Leaving wood uncovered for the winter?

[Dug8498]

I can see that this is a pretty frequent topic on this site. I apologize if it's already been answered, but I think that this question is slightly different. I have 6 cords of wood CSS right now. I will only burn 2 this winter. Those two cords will be moved into the garage/woodshed late fall this year. My question is this: Can I leave the other 4 cords uncovered this winter as they will stay drying where they are all of next spring/summer/fall?

I could certainly find some tarps to cover them with for the winter, but If I don't have to I'd rather not. Not sure if this makes a difference, but the wood that would be staying out for the winter is all large splits of red oak and hickory.

Thank you in advance

Doug

 

[TedyOH]

I cover what I think I'm going to burn the 1st week of September....move 2/3 of a cord at a time in the garage starting in October.....future wood does not get covered. Never had a problem.

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[heavy hammer]

I have never covered my wood stacks, but I do like having them off the ground and the more space between the rows the better. The wood I'm burning that year, gets put in the garage for a few weeks before it goes in the stove.

 

[Dug8498]

Thanks for the tips; some of the stacks are on 2x'4's and the others are up on pallets, all stacks are single layer.

Tedy- why do you cover the first week of September if you wont be moving it in until October?

 

[TedyOH]

Thanks for the tips; some of the stacks are on 2x'4's and the others are up on pallets, all stacks are single layer.

Tedy- why do you cover the first week of September if you wont be moving it in until October?

To keep the water off for a month before I bring it in the garage

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[bholler]

I top cover everything as soon as its split. To me if you want something to dry as fast as possible keeping water off of it is a good idea.

 

[Dug8498]

To keep the water off for a month before I bring it in the garage

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Ahh makes sense thanks

 

[Dug8498]

I top cover everything as soon as its split. To me if you want something to dry as fast as possible keeping water off of it is a good idea.

This is the covered/uncovered thing I've read a lot about. This will be my second year burning wood. This past winter we moved into the house in January and all we were able to buy at a reasonable price in mid-January was oak that had been sitting unstacked out in the snow and it SUCKED to burn. Never again. I've read a lot about the pros and cons of covering and uncovering and have decided to leave the wood uncovered for the summer for now and see how it works (it's also less work for me The area where I have it stacked gets full southern exposure and a decent amount of wind. I will definitely try covering right after stacking next year if this doesn't work out

 

[bholler]

This is the covered/uncovered thing I've read a lot about. This will be my second year burning wood. This past winter we moved into the house in January and all we were able to buy at a reasonable price in mid-January was oak that had been sitting unstacked out in the snow and it SUCKED to burn. Never again. I've read a lot about the pros and cons of covering and uncovering and have decided to leave the wood uncovered for the summer for now and see how it works (it's also less work for me The area where I have it stacked gets full southern exposure and a decent amount of wind. I will definitely try covering right after stacking next year if this doesn't work out

Lots of people have good luck drying withour a top cover. But many of them are also ones who say you need 3 years to dry oak which i get b we low 20% in a year. But 2 years is better. At that point i am at 15 or 16%

 

[TedyOH]

Lots of people have good luck drying withour a top cover. But many of them are also ones who say you need 3 years to dry oak which i get b we low 20% in a year. But 2 years is better. At that point i am at 15 or 16%

Yeah I can get to 15-18% in 2 years with oak as well....just seems so much better at 3+ years

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[bholler]

Yeah I can get to 15-18% in 2 years with oak as well....just seems so much better at 3+ years

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I see no difference from 2 to 3 years. And it burns fine after one just not as nice as after 2.

 

[TedyOH]

No way I could burn it in one year.....efficiently anyway....

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[bholler]

No way I could burn it in one year.....efficiently anyway....

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I split small stack single row with good wind and sun exposure and top cover as soon as its split.

 

[Dug8498]

I have never covered my wood stacks, but I do like having them off the ground and the more space between the rows the better. The wood I'm burning that year, gets put in the garage for a few weeks before it goes in the stove.

How many years out are you stacking?

 

[EJP1234]

Im 3yrs ahead at all times ans I never cover either, except I have a “drying rack” that holds about 1 cord. I keep 2 weeks worth in our garage, and replenish the drying rack with the 2 weeks worth...

The drying rack just eliminates the exterior moisture that it gets from rain which helps keep mold/mildew from forming in garage.

 

[bholler]

Im 3yrs ahead at all times ans I never cover either, except I have a “drying rack” that holds about 1 cord. I keep 2 weeks worth in our garage, and replenish the drying rack with the 2 weeks worth...

The drying rack just eliminates the exterior moisture that it gets from rain which helps keep mold/mildew from forming in garage.

And that is fine if you have the room to be that far ahead. Our old house we did not. At our new house i have plenty of room so by the end of the summer i will have 3 years stacked and covered. The fact is many people dont have room to be 3 years out and top covering can seriously speed up the process.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

I agree that top covering is key especially with having limited space. The NE had a very wet early spring and a bunch of red maple that was 20% mc that fall had absorbed a bunch of water over the wet winter/ spring. Back up in the 30% area-not kidding. I now top cover everything from day one. The wood does dry quicker. I just need more cheap tin roofing now. My wood is also typically dried for a year or so and avoid splitting big. Get good heat and only a bit of light dry powdery soot at end of season, FWIW.
In the event you do start using tin roofing for top cover, definitely use pliers to bend down the sharp corners to avoid you or others from getting injured while walking by wood or in wind storm.

 

[peakbagger]

In years past I would leave piles in the woods uncovered and found that the wood got punky a lot faster. In the winter the stacks would freeze if they weren't covered but if covered I could break them down and move them a lot easier.

 

[Dug8498]

In years past I would leave piles in the woods uncovered and found that the wood got punky a lot faster. In the winter the stacks would freeze if they weren't covered but if covered I could break them down and move them a lot easier.

Hmmm interesting. Where are you located in NH? I'm in Southern NH in Hudson. Wood the would dry out again once the weather got nicer or did it stay punky?

 

[TedyOH]

Wood punk is the early stages of rot...
No going back once it starts, although it can be burned if dry...I've never had a problem with wood turning punky from sitting in the stacks....other than hickory, and that's just the sap wood....the heart wood stays solid...and normally the punky wood is already present once the tree blows over.

Beech can be funny....sometimes it'll get an orange mold growing on the end grain after 2 years but stays solid.

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[Dug8498]

Wood punk is the early stages of rot...
No going back once it starts, although it can be burned if dry...I've never had a problem with wood turning punky from sitting in the stacks....other than hickory, and that's just the sap wood....the heart wood stays solid...and normally the punky wood is already present once the tree blows over.

Beech can be funny....sometimes it'll get an orange mold growing on the end grain after 2 years but stays solid.

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Thanks for the info, I guess I didn't understand what punky meant! Is there an issue with hickory sitting in the stacks? I have probably a cord of 18 inch long large hickory splits that I've stacked and am planning on letting season for 2-3 years

 

[maple1]

I top cover for winter. We get lots of freeze/thaw cycles which can end up having your wood encased in ice at least lower down by the time winter ends. Which isn't that great for optimal drying.

 

[Dug8498]

I top cover for winter. We get lots of freeze/thaw cycles which can end up having your wood encased in ice at least lower down by the time winter ends. Which isn't that great for optimal drying.

Thank you, makes sense

 

[Woody5506]

I top covered until this spring/summer. Once September rolls around I think I'll cover everything I plan to use this winter plus whatever else will be next in line. I sorta felt like the stuff that the tarp lays over that doesn't get any wind/sun would take longer to dry, or basically a tarp would hinder air flow throughout the top. Yes it will get rained on but in the dead of summer I don't see it being much of an issue, as long as it's dried out before winter.

 

[Dug8498]

I top covered until this spring/summer. Once September rolls around I think I'll cover everything I plan to use this winter plus whatever else will be next in line. I sorta felt like the stuff that the tarp lays over that doesn't get any wind/sun would take longer to dry, or basically a tarp would hinder air flow throughout the top. Yes it will get rained on but in the dead of summer I don't see it being much of an issue, as long as it's dried out before winter.

So during the winter, you would cover the wood that you dont plan on burning this winter? Wood that might be burned the following year or even the year after?