Does Pine need a tarp? I just finished splitting a lot of Pine and Oak. It is to be used after 2011 season. I know the Oak can be left uncoved how about the Pine. The both types of wood are in big piles on gravel.
Pine vs Hardwood cover or not
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i don't think that a cover is necessary. I cut and split some pine last year in march (03/08) and stacked open to the eklements on pallets only and my father burnt it this past winter with no problems. That pine sure did dry fast, it was dry, light as a feather and the pallets and the ground underneath were covered in sap, but it all ran out and the wood was good to go.
i have recently cut some pine that is a little rotten on the outside; do you think that if it gets wet it will soak up water or is it ok to dry this sping / summer uncovered; it's covered right now. i plan to use the pine this fall before it gets too cold.
Keep rotten stuff dry. Cover tops only. Punky wood is burnable, (not great, though) as long as it's dry, but it becomes spongy.
Cover it only if it is starting to rot because rotten wood will soak up the water whereas the other will not soak it up. It simply runs off. However, cover both in late fall and early winter. Also cover both only on the tops, never the sides or ends.
Backwoods Savage said:
I second that.
Your pine will burn a lot faster than the oak. I split it into small splits about 2-3" each and use it as a start up wood. I put a couple of pieces on top of really small kindling with Supercedar pieces used to ignite my 'pile'. I put a piece of hard wood on top of that and as things start heating up I just add more hard wood.
A cord of pine lasts me about 4-5 years doing it this way.
If I burned using pine exclusively it would last less than 2 months.....
I like having the variety and choice when deciding how I am going to burn depending on the temp.
Yes, I'd cover as Backwoods suggests.
I'd also cover a holz if I knew a serious rain was coming. This year I took apart a Holz that was seasoning for a year. I barely covered it until just before the heavy autumn rains. The splits in the middle of the holz were damp and moldy when I got to them late Feb. I suspect the middle never really dried after rain. Here in the northeast we had higher than average rainfall last summer.
If you have the luxury of access to hardwoods, then split your pine small. It dries and burns faster. It will help later in the season if most of what you have left is less than dry wood. Pine will get temp up higher and also let you start a fire more easily.
I'd also cover a holz if I knew a serious rain was coming. This year I took apart a Holz that was seasoning for a year. I barely covered it until just before the heavy autumn rains. The splits in the middle of the holz were damp and moldy when I got to them late Feb. I suspect the middle never really dried after rain. Here in the northeast we had higher than average rainfall last summer.
If you have the luxury of access to hardwoods, then split your pine small. It dries and burns faster. It will help later in the season if most of what you have left is less than dry wood. Pine will get temp up higher and also let you start a fire more easily.
Backwoods Savage said:
Pine bark will soak up water like a sponge. I keep the tops of the piles covered during the rainy season.
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