Experiment

[Backwoods Savage]

Usually in October we move enough wood into the barn for the winter's needs. We also have a wood rack on the porch that we keep filled. The stove is just inside the door so it is easy to fill the stove.


A few years ago I decided to experiment once again. Many folks talk about not top covering their wood piles and we have done that before but it has been a long, long time. So, just for kicks I decided one year to not top cover. That wood normally would not be burned until about 3 years from now but we've sold some wood and given some away so it got moved up. So this fall I checked it out. Oh, oh. I decided that most of that should be burned this winter. Still, I left some but did top cover it. The simple truth is that the wood just does not keep as well if not top covered. I'll not be doing that experiment again.

Another experiment this fall. After moving wood to the barn we wanted to fill that wood rack that is on the porch. Being bothered this past year with some body problems, I still do not have the wood from last winter stacked. I did get it split in May but usually do that in March.

Well, most of that wood that is not stacked is white ash. It has been dead for many years. Folks say it can be burned right away. Okay, I got lazy and decided that some of the wood that needed stacking would instead go to the porch and it would actually save me some work....or so I thought.

With our stove, we just do not get black glass. The only exception was during the initial burn-in fires when the stove was new. But lo and behold, the first fire we started with that wood, we got black glass. Hum.... Fire did not burn good either. Tried again. Same result. One more time. Same result.

So, I thought perhaps I'd save some work but it backfired. I then loaded the wood back onto the trailer and took it back to the pile where I got it then got the better wood to fill the rack. No problems since.


Then this fall we also decided to add another 3' to the chimney. A friend came over to put it up for me (they don't like me climbing any more because of vertigo problems). He looked at the chimney and said, "Boy, this thing really needs cleaning!" I was a bit surprised but had no problems getting the brush and poles out. My wife is the one who normally checks the chimney and said it was good to go back in September.

The last time this chimney was cleaned was after the 2008-2009 burning season. That time we got about a cup of soot and fly ash out of it. So I was curious what we'd find this time.

The first thing I noticed was black soot rather than the normal brown we get. Interesting. But how much did we get after 4 years of burning?


Once again, lesson learned. Let the wood have the time to dry properly and top cover it after the first summer of drying. Oh, one more. Don't get lazy. It usually does not pay.

 

[Dieselhead]

Somebody could sit for days and tell me why I shouldn't top cover my stacks, but it will just be a waste of time as its always going to be done on my land

 

[BrotherBart]

With our stove, we just do not get black glass. The only exception was during the initial burn-in fires when the stove was new. But lo and behold, the first fire we started with that wood, we got black glass. Hum.... Fire did not burn good either. Tried again. Same result. One more time. Same result. So, I thought perhaps I'd save some work but it backfired. I then loaded the wood back onto the trailer and took it back to the pile where I got it then got the better wood to fill the rack. No problems since.

Battery dead in the moisture meter?

The Devil made me do that.

 

[BrotherBart]

Somebody could sit for days and tell me why I shouldn't top cover my stacks, but it will just be a waste of time as its always going to be done on my land

You and me brother. You and me.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Battery dead in the moisture meter?

The Devil made me do that.

I think it is my battery that is dead but found out that jumper cables just don't work.

 

[BrotherBart]

I had the same experience loading the shed this year Dennis. Top covered stacks that had leaned together at the top. Some nasty wet oak from ground moisture in two one cord stacks. Three years stacked. Fortunately I put them in the black roofed shed and mounted the solar gable fan in the thing for all Summer and they are ringing in at 15-16%. Had me worried for heating this joint this year.

 

[pen]

Then this fall we also decided to add another 3' to the chimney.

What made you decide to add more chimney?

 

[oldspark]

What works for you works for you, what works for me works for me.
I am guessing you have more rain and less wind they I do, YRMV from region to region.

 

[oldspark]

I cleaned my new chimney after a year and a half this fall and my first response was "why bother".

 

[bsruther]

A few years ago I got hold of about a cord of bucked wood, it appeared to me to be about a year old, still solid, with plenty of weight. It was late fall and didn't have time to process it, so I stacked it near the woods, between some fence posts, uncovered. We ended up having a wet winter and even wetter spring. When I got around to processing it in late spring, half of it was rotted and the rest was at some level of decay.

I don't mind leaving wood uncovered for a few months, since doing that seems to help release the bark from the wood, but I'll never again leave wood uncovered for an extended period.

 

[oldspark]

Wet wood that does not dry out is what rots, if it drys out after getting wet it will not rot but staying wet for a lengthy period of time is what leads to problems.

 

[bsruther]

Wet wood that does not dry out is what rots, if it drys out after getting wet it will not rot but staying wet for a lengthy period of time is what leads to problems.

Yes, that is what I discovered.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

What made you decide to add more chimney?

Been toying with that idea for the past few years because once in a while we could use a bit more draft. I don't like having to leave that firebox door open a crack when starting a fire either.

 

[Hogwildz]

I highly doubt 3 burns of less than dry wood created all that. You may want to clean your stack a little more often.
Your place, your decision.
Mine gets cleaned every year whether it needs it or not.

 

[Redbarn]

Mine gets cleaned every year whether it needs it or not.

x 2

 

[pen]

The old habit (with old stove and masonry chimney) was once a month, whether it needed it or not. I've stepped down to 2x per season now with a modern stove and insulated SS liner. Just can't get myself to do less regardless of how little is found.

With many class-A setups being easily accessible from the bottom, it's easy to look up and not see what has built up at the top. If a top down inspection can't be done, it's worth running the brush through to check/remove what isn't easily visible.

pen

 

[MarkinNC]

I am burning 3 year old wood this year and the top couple rows where it is stacked uncovered are getting quite mushroomy. Some of the sap wood is getting a little soft (this is white and red oak). I am going to try and top cover in the future to keep the water off it more.

 

[NH_Wood]

I am burning 3 year old wood this year and the top couple rows where it is stacked uncovered are getting quite mushroomy. Some of the sap wood is getting a little soft (this is white and red oak). I am going to try and top cover in the future to keep the water off it more.

I'm seeing the same think with oak (red oak here) - if the bark is on for 3-4 years the splits can get wet, I'll lose some sapwood to punk, but the heartwood is fine. I cover pallets with squares of rubber roofing, but cut the squares a little too small - sometimes the rain sheds from the top and collects at certain points on the edge of the stack - that's where I'm seeing my problems. I've been experimenting with setting another pallet on top of the stack at an angle and placing the roofing on that - sheds the water much better, although the sides of the stack get wet - no big deal I think since there is a lot of air movement between the stacks so they dry fast. Cheers!

 

[oldspark]

Well I have been running an expeirment for 30 years with no top cover except for what I may burn that winter and no problems, I have been burning some 5 year old (maybe more) Oak that is in perfect shape, the key is wind and sun so it does not stay wet very long. Where you live and how and where you stack will determine if you need to top cover.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

For those who seem to think we need to clean our chimney more often, that simply is not true. Also, the chimney was clean before we burned that wood. Truth of the matter is that in over 6 years of burning with this stove, we have not even got a half gallon of soot, ash or creosote from this chimney. We credit this to both the stove and the wood we burn.

But because we can do this does not in any way say that others can get by with doing this. We certainly never could before we bought this Woodstock stove. In addition, I have always recommended that folks new to wood burning check their chimneys monthly and yes, most folks need to clean their chimneys annually.

I highly doubt 3 burns of less than dry wood created all that. You may want to clean your stack a little more often.
Your place, your decision.
Mine gets cleaned every year whether it needs it or not.

For your information, our "stack" gets checked several times each and every year. You may be a doubting Thomas and that is indeed your choice. It is always your choice whether to believe or not. We know what we have and what has happened. In addition, you can clean the chimney whether it needs it or not but if it does not need cleaning, this seems a bit of a waste of time but perhaps you enjoy wasting time.

 

[red oak]

I clean my chimney each year also, it gives me peace of mind which counts for something. Plus I'm not yet to the point where all of my wood has been c/s/s for 3 years.

As for top-covering, I never have before but I am going to try it with the wood that I will burn next year. Sort of the opposite of Dennis's experiment I guess. I wasn't planning on top-covering until a few month's before I plan to burn it, like in September I guess. It will be interesting to see if it burns any better.

 

[Hogwildz]

Seems I may have offended, enough to bring a nicely prepared passive aggressive response.
Me, I don't do anything passive, so I will just speak my mind and leave it at that.....

As I now understand, thanks to you pointing it out, the cleaning was prior to the 3 poor loads of wood. The picture is from after the inspection when your buddy told you it needed cleaning, then I would suggest your wood or burning habits may not be as sound as you think. "The first thing I noticed was black soot rather than the normal brown we get"
As much as you want to feel like your burns are so clean, and can go 4 years without sweeping your chimney. That is your choice. Looks more like black chunks to me, then just a black soot.

There are many things folks can and prolly should do each year or on a scheduled regular basis, chimney cleaning, changing oil, cleaning a furnace etc. etc. etc.
Ford recommends changing the oil in my truck every 7,500 miles, do I wait that long? Hell no, It gets changed every 3k whether it needs it or not. Is that a waste of time & money?, you may think so, but I know I am doing this to prolong the life of my engine. Even if it is overkill in some folks eye, it is cheap and easy enough to assure the life blood of my engine is clean and fresh.

I don't see it as wasting my time, I see it as a preventative practice and peace of mind, that does not take much time or energy to afford. I also see it as a check on my own burning habits, the wood I have burned, and the entire system itself.

To even give anyone the idea that they could be so casual about cleaning their chimney or stack because they burn claimed seasoned dry wood in a pretty EPA approved stove, is just poor judgement and/or not something to boast about.
With the look of that crap in that bucket, while surely not bad at all, or the worst, still shows even a self professed seasoned wood burner, can get the chunky black stuff, rather than the brown coffee grinds that are typical.
So that either shows less than desirable wood, or a stove issue, or operator error, or any combination of the aforementioned.

I find myself, and others in this forum forget where they came from at times, and think they are beyond or above the need to re-evaluate themselves, their wood supply, and burning habits, because "I have been burning wood for x amount of years, in this great stove/insert", and therefore I am a seasoned veteran at this, and have everything down to a science.
The thing is, with wood burning, there is no exact constant. Thing change like the supply, the stove, even burning habits can change.
I have already stated that after 7 years with the same stove, and honing my burning practices, I have continually changed to better my burning habits, how I operate my insert, and even went from burning 3 loads a day, to 2. I know just by picking up a split, whether it is truly as dry as I would like, nearly or half way there, or not ready at all. I know if I put this piece in, if it will burn good, fair or like crap. I have burned wood I did not want to, needing the heat. I have burned wood that was prime and ready.
For me there is a few things that do stay constant. Cleaning the stack, inspecting the stove, setting the timer for every load, etc. etc.
I choose to make sure my system is running as optimal as it can. The wood supply I cannot always control, but assuring the system is swept and ready for the season ahead is a good practice, and I will never suggest otherwise.

I am humbled to be knocked down a few pegs if I am wrong(happens enough), or get too caught up in being oh so knowledgeable, that I am more about being right, than giving sound advice.
I also have no problem calling bullshat, when I see it, or calling poor advice, when I see it given.

Bottom line, each of us has our home, wood heating system and ways.
I myself, choose to go overboard with most, but not all things I do. When it comes to my home and my wood burning system, I'd rather error to caution, then the alternative.
If that means 15 or 20 mins putting a brush down the stack, to me that is well worth the time once a year, and see no waste of time at all.
Do as you may with yours, enjoy, and may you always be safe.