My wood is....surprisingly DRY.

[stee6043]

Everyone knows it's been an EXTREMELY wet year for a lot of people. Up here in Michigan has been no exception. I finally decided to begin moving my stacks from their rows in the back (uncovered) to underneath my deck (covered) this past weekend. I was actually shocked to see that, in spite of all the rain, the wood was really quite dry. The top two or three layers were damp but everything else right down to the bottom row was pretty much bone dry.

So there it is....one more vote for not worrying about covering your wood until the snow comes. At least it seems to have worked for me.

 

[SolarAndWood]

My heap not only defied the laws of covering, but the laws of stacking as well. Must be all that wind we get off the lakes.

 

[smokinj]

My heap not only defied the laws of covering, but the laws of stacking as well. Must be all that wind we get off the lakes.

+1 its very windy where Iam at. Heap work out well

 

[LLigetfa]

My heap didn't fare so well. When I moved it to the shed, only the top layer got put on the burn it sooner side and the rest on the burn it later side. Fortunately I still had about 5 cord left over from before so I'm not worried.

 

[burntime]

I have 2 year oak that is wonderful. About 2.5 to 3 cords and the rest is maple/ash/elm that has dried for a year. The wind does seem to do a big part of it!

 

[firefighterjake]

Everyone knows it's been an EXTREMELY wet year for a lot of people. Up here in Michigan has been no exception. I finally decided to begin moving my stacks from their rows in the back (uncovered) to underneath my deck (covered) this past weekend. I was actually shocked to see that, in spite of all the rain, the wood was really quite dry. The top two or three layers were damp but everything else right down to the bottom row was pretty much bone dry.

So there it is....one more vote for not worrying about covering your wood until the snow comes. At least it seems to have worked for me.

I noticed this as well the other day when I was moving some wood into my shed . . . it had been raining the day before and was raining on the day I was doing this and as you said the rain pretty much had only permeated down a few layers.

 

[SolarAndWood]

My heap didn't fare so well.

Was this the heap with the stack around it?

 

[LLigetfa]

Yes, that one.

 

[SolarAndWood]

Do you think the stack restricted the airflow? I got into the middle of my 20x20x12 heap and didn't find a big difference?

 

[Rockey]

The middle of my 20X15 is pathetic. Been there for 2 summers and I have had a heck of a time trying to get a good fire going until I dig into my firewood that has been stored inside for about 6 months.

 

[Ratman]

Yes, that one.

uuuuhhhhhhh....my mouth is watering again.

 

[LLigetfa]

Do you think the stack restricted the airflow? I got into the middle of my 20x20x12 heap and didn't find a big difference?

Earlier I moved another older heap that was nearby without stacked sides and it wasn't as dry closer to the ground as I would have liked either. I put it in the middle of the shed so it could get air from both sides as I plan to burn it this Winter. There was already 3 cord in the shed that over Wintered there so that will be the first to be burned. As I said, I skimmed the dry stuff off the top of my uber heap to set it aside and stacked the rest for much later burning.

I think it was all the rain we got. It soaked the ground and kept the humidity high in the middle and bottom of the heap. I have hard clay which really holds the moisture. I will have to get more pallets to raise the wood up off the ground.

 

[marsfarmer]

My heap not only defied the laws of covering, but the laws of stacking as well. Must be all that wind we get off the lakes.

Well, I get no lake effect over here in Little Rhody, more like ocean storms every other week this year. But the breeze has kept up I guess because I'm also coming across some pretty well-seasoned wood in stacks that shouldn't be anywhere near ready, as in I cut some of it in July!
Now here's the thing. I did a little experiment after a pretty divisive forum re: the old cover/not cover debate. I was surprised.
I built a primitive solar kiln over one stack and left another stack uncovered for about 2 months so far. Both stacks are in a sunny field with good breezes. I've been weighing wood from each stack to see which is losing water faster. Lo and behold, the uncovered stack is drying more quickly, even with soaking rain storms all the frikkin' time! This backs up some of the advice I got in that thread which I thought made little sense at the time, but I'm now seeing that ventilation around the stack is just as important as heat from the sun. Maybe more important.
I know, this is pretty geeky, but dammit I don't care I'm obsessed with the mysteries of cordwood.

 

[SolarAndWood]

It soaked the ground and kept the humidity high in the middle and bottom of the heap. I have hard clay which really holds the moisture.

That must be the difference. My heap sits high and dry on asphalt/crush.

 

[SolarAndWood]

Both stacks are in a sunny field with good breezes.

That is the key. Sounds like you have an ideal place for seasoning. No need for a kiln there.