to store in the basement?

 

[ScottF]

I say is doesnt matter in the summer fall and spring whether covered or not. Definately cover for winter to keep the slush and snow off which will cause constant moisture contact and rot. and definately cover if more than a year or two to prevent rot. We had some stuff sit stacked for several years and all the top halfs of the piles rotted.

 

[gerry100]

If you can keep the rain/snow from coming down o n it and let the air and sun hit the sides you've got it all.

I leave fresh cut wood stscked in the woods uncovered and it will dry until it reachs the average humidity for your climate. The won't happen in 5-6 months, so I move it to the wood shed for at least another year to get completely dry.

Problem is that water will pool in your pile an wood in contact not only won't be dry but it will rot eventually.

Cover the top, opeen on the sides.

 

[savageactor7]

About 2 weeks ago I covered up all our way future cut and split wood...sometime in the spring I'll uncover it and let it cook off some more. Rain I'm not to worried about it's the snow that stays quite awhile I'm protecting it from.

 

[sublime68charger]

cover the top if it makes you feel better,

if you don't want to cover the wood it will still be ready to go for next year.

sublime out.

 

[Dill]

The abosulte best way I've had was to stack stuff up in rows and cover the top with metal roofing. But I don't have the time, space or patience to stack wood. So now I've reverted to piling up next years wood. And then I use the "on deck" method of wood sheds.
Mine hods a month or so of wood. I'll put the bottom of the pile in the back of the shed and burn the top stuff first.

 

[btj1031]

One vote for covering the top during the winter if you got the tarps or something else that works.

 

[BrotherBart]

I will cover no wood before its time. And its time is the day it comes off the splitter.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

It won't hurt to cover it now with the time frame you are talking about. But then, we have some that won't be burned until the year 2014 that is cut, split and stacked but still not covered... It will be shortly though.

 

[smokinj]

It won't hurt to cover it now with the time frame you are talking about. But then, we have some that won't be burned until the year 2014 that is cut, split and stacked but still not covered... It will be shortly though.

You are a backwoods savage!

 

[kenny chaos]

Here's my amateur scientific reasoning: As wood decays, pores develop. These pores are where rain will collect and make the wood feel wet. It is also these pores that allow for quicker drying of the wood after it got wet. But as these pores do develop, the "seasoning" continues until time "X", the big unknown. As decay continues, these pores become home to bacteria and fungi. Yes, it's fungi, not funguses. There are variables in every climate and micro-climate which include moisture, heat, wind, and bacteria/fungus presence.
From most peoples experience, wood exposed to the elements for up to two years is not detrimental and will actually be benefical, but don't forget all the variables.

I asked a question along these lines on a scientist site and I'll let ya'll know what I hear.

 

[RedRanger]

I have been burning douglas fir that has been stacked in rows out in the sun and wind since april with only the tops covered. It WAS burning very nicely with moisture content of 20% or less. Well, the monsoons began this past week and it seems to have absorbed moistue even with the tops covered, and is burning crappy. So now I`m pulling from the woodsheds. We got an inch of rain yesterday in only a matter of about 12 hours.

I`m wondering if the softer woods more readily absorb moisture than hardwoods?

Anyway, no worries, got 7 1/2 cords nice and dry in the sheds.

 

[smokinj]

never have covered any of my wood no issue at all!(my piles are in full sun) yes piles not stacks! lucky I guess.

 

[edthedawg]

Funny this thread came along - i'm also watching my neatly stacked 4 cords get soaked out back Even went so far as to draw up plans for a nice woodshed addition to build this weekend off the side of the barn. but it turns out there's this funny noise in my ear that wants to get the dumpster out of the driveway... reckon i oughta finish demoing the upstairs bathroom... hey - lath = kindling! that's KINDA woodstove related(!)