Sun or Wind?

[mass_burner]

which drys split wood faster? direct sunlight or wind.

 

[Timnus]

Yes.

 

[mass_burner]

ok, i know its a bit silly. but if you had to choose between stronger wind or hotter sun?

 

[Bluerubi]

I would choose wind over sitting in the sun. Moving air is your friend when it comes to evaporation.

 

[Timnus]

Or rather both do. I believe wind is a more critical factor though. I have a number of piles that get minimum sun, but a lot of wind and they have dried very quickly. Sun will provide the warmth, but I would guess that having higher temperatures (summer weather) would do the same as direct sun. Then the wind carries off the moisture. If the pile sits for a longer time in lower temps (winter weather) it can still wick out the moisture, but it will take a longer time unless there is a larger amount of wind. I'm not sure what the ratio would be for the effectiveness of wind vs. warmth - maybe 2/3 wind, 1/3 warmth? Let's see if any wise folks show up in this thread, and have some more input...

 

[Slow1]

I vote wind as more important. Look at it this way, the sun can only directly strike the surface of the pile which while good and warming won't do anything much (except for whatever heat conducts inward) for the rest of the pile. However, if you pile has enough space between splits it will flow between and carry away the moisture.

Think about standing outside on a relatively cool day when you have a sweat. If the air is still you may be comfortable enough, but as soon as a slight breeze kicks in you may get a chill due to the sweat evaporating off your skin. Then again, I'd go stand in the sun in either case, but even there if there is a breeze you are likely to feel cooler than the sun can make up for.

 

[mass_burner]

i posed this after hanging some blue jeans out in windy day at 52 d. They were dried very quickly. Faster than I remember with no wind on a 75 d in the sun.

 

[mass_burner]

morso manual doesn't mention sun.

To naturally season wood fuel, stack and store it under cover in an airy location where fresh air
can move through each piece.

 

[maple1]

Wind.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

I had 2 stacks of the same wood in the same driveway, one was on a rack, sitting in the sun and wind all day, the other was in the shade hovered by evergreens. When I went to measure the shaded wood with the mm, I quickly realized I need to move that stack ASAP.....

 

[Backwoods Savage]

No question; wind wins always.

 

[STIHLY DAN]

The wood I have always dries faster in the sun. My laundry always dries faster in the sun. I would venture to say it depends on your location. We definitely have more sun than wind in S NH so the sun wins. Out in the mid west where its always windy, wind probably wins.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Dennis doesn't get much sun where he lives, so he doesn't really know..... .....Ha!

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

That's for making fun of my corn cob handled chain sharpener....my friend.....

 

[Paulywalnut]

warm wind>

 

[HDRock]

Wind first, add sun , Perfect

 

[Paulywalnut]

The wood I have always dries faster in the sun. My laundry always dries faster in the sun. I would venture to say it depends on your location. We definitely have more sun than wind in S NH so the sun wins. Out in the mid west where its always windy, wind probably wins.

Try saying always windy wind probably wins 3 times quickly.

 

[red oak]

Backwoods Savage says wind so I'll say wind!

 

[Hickorynut]

I like some wind and a lot of sun

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Backwoods Savage says wind so I'll say wind!

Boooo.... Remember, he gets no sun where he lives....

 

[Kevin*]

Wind! I have dried lots of wood with no sun, indoors, and constant wind, fan, with great success.

 

[Slow1]

Boooo.... Remember, he gets no sun where he lives....

And yet his wood seems dry enough to burn... Find someone who only gets sun and no wind to compare against ? Hmm... you could put tarps around a pile to block the wind perhaps, but I don't think anyone here will volunteer their pile for this experiment eh?

 

[Lumber-Jack]

which drys split wood faster? direct sunlight or wind.

All things being equal, I have to go with direct sun. What I base that on is the real life fact that it would be nearly impossible to have direct sunlight without getting some wind as well, and by comparing hanging clothes on the line to drying wood. I have noticed that if my wife hangs the laundry on a cold overcast windy day they can hang out there all day long and still not be totally dry. If she hangs them on a warm sunny day, with only a slight breeze, they can be dry in 30 minutes.

 

[TreePointer]

1. off the ground
2. wind
3. sun

JMHO.

 

[Hills Hoard]

wind!