I was doing some clean up at my wood lot today. I picked up about a bit under a cord of wood from two stacked but uncovered woodpiles. They both face south and in the sun and both were cut last winter. Both piles were definitely a lot wetter and slimier than past years. It has been a wet spring and summer season in my area and so far fall is looking like it will be the same. No comparison with my wood under cover. It is probably going to be for the winter of 2025/2026 so plenty of time to let it dry but anyone who thinks leaving piles stacked but not top covered definitely misses out of lot of drying.
Slimy Wood
- Thread starter peakbagger
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The slime is on the outside of the wood, not the inside where it matters. If you split one and checked the inside I bet it would be about the same as a similar split that was top covered.
If the stacks are tightly packed then pockets of moisture can get trapped. Some never dry out due to replenishment by frequent rain and high humidity. These areas become home for all sorts of biotic activity which can get deeper into the woodgrain.
These were single row stacks, a mix of rounds and splits. No doubt in my mind that I am losing some BTUs considering some had mushrooms growing out. I think I watered my garden twice this summer, it was a wet one. I look at my covered wood and the end grain is just a light brown with very little gray, I look at this wood and its black.
