Its funny but sad watching

[BrotherBart]

Not too many wood burners in this part of the country. Those who do have wood stacks seem to be split into two camps - - (1) rotting in the woods, and (2) covered with a tarp year round.

And that one old fart out in the woods out in Prince William County with three years worth top covered with 45 mil rubber roofing. Still trying to get the hang of this wood burning stuff. Ever seen 15% moisture content oak with no checking? Look kinda purty. :lol:

But I still lust every time I pass that wood dealer's farm down the road from me. Every year at this time he has a football field sized pile that is easily over twenty feet high.

 

[madrone]

It's been hot and dry here, and the piles of green rounds are starting to appear in driveways, covered tightly with tarps to keep the sun and wind out.

 

[madrone]

I just talked to a guy the other day that buys his wood by the truck load, stacks it up, and then cuts and splits what he needs for a couple days or weeks. Then he started talking about the chimney fire he had this year. I asked him how often he cleans his chimney. His answer? "I'm not going up there! The roof is too steep!" I'm almost starting to convince myself to take some classes and what not and become a certified chimney sweep.

Why, it's not like you're going to convince him that he actually needs to sweep his chimney....

why would he? it's clean now.

 

[firefighterjake]

I just talked to a guy the other day that buys his wood by the truck load, stacks it up, and then cuts and splits what he needs for a couple days or weeks. Then he started talking about the chimney fire he had this year. I asked him how often he cleans his chimney. His answer? "I'm not going up there! The roof is too steep!" I'm almost starting to convince myself to take some classes and what not and become a certified chimney sweep.

We have folks like that in the town where I live . . . folks where you know you will be going out on a fire call for a chimney fire at least once during the winter. The sad thing is they just keep burning the same way every year and not cleaning their chimney . . . and we keep coming out to knock down the fire and run the brush throught the chimney before we leave . . . maybe if we responded to chimney fires like Bangor and run a hose stream down the chimney we wouldn't get so many of these "annual customers."

 

[firefighterjake]

TimfromOhio . . . no worries about tarping the sides. Leave the wood exposed to the sun and the wind . . . heck I don't tarp any of my wood until mid- to late-Fall right before the snow flies . . . although this year I will hopefully have a woodshed for the bulk of my wood. The rain on the sides does very little to the wood . . . heck the rain on top of the wood doesn't really do much to the wood for that matter.

 

[CarbonNeutral]

We have folks like that in the town where I live . . . folks where you know you will be going out on a fire call for a chimney fire at least once during the winter. The sad thing is they just keep burning the same way every year and not cleaning their chimney . . . and we keep coming out to knock down the fire and run the brush throught the chimney before we leave . . . maybe if we responded to chimney fires like Bangor and run a hose stream down the chimney we wouldn't get so many of these "annual customers."

Well there's your problem - he thinks the chimney sweep's number is 911. Maybe if you charged for the sweep.....

 

[lexybird]

the first year i burnt i realized there must be a better way than this and you would think by now most veteran wood burners would know that hard wood takes at the very least 6 months(sometimes three times that amount ) to season in good conditions .my father seems to think that "you dont want your wood to season too much because it will burn up too quick in your furnace " i try to explain that if he took the time to be prepared: have it split and stacked by the end of march in the open wind and sun he would probably only use half the wood as normal and be twice as warm , but he wont listen to me despite all the facts and figures i present .just the idea of going through much less sawing stacking cutting splitting etc.. is enough to make me want my wood properly seasoned instead of green

 

[Backwoods Savage]

TimfromOhio . . . no worries about tarping the sides. Leave the wood exposed to the sun and the wind . . . heck I don't tarp any of my wood until mid- to late-Fall right before the snow flies . . . although this year I will hopefully have a woodshed for the bulk of my wood. The rain on the sides does very little to the wood . . . heck the rain on top of the wood doesn't really do much to the wood for that matter.

More words to Tim and others.

Most have seen the pictures of the 9 cord of wood we cut, split and stacked last winter. They are still uncovered. A little over a week ago we received 5" of rain. Then we got more rain and some God awful humid days. And it just now quit raining this morning again. We worry not. Two days after that 5" of rain you could not have told that we just received all that rain as the entire wood pile was as dry as before the rain. Again yesterday morning I passed by that wood pile and looked it over again. Still very dry. Still uncovered.

And when we cover that wood in November or December, we will cover the top only. If need be we could burn that wood this fall and winter with no problems. However, then we'd have the problem of what to do with all that other dry stuff that has been sitting around for years....outdoors....in the rain. But, those wood piles are also covered with old galvanized roofing. We'll be happy campers once we again need the heat from our wood stove.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

the first year i burnt i realized there must be a better way than this and you would think by now most veteran wood burners would know that hard wood takes at the very least 6 months(sometimes three times that amount ) to season in good conditions .my father seems to think that "you dont want your wood to season too much because it will burn up too quick in your furnace " i try to explain that if he took the time to be prepared: have it split and stacked by the end of march in the open wind and sun he would probably only use half the wood as normal and be twice as warm , but he wont listen to me despite all the facts and figures i present .just the idea of going through much less sawing stacking cutting splitting etc.. is enough to make me want my wood properly seasoned instead of green

You might try to get him to experiment with some very dry wood vs. some of his present type of wood. If so, he will quickly find that he will get more heat from the dry wood. Sure, the fire might last longer with the green wood but that is because the danged stuff won't burn right and he also has to have the draft open further which allows more heat to go up the chimney; otherwise he'd be so full of creosote.....well, it wouldn't be pretty.

 

[Flatbedford]

A friend of mine who happens to be a co-owner of a tree service told me that he always keeps some green wood around to throw in the stove for overnight burns because it lasts longer. I learned that if I buy his very well priced firewood, I should do it in April, not August like I did last year. Luckily, I won't be buying any wood this year from anybody due to some excellent scrounging results. I guess a lot of people would be much happier with their stoves of they knew a little more about the fuel they use.

 

[Nonprophet]

Not too many wood burners in this part of the country. Those who do have wood stacks seem to be split into two camps - - (1) rotting in the woods, and (2) covered with a tarp year round.

And that one old fart out in the woods out in Prince William County with three years worth top covered with 45 mil rubber roofing. Still trying to get the hang of this wood burning stuff. Ever seen 15% moisture content oak with no checking? Look kinda purty. :lol:

But I still lust every time I pass that wood dealer's farm down the road from me. Every year at this time he has a football field sized pile that is easily over twenty feet high.

BB how does the wood dry properly if it's covered with rubber sheeting? Doesn't that just trap in all the moisture?? I'm SURE you know what you're doing, I'm just trying to get my head around how your wood can dry when it's totally covered......

Thanks!


NP

 

[BrotherBart]

BB how does the wood dry properly if it's covered with rubber sheeting? Doesn't that just trap in all the moisture?? I'm SURE you know what you're doing, I'm just trying to get my head around how your wood can dry when it's totally covered......

Thanks!


NP

It isn't totally covered. Just the top. With 18" air channels between the rows of wood there is plenty of air circulation. The day I split and stack a row the top gets covered. The wood dries just fine and is only dried once. And I don't have to spend time cleaning leaves and other assorted crap out of the pallets once the stacks are used up. Lots of people think condensation gets trapped up under a top covering. Ain't gonna happen with the breeze blowing between the rows and that black EPDM roofing makes it like an oven under there on hot sunny days.

 

[Nonprophet]

BB how does the wood dry properly if it's covered with rubber sheeting? Doesn't that just trap in all the moisture?? I'm SURE you know what you're doing, I'm just trying to get my head around how your wood can dry when it's totally covered......

Thanks!


NP

It isn't totally covered. Just the top. With 18" air channels between the rows of wood there is plenty of air circulation. The day I split and stack a row the top gets covered. The wood dries just fine and is only dried once. And I don't have to spend time cleaning leaves and other assorted crap out of the pallets once the stacks are used up. Lots of people think condensation gets trapped up under a top covering. Ain't gonna happen with the breeze blowing between the rows and that black EPDM roofing makes it like an oven under there on hot sunny days.

Ahhh......gotcha! I thought you were covering the whole pile all the way to the ground!!

There's a few neighbors out where I live who do that--they stack it in nice piles, and then cover it with black plastic sheeting. They pull it tight over the stacks all the way to the ground, and then put bricks/logs around the base to hold the plastic sheeting down........you'd think it would just be a pile of rotten pulp after a year or so..............but they keep doing it!

 

[madrone]

Just read a CL ad: you remove fresh cut stumps for firewood. "everybody knows they're great for overnights"

 

[velvetfoot]

My neighbor farmer covers his fine split wood that's been seasoning all summer in the fall, maybe November or so, all the way to the ground.
When it gets cold and the snow is blowing, it might be the best way.

 

[Archie]

Not too many wood burners in this part of the country. Those who do have wood stacks seem to be split into two camps - - (1) rotting in the woods, and (2) covered with a tarp year round.

And that one old fart out in the woods out in Prince William County with three years worth top covered with 45 mil rubber roofing. Still trying to get the hang of this wood burning stuff. Ever seen 15% moisture content oak with no checking? Look kinda purty. :lol:

But I still lust every time I pass that wood dealer's farm down the road from me. Every year at this time he has a football field sized pile that is easily over twenty feet high.

BB, I think you have this wood burning stuff down pat, but there is an element of art to it; it's not all science, so the learning continues. No, never saw 15% with no checking, but I bet it looks nice. I go by the grey look and the "clink" of splits when I bang em together. BTW, I think I've seen your local dealer's mountain on CL.

 

[BrotherBart]

BTW, I think I've seen your local dealer's mountain on CL.

Nah that is another guy. R.C. has been selling wood in Prince Bill for 40 years and all advertising is just word of mouth and a truck full of wood sitting out by the road with a phone number on the side of it. I have passed that truck for 25 years and 368-4305 is burned into my retinas.

I am getting a little old for this tree whacking stuff and may be calling him for the first time in a couple of years.

 

[savageactor7]

......big rounds that were cut this summer and none of them split. But they are piled nice and neatly.

Yup I see that too Savage...the 2 old timers that schooled me were both death on stacking rounds. Claimed it was an extra step and a waste of time. More importantly he said rounds stacked neatly out of the way you're more likely to put off spiting ...and splitting was the main objective to season wood.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

BB how does the wood dry properly if it's covered with rubber sheeting? Doesn't that just trap in all the moisture?? I'm SURE you know what you're doing, I'm just trying to get my head around how your wood can dry when it's totally covered......

Thanks!


NP

It isn't totally covered. Just the top. With 18" air channels between the rows of wood there is plenty of air circulation. The day I split and stack a row the top gets covered. The wood dries just fine and is only dried once. And I don't have to spend time cleaning leaves and other assorted crap out of the pallets once the stacks are used up. Lots of people think condensation gets trapped up under a top covering. Ain't gonna happen with the breeze blowing between the rows and that black EPDM roofing makes it like an oven under there on hot sunny days.

BB, now I get it. You have been thinking that some of us say covering stops evaporation. That is not it at all! Covering will not stop the evaporation process, but left uncovered will just speed it up. Or another way of saying it is that covering the top will slightly impede the evaporation process. Have you ever noticed what happens when water evaporates? It goes up, not sideways.

Leaving the spacing between the rows will definitely help because that allows for movement of air between the rows. But I still hold that if you leave green wood uncovered at least through the summer months that it will dry faster.

 

[wldm09]

I'm sure it happens here too but I'm actually surprised how little I see it compared to what many of you report. Most stacks I see around here as i drive through the countryside are all uncovered and drying nicely.

I guess people in Wisconsin are just smarter. ;-)

Yes! That is what I was going to say too...smarter. Or, at least smart enough to be on this forum!

 

[wldm09]

Fully seasoned: (over 2 years - mostly but not all white oak) wood is kept in my garage.
Seasoning: outdoor piles are open or vented sides, top coverered only while it's raining / snowing.
Sounds like busy work but it's fun.

Do you ever worry bugs? I have a large garage and like having a winter's worth in there too... but I wonder about bugs.

 

[Flatbedford]

I stack my rounds neatly on the side of the driveway when they come off the truck. I have to because I don't have the room for a pile. I split them on the driveway and stack the splits on the edge of the backyard, uncovered, in the sun. I keep about a face cord on the covered front porch during the burning season and cover some of the outside stack to keep the snow and ice off it. From the street, I look like one of those guys with the nice stack of rounds in the fall. what you can't see are my 4 1/2 seasoned cords out back.

 

[kbrown]

What really gets me is this landscaping supply place I drive by on the way home each night. It's the last place you would expect to see a landscaping business; 8 mile and Lasher! Right on the border of Southfield and Detroit. They have a monster pile of splits; at least 20' x 30' that I have noticed they keep adding to the top as they get drop offs from the local tree services. I can't imagine that there is any possible way the stuff gets properly seasoned when it's in such a pile and surrounded on three sides by those large cement blocks they use to create dump areas for the various types of dirt and mulch. Some day I'm going to call them and see what they are charging for the stuff. In that area I just never thought there would be a large demand for firewood since there are always trees cut up stacked at the curb people are trying to get rid of.

I think I'm really mostly jealous since for last two weeks, every night there is another pile of logs that had been dropped off; I would much rather see them in a pile in my driveway! I'll make sure they are split and stacked the right way!

 

[PA. Woodsman]

What really gets me is this landscaping supply place I drive by on the way home each night. It's the last place you would expect to see a landscaping business; 8 mile and Lasher! Right on the border of Southfield and Detroit. They have a monster pile of splits; at least 20' x 30' that I have noticed they keep adding to the top as they get drop offs from the local tree services. I can't imagine that there is any possible way the stuff gets properly seasoned when it's in such a pile and surrounded on three sides by those large cement blocks they use to create dump areas for the various types of dirt and mulch.

It doesn't dry properly and the landscaping company probably doesn't care. It's like a pile of damp clothing-it doesn't ever dry unless you seperate it and hang it up. I see that here too, but they could care less if it dries or not, and really probably feel that it is "buyer beware" when it comes to selling firewood.

I also drove past Tractor Supply today and shook my head when I saw the logsplitters displayed out front...should've been doing that in March...

People just need a little foresight and planning ahead with wood and they'll enjoy the experience.

 

[kbrown]

Not to change the entire course of this thread, but this is sorta in line with it...so today as I was topping off a couple of stacks with some nice cherry splits, my wife comes out and asks what my plans are when it comes time to cover the stacks. Before I could say anything, she adds "and don't even think about using that tacky blue plastic stuff" as it will make our yard look like a junk pile. So, as I make my way through my garage, I stumble upon a roll of roofing paper and it got me wondering; let's ask the folks on the forum about this! There's plenty there and the roll is 3' wide so on a stack that's around 16" deep, it should provide some protection down the side.
Ok...let's open the floor to the group.... :shut: