Keeping wood dry in winter?

[smokebeard]

Folks, I'm hoping someone can help, otherwise I will end up with 2 old Vigilants for sale. My current wood process is as follows:

May: take delivery of "4" cds of poles
June-July: spend 5-8 weekends bucking, stacking, splitting
August: wish you had spent time in the garden, because now all your April work is wasted
November: tarp the 4x5x28 pile
December: remove tarp, find all the wood saturated in water and covered in ice

Outside of storing the wood indoors, what's the secret to keeping it dry? Is burning wood secretly a cosmic joke on those who haven't figured it out yet?

 

[shoot-straight]

Your wood was never dry to start with. Sorry. 3 months is way too short unless you live in the Saharan desert.

Its said on here all the time- it takes at least 1 year (for low btu woods), usually 2 or more to allow for wood to dry well enough to be efficient in a modern epa stove.

If you are serious, build a woodshed.

 

[claydogg84]

Are you covering the entire pile, or just the tops? You should leave the sides exposed for air movement. How did the water get under the tarp and onto the wood? 3 months is not even close to enough time to season firewood.

 

[smokebeard]

The trees were cut last December. Before this recent rain/snow the wood has burned perfectly, a 'spike' moisture meter showing anywhere from 8 to 17% depending on where I tested it. The Vigilant would give me a good 550degree horizontal burn for about 5 hours on a mostly-full load. Just the top of the pile is tarped.

Sounds like this confirms something which came up when we decided to use wood - with all the time, money and energy spent on it, you're better off just buying oil.

 

[claydogg84]

I still don't understand how the water is getting underneath the tarps?

 

[MJFlores]

I would try to build a decent woodshed, with an open from facing the sun, and one that gets plenty of airflow. I used to stack wood outside under snow, tarps, etc, I built a woodshed maybe 8 years ago and wonder how I heated the house at all. Wood sheds aren't too expensive to build....if you oput up just the frame and metal roof you can take your time putting everything else on. It's the only way to dry wood....you'll be surprised at how much moisture the dry Jan and Feb winds draw out of your firewood.

 

[jatoxico]

Not to pile on but you'll have little success following the program you described. It's not just the surface ice and water, which is really mostly a nuisance but the fact that the wood is not dried enough to run in a modern stove which is what will really stand in your way.

After hard wood is split it needs two years to dry in a good location (out in the wind). Doesn't need to be covered but if you do like to cover tarps are not the best choice and as was said, top cover only in any case. Once the wood is seasoned and ready to burn, storage under a hard cover is best just to keep the rain/snow/ice off. There's tons of good examples of permanent and non-permanent ways of doing this.

If the wood was seasoned well any surface moisture would dry quickly enough so you could bring small quantities into the garage or house and work that way. The same can't be said for unseasoned wood.

 

[Applesister]

Heating with wood is not that bad. You have to work a few years out ahead of things. That is what is hard for me.

 

[weatherguy]

I save over $2000 every year on oil, this is my 8th year, do the math I'm way ahead, but I love doing it, if it's a chore maybe oil is bettet

 

[Paulywalnut]

Its more important to stack your wood in the sun where wind can get to it. Once it's dry and seasoned I can take my wood uncovered after rain or snow and burn it the next day or two. It's important where you put it. Covering wet or green wood is not good. Leave it uncovered for a 6 mos. to a year then cover the top if you want.

 

[Woodro]

Weatherguy is right. If it's a chore, it's not worth it.

 

[Grisu]

Weatherguy is right. If it's a chore, it's not worth it.

Better ask: Is it a worse chore than your job? As you will need to work harder to pay the oilman.

 

[Grisu]

a 'spike' moisture meter showing anywhere from 8 to 17% depending on where I tested it.

There is only one place the wood should be tested: Split a few pieces in half and press the pins in the center of the fresh surface. It needs to read below 20% there or the wood is not dry enough. The outer surface of the split will give you all kinds of wrong readings.

 

[Seanm]

I would add to Grisus comment that you should bring some rounds inside and allow the wood to warm up before splitting and testing.

 

[Wood Duck]

If the wood burned well before it got wet and icy, it was seasoned and is now seasoned but wet on the outside. You need to stack it (not pile it) and cover the top of each stack. It will dry off and should be fine.

A pile is a poor choice for storing split wood. In a pile a lot of the wood in in contact with the ground which keeps it wet. If you cover a pile with a tarp the moisture from the ground still rises into the pile, but the tarp holds it in. You gotta stack the wood, and the bottom of the stack should be on something dry.

 

[shoot-straight]

Weatherguy is right. If it's a chore, it's not worth it.

Yep its a labor of love. That's why we are all so fanatical about it.... I'm sure I will grow tired of it at some point- but not yet!

 

[Poindexter]

Ground water and too short a seasoning time sir.

Try taking delivery in Sep/Oct. Get it split and stacked toute suite. In general, either get cinder blocks under your pallets, or use a vapor barrier.

When you do tarp the pile, top cover only unless you have a lot of wind driven rain. if you have a lot of wind driven rain, cover the top and the side the wind is blowing rain onto.

Ground water varies some by locale, but its a killer. I had about two cords of wood at 18% about two years ago going into September. I put pallets on the ground, stacked the wood on it real convenient like to the man door out of the garage, and then covered top and sides with tarps. What happened in that overnight freeze/ thaw during the day period in Sep/Oct for me was the sun heated up the tarps and wood, ground water came up as vapor and then condensed on my wood when the temp dropped overnight because the tarps on the sides prevented the wind from carrying the water vapor away. After two months that same two cords measured 25%. I was heartbroken.

 

[toyotarider]

I have an old coal cellar i keep dry wood in about 3 cords worth. Rest is under a steel carport outside.

 

[JayD]

Theirs always coal and it laughs at the rain. Just get a good coal stove

 

[Fred Wright]

Moisture under the tarps has two sources - either the tarps are leaking or you're getting condensation from underneath. The folks here are right ~ top cover stacks in the open where they can get sun and air movement. Depending on the species, you'll need a year or longer for your fuelwood to season.

My veggie garden takes priority in spring. I have a full dance card every spring... power washing the siding, PM the tractors, blades sharpened, clean chimney flue, etc. Wood cutting and splitting can wait 'til fall. I just don't have time to do it in the spring.

There's another argument for staying 3 years ahead on firewood. It doesn't have to be worked up right away. I'll get to it when I get to it. Last year's weather kept me out of the woods for months. It was late winter before I could finally get in there with the little tractor. And I was still fighting a pigged up mess out there.

Electricity, propane and oil are outrageously priced in these parts. Switching to wood heat saves us around $300.00 per month. That's money we can use for other things.

If working up firewood has become a chore and takes too much time, why not become a weekend wood burner instead? Run the furnace during the week and burn wood on weekends. You'll still save money.

 

[Woody Stover]

with all the time, money and energy spent on it, you're better off just buying oil.

I would lose the Vigilants. My Dutchwest heats for 5 hrs. on 3 splits, instead of eating a full load in that time.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Folks, I'm hoping someone can help, otherwise I will end up with 2 old Vigilants for sale. My current wood process is as follows:

May: take delivery of "4" cds of poles
June-July: spend 5-8 weekends bucking, stacking, splitting
August: wish you had spent time in the garden, because now all your April work is wasted
November: tarp the 4x5x28 pile
December: remove tarp, find all the wood saturated in water and covered in ice

Outside of storing the wood indoors, what's the secret to keeping it dry? Is burning wood secretly a cosmic joke on those who haven't figured it out yet?

I'm sorry to say but your entire plan of action is at fault, you need to change the way you are doing almost everything, your wood is wet to begin with and your not keeping your wet wood dry.....keep learning here, things will get better for you in years to come, but you need to change what you are doing and be aggressive the next year or two and then all will be ok...

 

[smokebeard]

Thanks to Poindexter and Frank Wright, turns out I had some drainage issues which encouraged water buildup, despite the pile being up on logs/pallets.

 

[john11756]

Dont get frustrated. My first year with my stove wasn't that bad as far as wet wood and keeping it dry. Its definitely a battle keeping the tarps and plastic in place.I use strips of plastic on top of my stacks and staple the crap out of it.
as far as heating with oil alone ha try keeping your hous at 90 all season on oil alone.

 

[jeffesonm]

you can also try a few pallets on top of the pile before putting the tarp over... they help smooth out the surface of the pile so it's less likely to rip and provide a little air gap between the tarp and the wood