Solution to keep my woodpile DRY!

[fire_man]

I've been fighting for years to keep my splits dry. I stacked them on pressure treated wood rails and used 2-3 tarps over the many rows - but the driving rains and chewing mice (lots of holes) make the tarps almost useless - and a woodshed is not in the cards. My wood has to be really dry for the Woodstock Fireview stove to be happy. I envy my Western-state friends who can leave their stacks uncovered and still have dry wood. Here in the NorthEast corner of Massachusetts, an uncovered pile will be liquid sawdust in a few years. My solution was to buy three sheets of pressure treated 1/2 inch plywood, enough to cover almost 2 chords worth at once. As I use up the covered stacks I will keep covering the uncovered stacks so I should have at least 6 weeks worth covered and drying at one time. It cost $63 for the 3 sheets at HD. I overhung the edges about 10 inches on all sides and tarped the sheets - so far torrential rain has not gotten the sides of the stacks wet. Hopefully the rodents wont like the chemical laced wood. We'll see, this is the first year.

 

[stejus]

I hear you about living in the NE. Central MA here and June/July rain of 12" was a bit much. I had my wood covered for most of the rain. You've given me an idea, that's all for now!

 

[iceman]

good idea but if you ran some 2x6 or 2x4 it would allow for good airflow..... heck just drive some 4x4 in the ground and brace them and put your plywood on top... = temp roof
now you got me jealous!
another idea those temp garage thingys http://www.tarpsplus.com/canopies.html you can get them cheap at harbor freight like 150 for a 10x20

 

[JustWood]

The next time you see a flat roofing job going on at a large commercial building or school. Stop and check out the dumpster for rolls of used rubber roofing. Make sure you ask if its OK to take it as some companies recycle it.
If ok get a bunch of it as it lasts forever and the wind and mice can go pound salt!

 

[Hurricane]

What about the wind ? Come fall I would be looking in my neighbors yard and maybe pool for my plywood. I use plywood but need to put so much weight on it and the wind still seems to get it off. I guess it is those noreasters that get it.

 

[BrotherBart]

The next time you see a flat roofing job going on at a large commercial building or school. Stop and check out the dumpster for rolls of used rubber roofing. Make sure you ask if its OK to take it as some companies recycle it.
If ok get a bunch of it as it lasts forever and the wind and mice can go pound salt!

You betcha. Bought a large roll of it three years ago and it is wonderful stuff. Unless you have to pick a lot of it up at one time. Weighs tons.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Throw some logs on top so it won't blow off. And don't worry about the sides getting wet; they will dry fast.


Here, we just finished with a 5" rain over a couple days. Yesterday was extremely humid and it appears today will be no exception. Just for kicks I looked at the wood we cut last winter.....which is uncovered. It was just a tad damp on top; dry elsewhere. I simply do not worry about rain hitting a wood pile. Now if that wood were a log or tree laying on the ground it would be a different story. In the stack; no worries.

That said, we do cover in late fall or early winter. The Fireview loves it and gives us nice heat too.

 

[woodgeek]

I had some 1/8" masonite (hardboard) from another project, a full sheet split down the middle: two 2'x8' pieces.
They are cheap, lightweight, will flex to conform to the top of a stack, and stay on in the wind with a coupla rocks.

I thought they would fall apart in the rain, but I am three seasons in and they are holding together.

 

[madrone]

I had some 1/8" masonite (hardboard) from another project, a full sheet split down the middle: two 2'x8' pieces.
They are cheap, lightweight, will flex to conform to the top of a stack, and stay on in the wind with a coupla rocks.

I thought they would fall apart in the rain, but I am three seasons in and they are holding together.

wow! I'd have thought they'd be completely dissolved by now. I've been thinking metal roofing, but that's cheaper.

 

[Wet1]

After doing it both ways, I've found leaving them uncovered is perfectly fine.

 

[TreePapa]

I cover at least what I want to burn any time in the near future in late fall / early winter when the rains start. Don't know 'bout where you live, but 'round here when the winds blow and it's raining, it rains sideways (or might as well), so I cover the sides (well actually, the front, 'cuz the back is block wall and the side is the "pillar" reinforcing the wall). If I didn't, the first 6" of each piece would be damp and we'd have smoldering fires and lots of smoke.

Peace,
- Sequoia

 

[Wet1]

I typically keep at least 24 to 48 hours worth of wood staged in the house so I don't have to rush outside at any point. After sitting for a few hours inside, the wood is always bone dry.

 

[Stephen in SoKY]

Someone metioned metal roofing, which is what I use. Now, who's got a slick way of keeping the sides of the metal from cutting through ropes in short order?

 

[Flatbedford]

I keep about one face of wood on my covered, sunny front porch through the winter. I only cover the next few wheelbarrow loads in the winter to keep the snow and ice off. Otherwise, my wood has always been uncovered.

 

[BrotherBart]

My wood is only covered when the sun is up or when it is dark. Or when it is winter, or summer, or fall, or spring.

 

[Wet1]

Someone metioned metal roofing, which is what I use. Now, who's got a slick way of keeping the sides of the metal from cutting through ropes in short order?

Run a knife down the length (half way through) of a piece of hose (~3/8"?) then slid it over the end of the metal, you might want to consider a few squirts of silicone to hold it in place. Run the rope over the top of that.

 

[bsa0021]

Someone metioned metal roofing, which is what I use. Now, who's got a slick way of keeping the sides of the metal from cutting through ropes in short order?

Cut open one end of hose (fuel, vaccum or garden depending on thickness) and slip over the edge.

 

[JustWood]

Better yet cut hose in 12" lengths and run rope through hose. Center the hose over edge of tin.

 

[summit]

good solution for ya; see the trees in the back of the pic? stack your wood on 2Xs or pallets in between them, and string a clothesline between the trees, then drape a tarp over the line (tent style) so it covers the wood, but the snow and rain wicks off instead of sitting on the tarp... the condensation and water leeching thru the tarp onto the wood directly below is what gets ya.. elevate the tarp off the pile in a way the water wicks off, and you'll be fine.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Not good to stack wood between trees if you don't have to. Trees have a tendency to sway in the wind...


I'm the guy who covers wood with the old galvanized roofing. But I don't see any reason for ropes. Why would ropes be needed?


That 5" of rain we had.....the wood we cut last winter (uncovered still) is all dry already even though the air has been so thick with humidity we had to mount a sword on the front of the car in order to be able to cut through it.

 

[summit]

Not good to stack wood between trees if you don't have to. Trees have a tendency to sway in the wind...


I'm the guy who covers wood with the old galvanized roofing. But I don't see any reason for ropes. Why would ropes be needed?


That 5" of rain we had.....the wood we cut last winter (uncovered still) is all dry already even though the air has been so thick with humidity we had to mount a sword on the front of the car in order to be able to cut through it.

you string a rope between the two trees, run your stack in between the trees, and then drape the tarp over the rope so it makes a tent over the woodpile. kinda like a pup tent... keeps the tarp off the wood, rain, ice and snow slide off instead of settling and pooling on a flat tarp, keeping condensation from leeching thru. And if you tack up a couple two by fours vertically on the ends, the trees swaying won't bother your pile.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Summit, I'm only concerned with the two trees.