Damp weather, damp wood

[revdocjim]

We live on a mountain top that is frequently covered in clouds even when surrounding areas are sunny. This summer was damp and September was the wettest on record... all this moisture is taking a toll on my wood. I have several chords stacked and drying from over a year ago and yet they are frequently damp. If I peel the bark off the wood underneath is soaked. I have a chord of oak that was split and stacked a year ago. I took a moisture reading on a fresh split and it's still at 36%! Ugh! I just have to hope for a dry fall before the snow comes I guess. I don't really have the option of moving my wood racks given the layout of our property... They are all covered on top with tarps. Not sure if there is anything more I can do.

 

[mike van]

Correct term is cord - not chord - Open sheds or lean to's make for better storage than polytarps, just to let the air in. Wood stacked in single or double rows is better than a 12 x 12 pile. Oak in your climate will probably need more than a year.

 

[Poindexter]

One thing that seems to be working for me is to get a layer of vapor barrier under my stacks.

The wife and i put an offer on a log cabin back in march, didnt get it, but i read up a bit on cabin maintenance. I found a 'zone of concensus' that the bottom logs should be 12-18 inches above grade to minimize moisture problems in the logs.

I am not tall enough to seriously consider that height for cord wood stacks, but it confirms observations on my lot.

My stacks pick up a LOT of moisture in late summer (cloudy wet and cooling) and during the spring thaw.

Currently my stacks are 8-14" above grade on 1/2" plywood. Under the plywood is a double layer of 6mil plastic, then pressure treated and concrete down to grade.

My hypothesis is the thermal mass of a hot wood pile absorbs water straight out of the dirt as vapor into the bottom of the stack.

Going from stacking on grade to on pallets helped me, stopped moisture wicking for sure, but the bottom layer of my stacks were still the wettest.

Putting cinderblocks under the pallets helped more, but still the bottom layer was the most damp.

My current configuration, cinderblocks + pallets + plastic vapor barrier + plywood floor to protect the plastic has gotten me uniformly dry wood from top to bottom of my stacks through late summer.

I just built these spring 2016, wont know for several months if it helps during the spring melt.

 

[Lcback]

Maybe try and build a green house around it. Then plug fans in and leave the sides open. Best thing for drying wood is wind. Then heat. And third is keeping water off. Green house can do all these things.


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[revdocjim]

Thanks for the good pointers. My wood stacks are all sitting on frames made of metal piping, open on all sides so I just put tarps over the top. Unfortunately they are only about six inches off the ground. I could make them higher but in the winter we have 50cm to 1m meter of snow on the ground so they would have to be really high to be above the snow. All my stacks are either single or double rows.

 

[Seanm]

@revdocjim Ive found that plywood on top of your stacks is better than tarps because air flow is better although my biggest stack is a double row of 18 inchers with tarps as a top cover sitting on pallets for a 35 foot run so I cant say I do this with all of my stacks. Of course a wood shed would be best, you can make some pretty easy ones. @Poindexter the idea of a vapor barrier on top of my pallets intrigues me. The idea makes good sense.

 

[Poindexter]

@revdocjim Ive found that plywood on top of your stacks is better than tarps because air flow is better although my biggest stack is a double row of 18 inchers with tarps as a top cover sitting on pallets for a 35 foot run so I cant say I do this with all of my stacks. Of course a wood shed would be best, you can make some pretty easy ones. @Poindexter the idea of a vapor barrier on top of my pallets intrigues me. The idea makes good sense.

I was beating my head on the wall trying to figure out why the wood at the bottom was still the wettest in the stack when I stumbled on @solarguy2003 's solar wood kiln/ greenhouse where he put a layer of rubber roofing or something on the dirt to block ground water, and sealed his plastic roofing to it with some kind of caulking. I had an ah-ha moment. I think if you search titles only for "working awesome" you should get right to it.

 

[Poindexter]

@Seanm It's here: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...to-store-and-dry-wood-working-awesome.129149/

 

[Seanm]

Appreciate it thanks. Ill give it a read.

 

[kennyp2339]

My current configuration, cinderblocks + pallets + plastic vapor barrier + plywood floor to protect the plastic has gotten me uniformly dry wood from top to bottom of my stacks through late summer.

Yeah and we all know how well that worked out for you..lol

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

I have similar issues, being on mostly wooded north slope of a ridge. Find whatever sunny spots away from the woods if you have them. I also find removing the bark helps considerably when possible. Open spaces are at a high premium on my lot, garden gets first priority, then stacks. And the removed bark goes into a heap to break down before going through the chipper shredder, after which it is the primo main ingredient in potting soil and a great soil amendment to the aforementioned garden.

One day I'll have a shed and/or greenhouse, but until then I'm making lemonade out of the lemon circumstances.