Impact of Rainwater on Seasoned Firewood

[JotulOwner]

I have a lot of well-seasoned (7 plus years) firewood. I keep it covered and it burns with no indications of retained moisture. I had a small pile of splits in a ring under my porch which was indirectly exposed to some rainwater during a recent storm. It was relatively dry to the touch (a little bit moist on the surface). I couldn't believe how this wood hissed, steamed, and bubbled water from the ends. It must have absorbed the rainwater like a sponge because this wood was unquestionably dry before this happened.

Obviously wood exposed to rain will be moist on the surface until it air dries, but has anyone seen well- seasoned wood absorb water like this?

 

[saewoody]

I would imagine that if it had any hint of punkiness to it, that it could definitely absorb some water.


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[Ctwoodtick]

I live just north of you. We had a tough year with rain and high humidity. Hopefully it dries out before freeze up to dry up the wood a bit. I’ve had maple soak up rain water before. I had soft maple at 20 percent that shot in to 30+ after a wet early spring. It dried out to original levels once it was drier out for a few weeks. I learned after this that top covering is a must unless you live in the desert.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

I have a lot of well-seasoned (7 plus years) firewood. I keep it covered and it burns with no indications of retained moisture. I had a small pile of splits in a ring under my porch which was indirectly exposed to some rainwater during a recent storm. It was relatively dry to the touch (a little bit moist on the surface). I couldn't believe how this wood hissed, steamed, and bubbled water from the ends. It must have absorbed the rainwater like a sponge because this wood was unquestionably dry before this happened.

Obviously wood exposed to rain will be moist on the surface until it air dries, but has anyone seen well- seasoned wood absorb water like this?

Yep.

 

[Manly]

I have a lot of well-seasoned (7 plus years) firewood. I keep it covered and it burns with no indications of retained moisture. I had a small pile of splits in a ring under my porch which was indirectly exposed to some rainwater during a recent storm. It was relatively dry to the touch (a little bit moist on the surface). I couldn't believe how this wood hissed, steamed, and bubbled water from the ends. It must have absorbed the rainwater like a sponge because this wood was unquestionably dry before this happened.

Obviously wood exposed to rain will be moist on the surface until it air dries, but has anyone seen well- seasoned wood absorb water like this?

My experience has been dry wood getting rained on will show signs of getting wet. Others may have different results.

 

[Adabiviak]

It should dry back out faster than it took to season in the first place... the water isn't "throughout" the wood; it should be near the surface and should dry back out quickly (depending on local conditions).

 

[Marshy]

You'd be surprised how much moisture the wood will absorb just from air. There was a nice graphic in a scholarly article about curing wood and how much moisture the wood picks back up during the wet season even under a cover. For the life of me I cannot find that graphic. If I come across it I will share it.

 

[Paulywalnut]

I have found that once your stacks are well seasoned, if it gets wet the moisture evaporates pretty quick.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

I have found that once your stacks are well seasoned, if it gets wet the moisture evaporates pretty quick.

Sometimes, but being from KS PA, you know your uncovered wood stayed almost constantly wet this year, including right now. Bad recipe for dry wood come burning season. And one of these days it's gonna freeze, then it doesn't evaporate nearly as fast.

And this isn't true at all for wood that has some punky stuff on the part that's not heartwood, which is abundant if you're cutting wood that's already dead.

 

[weatherguy]

I'm going to keep 3 days worth in a rack in the stove room. Then I'll set the next load near the stove an hour or two before going in the stove. It's usually bone dry by the time I burn it.

 

[FaithfulWoodsman]

Yep. It's a problem as my wood drying location stays wetter/humid. Nothing I can do about that, but I am building another 7-10 day rack so the stuff in the stove has been inside for a week or more. Like you I have 3 year ash and cherry that sizzle and were 10-15% in August. It's deff a water exposure issue and I'm over it.

 

[Paulywalnut]

Sometimes, but being from KS PA, you know your uncovered wood stayed almost constantly wet this year, including right now. Bad recipe for dry wood come burning season. And one of these days it's gonna freeze, then it doesn't evaporate nearly as fast.

And this isn't true at all for wood that has some punky stuff on the part that's not heartwood, which is abundant if you're cutting wood that's already dead.

You're right. I have so many stacks that I only burn from covered stacks. I just feel the first year stacked really benefits from sun and wind uncovered.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

You're right. I have so many stacks that I only burn from covered stacks. I just feel the first year stacked really benefits from sun and wind uncovered.

That's why we call you Paulywalnut!

 

[Wood1Dennis]

I season my firewood uncovered. I agree with Pauly, open and exposed to the sun and wind is the best for seasoning, at least here. The punky stuff stays in the woods
I always cover the next winters supply with a tarp in late summer so the fall rains don't add surface moisture. When I bring it in in October it is nice and dry, even in a year like this where it rained, a lot! But even if the tarp blows off, the moisture from rain will dry out pretty quick.

 

[Schipp]

You'd be surprised how much moisture the wood will absorb just from air. There was a nice graphic in a scholarly article about curing wood and how much moisture the wood picks back up during the wet season even under a cover. For the life of me I cannot find that graphic. If I come across it I will share it.

You’re right! It’s called “ambient” moisture!

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

I season my firewood uncovered. I agree with Pauly, open and exposed to the sun and wind is the best for seasoning, at least here. The punky stuff stays in the woods
I always cover the next winters supply with a tarp in late summer so the fall rains don't add surface moisture. When I bring it in in October it is nice and dry, even in a year like this where it rained, a lot! But even if the tarp blows off, the moisture from rain will dry out pretty quick.

What kind of wood are you burning?

Are your stacks in the sun or shade?

Are your stacks all single row or double or multiple.

Do you remove the bark and sapwood?

I ask, because perhaps you are burning some sort of wood and your conditions are totally different than mine.

Reading posts like yours led me to the situation I'm in this year, struggling to have any dry wood to burn this year, even though it's all at least 2 years old.

Thanks.

 

[Schipp]

I’ll take seasoned wood that’s been rained on over freshly cut green wood anyday!
But I don’t try to burn it right away!
I stack it in my basement, (where my stove is) and let it dry out a few days or a week before I try to burn it!
Dries out fairly quickly!

 

[Wood1Dennis]

What kind of wood are you burning?

Are your stacks in the sun or shade?

Are your stacks all single row or double or multiple.

Do you remove the bark and sapwood?

I ask, because perhaps you are burning some sort of wood and your conditions are totally different than mine.

Reading posts like yours led me to the situation I'm in this year, struggling to have any dry wood to burn this year, even though it's all at least 2 years old.

Thanks.

Hey Ed,

You are right, there might be differences based on where we are located. Anyway;

I have a very good location for my wood piles. It is in full sun, they are in a east/west orientation. It's between a couple of wood lots, so the wind blows pretty good through there too. The full sun is probably key.

I stack in double rows, never had a problem doing that. I do recall one time someone told me, might have been out east like you, that they get a lot of ice buildup between the rows if they pile double. I have never had that problem here in Wisconsin.

I burn mostly hardwood. Ash, cherry, elm, some birch, maple, beech. I do not remove the sapwood or bark. Any bark that will easily slip off I take off, but I don't make a point of it. The one exception is white birch, not my favorite wood but is is pretty good if I get it dry. I try to peel as much bark as I can because that stuff will hold water. I am a believer in piling with the split side down, bark side facing up. I never did a trial to confirm that it is the better way (there is some controversy), but I learned that from my Dad, it works for me so I don't mess with it.

What is your location like?

 

[FaithfulWoodsman]

Riddle me this...... I am currently burning some ash and cherry that was leftover from last year's stack. Been drying 3-4 years depending on when I cut it, but obviously should be dry. Wood has been in the shed since last March and gets very little rain on it, but the shed is on the north side of the house in shade and in a low wetter area. About half the pieces sizzle some, not a lot, but it's noticeable for 5-10 minutes. I think this is absorbed moisture not cellular. I have thrown in some two year red oak that I tossed in the shed a couple months ago just to see how they did. ZERO moisture so far. I did split them board style and thin, but I am at a loss as to how I am getting 3 year cherry to sizzle, but not two year red oak. The only explanation off the top of my head is that the red oak dried enough due to the way I split them and although the ash and cherry are dry, they soak up air moisture much easier than the denser red oak. I have no real empirical data to offer other than what happens in the stove. However, I'm not complaining.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Hey Ed,

You are right, there might be differences based on where we are located. Anyway;

I have a very good location for my wood piles. It is in full sun, they are in a east/west orientation. It's between a couple of wood lots, so the wind blows pretty good through there too. The full sun is probably key.

I stack in double rows, never had a problem doing that. I do recall one time someone told me, might have been out east like you, that they get a lot of ice buildup between the rows if they pile double. I have never had that problem here in Wisconsin.

I burn mostly hardwood. Ash, cherry, elm, some birch, maple, beech. I do not remove the sapwood or bark. Any bark that will easily slip off I take off, but I don't make a point of it. The one exception is white birch, not my favorite wood but is is pretty good if I get it dry. I try to peel as much bark as I can because that stuff will hold water. I am a believer in piling with the split side down, bark side facing up. I never did a trial to confirm that it is the better way (there is some controversy), but I learned that from my Dad, it works for me so I don't mess with it.

What is your location like?

Wet this year.

North slope of a "mountain" near the top, but not at the top. Quotes are because it's a Pennsylvania sized mountain, which is nothing like a Colorado sized mountain.

Only a couple of good sunny spots, but it can be pretty breezy. Lots of still, humid days this year.

Even in single row stacks, I was growing fungus in the sapwood on barkless pieces, and cambium layers, on bark-on pieces.

I knew I was in trouble in early September and started top covering, but removing the top for sunny stretches.

Oak, birch, hemlock, walnut, ash, tuplip poplar. All of it at least 2 years split and stacked off the ground, except for the holzhausen, stacked single row deep, and all of it waterlogged to some degree.

 

[weatherguy]

I'm in the east and got hammered with rain. I bring a weeks worth of wood and rack it in the stove room to dry out. I have another weeks worth in the garage. When I'm about an hour before loading I put the next load spread out near the stove. By the time I get to putting the load in its dry as a bone. I just keep rotating like that all year.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

I'm in the east and got hammered with rain. I bring a weeks worth of wood and rack it in the stove room to dry out. I have another weeks worth in the garage. When I'm about an hour before loading I put the next load spread out near the stove. By the time I get to putting the load in its dry as a bone. I just keep rotating like that all year.

I'm doing something similar, but there are still plenty of pieces that are still too wet to burn well. So I sort them. We're getting by, but it's a real pia. It could have been prevented by keeping the stacks top covered all year. And, no normal person would be willing to do what I'm doing.

 

[Ashful]

I have trouble even believing some of you have had nearly as much rain as I’ve had this year, but I know some of you have. It seems to me the rain gauge in my driveway was seeing 6x - 9x the rain I dump out of it on a regular year, but I have no log book to prove it.

I’m having a lot of trouble with wet wood, even though my oak has been seasoning 3 - 4 years in my back yard. I also just sank my firewood trailer in the back yard this morning, had to chain up the 4wd tractor to pull it out.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

I have trouble even believing some of you have had nearly as much rain as I’ve had this year, but I know some of you have. It seems to me the rain gauge in my driveway was seeing 6x - 9x the rain I dump out of it on a regular year, but I have no log book to prove it.

I’m having a lot of trouble with wet wood, even though my oak has been seasoning 3 - 4 years in my back yard. I also just sank my firewood trailer in the back yard this morning, had to chain up the 4wd tractor to pull it out.

And if it wasn't bad enough, 6" of snow on Thursday, followed by just enough rain to soak the already wet snow into a slushy sponge on top of all the stacks. Even the stuff on the porch would have been soaked, had I not covered it. And, the weather into the forseeable future appears to be custom designed to keep the ground a soupy mess. Not warm enough to melt it all away during the day, then down into the 20's at night to freeze what's there.

 

[weatherguy]

And if it wasn't bad enough, 6" of snow on Thursday, followed by just enough rain to soak the already wet snow into a slushy sponge on top of all the stacks. Even the stuff on the porch would have been soaked, had I not covered it. And, the weather into the forseeable future appears to be custom designed to keep the ground a soupy mess. Not warm enough to melt it all away during the day, then down into the 20's at night to freeze what's there.

We got the same here. I think I'm going to bring two weeks worth into my garage to dry out tomorrow since it looks like this weather pattern will exist for awhile.