Gave up on the basement wood drying experiment

[lumbering on]

Last October, I put a face cord in the basement, and 2 face cords outside.

Wanted to see if keeping it sheltered (the only shelter I had available) would cause faster drying.

Well the outside wood is gray and dry.

The inside wood still looks fresh and heavy and wet.

And the humidity in the basement has been crazy this summer, not helping the wood, and the wood is not helping the humidity in the basement.

The wood only comes inside AFTER its dried from now on.

But I'm sure you could have told me that.

 

[oldspark]

Yep many times over, dont try to reinvent the wheel.

 

[Hills Hoard]

Good on you for experimenting though...you had nothing to lose so why not try it out.....Some lessons you have to learn for yourself.....

 

[lumbering on]

I stacked it before I knew this site existed.

But seeing is believing.

 

[Applesister]

Bad year for the basement experiment. Im a 'See for Yourself' type and willing to try new methods. I have 2 neighbors who put their whole winters supply of wood in their basements. But Ive learned for myself, green wood and closed buildings are not a good mix.
Maybe basements for already dry wood. But, this year is not good to go by.
The Three Years Ahead policy is very sound, just dont know if I'll ever hit that goal.

 

[Woody Stover]

Bk used to dry it in his basement but conditions were a bit more favorable....

drying in the same room as the stove will speed drying immensely. Especially when the mercury dips into the single digits or lower. The relative humidity of indoor winter air is way lower than outdoor summer air. Fans will help, too. You can get fresh-cut wood scary dry in six weeks in a hot stove room.

 

[blades]

Wood drying in basement, tough road as most basements are usually somewhat damp. Got to run 2 or 3 dehumidifiers for that to work, and that gets pricy.

 

[ScotO]

Nothing wrong with "seeing is believing", and trying an experiment for yourself.......one thing is for sure, nobody will be able to ever convince you that green wood will dry in your basement, you already know for a fact that it won't!!

 

[oldspark]

I'm all for trying new things but wheels need to be round.

 

[red oak]

My FIL stores his winters wood in the basement. He runs a dehumidifier a lot to dry it out. I've gotten him to let it air dry outside first a bit more. A couple of weeks ago I loaded his basement for the coming winter with locust and cherry that had been outside c/s/s for a year. I don't think he's had to run the dehumidifier this time because that wood should be ready to burn. Once it gets in the basement it usually doesn't dry anymore unless it's by a stove with fire in it.

 

[oldspark]

Red Oak, I forgot we had a guy on here called battenkiller that dried wood in the basement (I think winter with the wood burner going) and a dehumidifier and he dried wood in a hurry, some did not believe it would dry that quick but he was a smart honest person.

 

[Woody Stover]

we had a guy on here called battenkiller that dried wood in the basement

Huh. I had no idea.

 

[oldspark]

Huh. I had no idea.

What am I not aware of?

 

[Woody Stover]

What am I not aware of?

Post #6.

 

[red oak]

Red Oak, I forgot we had a guy on here called battenkiller that dried wood in the basement (I think winter with the wood burner going) and a dehumidifier and he dried wood in a hurry, some did not believe it would dry that quick but he was a smart honest person.

Yes he was Oldspark! He did some pretty extensive experiments with drying wood as I recall. I should have said that it's hard to dry wood in basements without taking some extra measures (having a fire next to it, running a dehumidifier, etc). Just letting it sit in there won't get the job done.

 

[Paulywalnut]

My wife is pretty quiet, but I think she'd have a problem with me stacking a cord in the livingroom.

 

[oldspark]

Post #6.

Sorry I managed to some how skip over your post.

 

[Woody Stover]

My wife is pretty quiet, but I think she'd have a problem with me stacking a cord in the livingroom.

Would she be OK with a half cord? That's what I did with some dead, down Ash, split small, fan blowing on it and got it from 25% to 20% in two weeks.

Sorry I managed to some how skip over your post.

You are in the majority then.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

My wife is pretty quiet, but I think she'd have a problem with me stacking a cord in the livingroom.

Then try just a half cord.

EDIT: Whoops. I had not seen Woody's post before I typed that.

 

[Woody Stover]

My wife is pretty quiet, but I think she'd have a problem with me stacking a cord in the livingroom.

Then try just a half cord.

My wife is pretty quiet too but she doesn't have to say anything for me to catch her drift. She was not enthused....

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Ya, I sort of felt she would be that way.

 

[Paulywalnut]

Would she be OK with a half cord? That's what I did with some dead, down Ash, split small, fan blowing on it and got it from 25% to 20% in two weeks.

You are in the majority then.

She's good with a wood ring of wood near the hearth. overall she really likes the wood heat

 

[Woody Stover]

She's good with a wood ring of wood near the hearth. overall she really likes the wood heat

Yeah, I was able to slip a 40" wrought-iron wood ring in over at my MIL's house, and she's pretty picky about the appearance of her home.

 

[Bspring]

Nothing wrong with "seeing is believing", and trying an experiment for yourself.......one thing is for sure, nobody will be able to ever convince you that green wood will dry in your basement, you already know for a fact that it won't!!

It still depends on the basement. I have a large basement with a long daylight wall and an 8' garage door on the side wall. It is very well ventilated with a 10' ceiling and "Superior Walls". I keep 3 cords in there but it is seasoned when I bring it in. I have checked it with a MM and can't say that it improves but it does not get worse.

 

[ScotO]

It still depends on the basement. I have a large basement with a long daylight wall and an 8' garage door on the side wall. It is very well ventilated with a 10' ceiling and "Superior Walls". I keep 3 cords in there but it is seasoned when I bring it in. I have checked it with a MM and can't say that it improves but it does not get worse.

Bringing in seasoned wood to an airy basement is totally different than bringing green wood into a stuffy basement, which is what the OP had done......
I keep several weeks worth of wood in the basement from November all the way until April. I'll bring in two weeks worth at a time. It's seasoned and ready to burn. But with powderpost beetles, sawyer beetles and other boring bugs in general, I don't want all that wood in my basement for any extended period of time, especially during the warm months.......