Should I Cover The Cube?

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velvetfoot

Minister of Fire
Dec 5, 2005
10,202
Sand Lake, NY
I got some plastic to top cover. I know it will take longer to dry, with the dimensions and that doesn't matter, but am I helping or hurting with top covering. It's going to rain later, and I was going to go out there now, in the heat.

20130708_203606-jpg.105992
 
With out a doubt, wood stacket that way will get water in the middle and take forever to dry and it might rot, think your laundry in a pile vs hung on the line. I am sure you know this but that is a real poor way to stack fire wood unless its dry.
 
is that wood for this year?
 
years away. wondering if top cover will do it any good. I can see keeping rain seeping down in the middle, while the wood is losing moisture gradually out the sides in the drying process.
 
The wood in the middle will have both moisture from the wood and any rain that falls on it, not good at all.
 
Top cover that wood and it will be fine in a couple of years. But you do have it stacked really tight, so it's gonna take longer than double or single rows...
 
I would leave it just like that. Maybe a family photo?
 
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Top cover that wood and it will be fine in a couple of years. But you do have it stacked really tight, so it's gonna take longer than double or single rows...
That's kind of an understatement dont you think, in a few years he might have rot in the middle even if he top covers it.
 
From my personal experience, I would never go 10 rows deep. You will lose the center to rot. Stacks OFF the ground, do not stack tight, top cover only.


KC
 
I like the looks of that!
 
That's kind of an understatement dont you think, in a few years he might have rot in the middle even if he top covers it.
that's kinda funny, Sparky.......I've been doing it that way for YEARS and never had a single bit of rot.....as long as you only top cover it, and give it a few years to season, it ain't gonna rot.

HOWEVER, I noticed I the picture that he doesn't have the wood off of the ground (with skids or timbers), now THAT could lead to rotting. Air needs to be able to get under that stack.......direct ground contact is a no-no......
 
Dang, that's an impressive pile of wood.

With the trees that close, & the pile stacked like that, it will be a loooong time drying towards the middle, and as said, might even not dry in the middle & rot & deteriorate. Rain water runs down into the middle of a pile like that from the top a lot easier than the wind will drive it out. A ton of work, but I'd even maybe consider re-piling it. Or some of it. Somehow.

Top cover good when it's raining, not so much when it's not - that likely doesn't help much.
 
I would not worry at all about rot. We've stacked right on the ground many times with no problem. However, we also do not need the wood within a year or two. Still, it is best to stack off the ground in most instances to allow air under the wood. It does help.

I would definitely top cover it living where you do. One thing you do need to do though is to make sure you have a hump in the middle so that rain can run off. It appears as if there may be some low spots and that is what you do not want. So just take some splits from the ends of the stacks and put them in the center and all should be well.
 
that's kinda funny, Sparky.......I've been doing it that way for YEARS and never had a single bit of rot.....as long as you only top cover it, and give it a few years to season, it ain't gonna rot.

HOWEVER, I noticed I the picture that he doesn't have the wood off of the ground (with skids or timbers), now THAT could lead to rotting. Air needs to be able to get under that stack.......direct ground contact is a no-no......
So you stack 10 rows tight and it dries in the middle in 3 years with no problems, just cant see where the moisture is gonna go.
 
So you stack 10 rows tight and it dries in the middle in 3 years with no problems, just cant see where the moisture is gonna go.

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Methinks you are well aware of how we stack most of our wood. And yes, some have asked about those middle rows. You asked where the moisture is gonna go. It goes the same place as the rest of the moisture. When we stack, we usually stack up to 54", which used to be 4 1/2' high. Most times by fall (unless it is oak) those stacks will be down to 48", or 4' in height. The funny part of this is that the middle rows shrink at the very same rate as the outside rows. We have never noticed the center rows being higher than the outside rows so they much dry about at the same rate.
 
I don't think that big pile will dry in the middle with half of it, or one side at least, back in under & against the trees like that. It looks like there would be no air movement at all through there. I know there will be moisture in the middle in a couple of years - rot maybe as well. There is a big difference in the stacks in Dennis's pic and the ones in Defiants, and the original one. I have had some wood piled deep up against the side of a barn for a couple of years and it was wet in the middle - it was uncovered though.
 
Goes against any logic about moisture whether its firewood, lumber or laundry, but I now truly understand why you guys want to dry wood for 3 years, makes sense of the fact that BWS can tell the difference between 2 and 3 year old dead ash.
 
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I'm going to hazard a guess that site drainage and soil conditions have a bit of a factor in this also. Things are probably going to be a bit different with wood stacked directly on poorly drained clay vs. high and dry sandy soil.
 
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Wouldn't putting a 1 foot row in between every three stacks help with circulation?
 
Nice pile of wood there Foot
 
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So you stack 10 rows tight and it dries in the middle in 3 years with no problems, just cant see where the moisture is gonna go.


When you got that much wood who cares it will dry
 
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Personally, I would spread the stacks out to let air between, and move out from under the trees.
 
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