Does a wood pile shrink and settle over time as it dries?

[Phoenix Hatchling]

Just wondering if it is noticeable to see a pile shrink as wood seasons. I would be interested to see a time lapse of it happening, cause I could swear my pile looks smaller than when I stacked it! As long a time lapse doesn't show a neighbor shrinking the pile!

 

[BrotherBart]

On the old forum years ago that was a subject of wars. Yes, stacks shrink when getting drier.

 

[Applesister]

Theres alot of technical data collected on the shrinkage percentages of just about every species that you burn. I just restacked an Oak pile that had shifted and was seriously leaning. I lost 5" from the 4' mark on the T-posts. I restacked and added more splits to the pile to bring it level with the green oak stacked next to it.

 

[WoodPorn]

You know about shrinkage???

 

[Mt Bob]

My paycheck has been shrinking?Neighbor (not working/lost job) has been cleaning up new construction last few weeks,has ammased about 10 cords green,good for a few years(no hardwood out here) and is very happy,but had to use my backhoe bucket to move some of it,green is heavy!

 

[Woody Stover]

I just restacked an Oak pile that had shifted and was seriously leaning. I lost 5" from the 4' mark on the T-posts

Are you sure you don't have a bad Post Powder Beetle problem? Seriously, yes the stacks will shrink and settle. I'd also think that it would vary somewhat, depending on species.

 

[KenLockett]

Absolutely, my 28' long by 4 1/2' high stack on my hill developed a serious lean toward the middle as it shrunk and I just noticed yesterday that a portion has fallen. Looks like some re-stacking this weekend.

 

[bassJAM]

I've heard that back in the day that's how the German's knew their wood was dry enough. They'd stack a Holz-Hausen around a pole in the center and stack up to the pole's height. When the stack would shrink and they could see X amount of the pole sticking out the top of the stack, they knew the wood had dried enough.

 

[Chimney Smoke]

I've got a single stack of pine around around 20-25 feet long that has been straight as an arrow since it was stacked last fall. Over the past 2 months or so it has developed a severe lean from drying and shifting and it's now propped up by 4 poles. Hopefully it stays upright until I start burning it this fall - I don't want to restack.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Just wondering if it is noticeable to see a pile shrink as wood seasons. I would be interested to see a time lapse of it happening, cause I could swear my pile looks smaller than when I stacked it! As long a time lapse doesn't show a neighbor shrinking the pile!

1) Wood does shrink as it dries

2) But not enough that you will notice

3) What most people perceive and report as shrinking is, in fact, wood stacks is settling

 

[Valhalla]

From fresh cut, green to fully seasoned, splits and stacks will always reduce in size. Depending on the wood type, location, condition and time.

 

[johneh]

1) Wood does shrink as it dries
2) But not enough that you will notice
3) What most people perceive and report as shrinking is, in fact, wood stacks is settling

I beg to differ

Some Handy Numbers:

Typical moisture content of kiln-dried lumber:7% to 10%
Typical moisture content of air-dried lumber:14% to 19%
Average fiber saturation point:28%
Typical seasonal moisture content fluctuation of unfinished wood (N. America):4% to 14%
Average radial shrinkage, green to oven dry:4%
Average tangential shrinkage, green to oven dry:8%

So this leads me to believe wood does shrink when moisture is lost
Tell a Cabinet Maker that if he uses non dried lumber that the
unit that he just built will not crack in a typical north American winter

Yes wood shrinks as it drys

 

[Bigg_Redd]

I beg to differ

Some Handy Numbers:

Typical moisture content of kiln-dried lumber:7% to 10%
Typical moisture content of air-dried lumber:14% to 19%
Average fiber saturation point:28%
Typical seasonal moisture content fluctuation of unfinished wood (N. America):4% to 14%
Average radial shrinkage, green to oven dry:4%
Average tangential shrinkage, green to oven dry:8%

So this leads me to believe wood does shrink when moisture is lost
Tell a Cabinet Maker that if he uses non dried lumber that the
unit that he just built will not crack in a typical north American winter

Yes wood shrinks as it drys

Did I say wood doesn't shrink as it dries? I think I said the opposite of that. I believe the first thing I said was "wood shrinks when it dries" (I just double checked and that is what I said first)


*yawn

 

[Woody Stover]

I believe the first thing I said was "wood shrinks when it dries"

If I'm not mistaken, the second thing you said was "In Shelton,WA, not enough that you would notice"

*yawn

"As boring as watching wood dry on Puget Sound."
My BIL, who lives on Whidbey Island, was just here visiting and was telling us about the drought. Looking at the weather, right now the relative humidity in Seattle is almost 20% lower than it is here.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

If I'm not mistaken, the second thing you said was "In Shelton,WA, not enough that you would notice"
"As boring as watching wood dry on Puget Sound."
My BIL, who lives on Whidbey Island, was just here visiting and was telling us about the drought. Looking at the weather, right now the relative humidity in Seattle is almost 20% lower than it is here.

What drought?

 

[Woody Stover]

What drought?

Yeah, he told us you finally got some decent rain out there recently...

 

[Charlie2]

No, it's not the ground settling, I've marked the height of a stack early this year, it's a five foot high stack and it's dropped about 2".

 

[tsquini]

Yes as wood dries it shrinks. That is why lumber companies need to dry wood slow. Uneven drying well cause warping and cracking. I'm glad we don't have to worry about that with firewood.

 

[bigbarf48]

Ive noticed my stacks shrinking

I stack on pallets and run a piece ox 2x from upright to upright, and when I stack I jam the splits under that piece of wood. Now, a few months later theres about 4-5 inches of space. Some of it is shrinkage, some is settling

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Yeah, he told us you finally got some decent rain out there recently...

9 months out of every year rain falls reliably and often on the west side (which includes Shelton and Whidbey) so people start to talk crazy every July and August when 2 or 3 weeks pass between rain showers. There is no drought. There was no drought. It's summer.

 

[Woody Stover]

people start to talk crazy every July and August when 2 or 3 weeks pass between rain showers.

I just caught part of the conversation in passing, didn't discuss it in depth with him, so maybe he was talking from his perspective since he has a fruit orchard and other crops, was having to water some stuff, and his reservoir was dropping.
If you've had plenty of rain, maybe that's why your wood isn't shrinking. They say you should see a doctor if that goes on too long.

 

[Hills Hoard]

noticed on my last pile that when it was drying, the pile became unstable then eventually collapsed.

 

[maple1]

I thought this thread might bring Dennis out.

Been a long time since I've seen him post - hope he's OK.

 

[Woody Stover]

He's OK as far as I know. Maybe his reserve dropped below ten years, and he's out stacking.