Stacking and storing 101?

[Lyndenbrook Farm]

I am sure it has been covered ad nauseum but can't find something like The Complete Moron's Guide to Putting One Log on top of Another.

What to encourange, what to avoid, common mistakes, and the sure guide to cozy warmth?

I'm new to this whole thing. I have some new stuff cut down this year but it had been standing dead for a couple years before that at our new place. Emerald Ash Borers decided what we should cut down. Some was standing in a shadier area and one in an open field so it seems very dry.

Thoughts and guidance? Thanks!

 

[Sconnie Burner]

I'm not an expert but I have found dead standing wood with bark gone will be below 20% in a summers time,(6 months) stacked out in the open with full sun.

 

[Shawn Curry]

Well there are no hard and fast rules. If you want to avoid a lot of creosote and chimney cleaning, you'll need to burn seasoned wood. Burning it wet is what leads to chimney fires, plus it just wont burn all that well until you can get the fire really cranking. Although, ash burns excellent wet - but you'll want to keep an eye on the chimney.

Heat, airflow, and time are your main drying agents. The more, the better. You'll also want to keep it off the ground, unless you want to end up with a pile of compost.

A moisture meter is a great tool, and they're cheap. Green wood will be in the 30's, properly seasoned is low 20's or below.

 

[Shawn Curry]

Also, it needs to be split before it will even begin to dry. Your MM might read 17% on a big round, but it will still be in the 30's when you split it. Split size also makes a difference in how fast it will dry. The smaller the splits, the faster they'll dry. But they'll burn faster as well - I like having a couple larger pieces, or branch pieces, for overnight burns.

 

[paul bunion]

A moisture meter is a great tool, and they're cheap. Green wood will be in the 30's, properly seasoned is low 20's or below.

A moisture meter is only accurate into the 30's and green wood has much more water in it than that. It is species dependent. I know that oak can easily be 80% or more. Ash is supposedly less, hence the 'you can burn it green'.

 

[bassJAM]

Standing dead ash should be fine to burn for this winter. But if you want to be safe get a moisture meter off Amazon, they're pretty cheap.

 

[Got Wood]

Some very basic rules of thumb for stacking:

the more air flow, the better
Keep stacks off the ground - pallets are common
single row stacks are ideal

the more sun, the better

the sooner you get the wood split, the better

there is a constant debate on the value of top covering your stacks. I have come to believe it is better to top cover. There are a number of materials that work well for top covering, such as metal roofing. I came across the aluminum side of an above the ground pool that works well for me. I have some stacks with tarps which become a real PITA but do the job.

 

[Lyndenbrook Farm]

Thank you all for the input!

 

[Lyndenbrook Farm]

Well, it appears I've found my new obsession. I've now purchased a new moisture meter and I'm excited to get my new pickaroon, too. Didn't even know what that was a few days ago. Sitting at my desk job dreaming of splitting more logs ...

My wife thinks I'm crazy, but she's the one with all the horses ...

 

[Shawn Curry]

I hear ya. You've come to the right place . It's a lot of labor, so having a couple tools never hurts. I don't know what I'd do without my log tongs. I just built myself a sawbuck as well; not sure why I waited so long.

 

[Lyndenbrook Farm]

Yeah, on that, lol.

I built a lighter one for the "small stuff" since our tree guys bucked most of what we had cut. (Great guys too. Let me know if anyone in central OH needs a referral)

With my limited supply right now, it seems that I am on the "everything" side of what appears to be a never-ending debate on this forum between "burn everything" vs. "only burn big"

 

[bassJAM]

Well, it appears I've found my new obsession. I've now purchased a new moisture meter and I'm excited to get my new pickaroon, too. Didn't even know what that was a few days ago. Sitting at my desk job dreaming of splitting more logs ...

My wife thinks I'm crazy, but she's the one with all the horses ...

Oh, she's a horse person? I feel sorry for you, those are expensive

My wife also thinks I'm crazy, and typically leaves the room when I start talking firewood, heating, or chainsaws. She thinks all saws are created equal, and I'm nuts for having 2 chainsaws, 2 circular saws (cordless and a wormdrive), 2 miter saws (8" and 12"), a jigsaw, and I still want a reciprocating saw. Apparently 1 saw should be able to cover all the tasks each of those saws were intended for and I just obsessively buy saws......

 

[Lyndenbrook Farm]

Oh, she's a horse person? I feel sorry for you, those are expensive

My wife also thinks I'm crazy, and typically leaves the room when I start talking firewood, heating, or chainsaws. She thinks all saws are created equal, and I'm nuts for having 2 chainsaws, 2 circular saws (cordless and a wormdrive), 2 miter saws (8" and 12"), a jigsaw, and I still want a reciprocating saw. Apparently 1 saw should be able to cover all the tasks each of those saws were intended for and I just obsessively buy saws......

On the other hand, one horse is simply not enough

 

[Soundchasm]

I hear folks talk about stack loose or tight, but I've only been able to categorize by fell-down/didn't-fall-down. The higher you stack, the more risk you assume. Wood shrinkage and frost heave can knock over a stack that was fine when you stacked it.

My Dad was truly perplexed when I bought a second guitar, and a third and so-on. I asked him if there was a difference between Morgans, Arabians, etc? The light went on for him and I never heard another word.

 

[Fred Wright]

Where to stack is a consideration as well. My first year burning wood, back in the '90s was to stack at the woods edge, away from the house. Wouldn't ya know, that winter brought a blizzard with 4-foot drifts. Couldn't get the front door open.

Had to clear a 60-foot long path through 2 feet of snow for the wheelbarrow to get my wood in. Didn't have a snow thrower either. Not a pretty picture. Started stacking closer to the back door after that.

 

[firefighterjake]

I think Got Wood covered the important parts . . . more sun is better, more wind is better, off the ground (I use pallets, other folks use stringers or sacrificial wood), top cover (I don't . . . but usually the wood is put into the shed after a year or two) and splitting sooner is better than splitting later.

As for the actual stacking . . . some folks go with T-posts for the ends . . . I prefer the simpler and cheaper cribbed, log cabin style ends (this also leaves me gaps to stick in kindling.)

Double row vs. single row vs. triple row . . . I've always gone with double rows . . . spaced two to three inches apart at the base and then as the stack goes up I start leaning the stacks in a bit. As the stacks dry they seem to lean up and support each other better . . . it is rare that I get a stack that comes down. The other nice thing is that at the base it gives you some space for those small chunks you might have kicking around . . . any other chunks or uglies gets thrown on top of the stack once I've gone up high enough.

Speaking of height . . . I try to keep my stacks at about 4-5 feet. Any higher and it seems as though the stacks are more likely to come down.

Hotz miete vs. traditional rows . . . it's up to you . . . I've built some holz mietes in the past . . . didn't take up more more time, gave me a good space in the middle for the chunks and uglies and it was a bit of a conversation piece, but the wood didn't dry quite as fast.