top cover?

[jotul?]

After moving into the new house last August, and away from the the OWB that I installed 10 years ago in the old house, I have managed to get 7.5 cords of cherry CSS. Last winter was a real struggle at times, seeing as how I had about 2.5 cords of seasoned stuff that I brought from the old house and about 2.5 cords of stuff that was CSS for 2 months. If I hadn't bought a ton of eco bricks, I wouldn't have been able to burn even as much as I did last year. Anyway, I figured on leaving my stacks totally exposed until about the middle of September, then top cover to let the stacks dry out for a few weeks with no rain seeping in. Should my stacks be top covered all the time? I am sort of thinking that top cover from day one would keep the rain out of the center of the stack so that it could dry more efficiently. Or am I denying my stacks sunlight?

 

[bholler]

I top cover as soon as they are stacked. My thinking is if you want something to dry out as fast as possible keeping water off it is a good start

 

[Woody Stover]

Air temp and movement are the two most important elements, sunlight is a distant third....top-cover.

 

[Rossco]

Yeah I always top cover. I don't directly top cover thou. I use a wood shed and like to leave 8" gap above the wood pile.

 

[Seanm]

I would say top cover. I dont have the space for a wood shed so for me its out in the elements. Unless I missed it you didn't mention how deep your rows are. For my situation I will stack double row for the wood that is closest to being ready (loosely stacked always!) on pallets and top covered. We have recently had an unusually hot stretch here in the Rockies and I rolled back my tarps exposing the top of the stacks. Once I heard rain was in the forecast I rolled them back out which took about 4 minutes to do. If I see we have a few days of nice weather I dont mess with rolling the tarps up I just leave it but if I see a week or more of dry sunny weather I cant help but roll them up. They stay in place on the wood pile held down with a split so there's no fuss with having to take them off the wood pile and store them. If its wood that needs more time I top cover again but stack single row. The top cover, dont top cover conversation has been played out on Hearth through the years and really depends on your location.

 

[Ashful]

Note that top covering with plywood or corrugated roofing would be much better than plastic tarps. You want to keep rain off, but still permit air and evaporation.

 

[Soundchasm]

When I researched burning out a garden, it turned out clear plastic got the ground hotter than opaque. I buy 50' rolls of the 36" ( or was it 24"?) clear and staple-gun the sides every few splits. This is the 3rd season for some of that stuff. But nothing works as well as a wood shed.

 

[Ashful]

True, but pull the plastic off a fresh stack on any hot day, and you're likely to find condensation on the bottom side. This is why those using plastic often don't cover in the first year.

 

[jotul?]

I see that top covering makes sense, and I'm going to do that for sure. What about stacking future cords in the barn? I have a barn that I'm not really sure what to do with. I'm not sure there's enough air movement, but it does get hot in there. BTW my stacks are in cord form 4x4x8

 

[Rossco]

I see that top covering makes sense, and I'm going to do that for sure. What about stacking future cords in the barn? I have a barn that I'm not really sure what to do with. I'm not sure there's enough air movement, but it does get hot in there. BTW my stacks are in cord form 4x4x8

Freekin ell. Wish I had a spare barn, it would be corked by now ha ha ha. If its surplus then cut some holes in the walls. Or really think about the best method to convert the barn into a Stella wood shed.

 

[Ashful]

Stacking wood in a barn is a good way to really shorten it's life, so depending on your priorities..

 

[jotul?]

Freekin ell. Wish I had a spare barn, it would be corked by now ha ha ha. If its surplus then cut some holes in the walls. Or really think about the best method to convert the barn into a Stella wood shed.

The problem is that it is corked. Corked full of 100 years worth of family junk. We moved into the family farmhouse, with barn, and every time I try to clean something out of it I'm told not to throw that out; "uncle so and so will come over to get that out of your way." Hasn't happened so far.

 

[jotul?]

Stacking wood in a barn is a good way to really shorten it's life, so depending on your priorities..

How so?

 

[bholler]

How so?

Ants termites ect ect.

 

[Ashful]

Ants termites ect ect.

Exactly... and the mold and mildew that will surely come from thousands of pounds of wood drying in a confined space.

If it's an old barn, it's probably already on the fast track to death, the animals who used to keep it warm and dry being gone. Why accelerate it?

 

[Woody Stover]

What about stacking future cords in the barn? I have a barn that I'm not really sure what to do with. I'm not sure there's enough air movement, but it does get hot in there.

It no doubt has some big doors, just open 'em when you can. They store hay in barns and it isn't all the way dry, and animals exhale a huge amount of water vapor.

 

[Oldman47]

Hay is dry, otherwise it is a fire hazard. Ever hear of spontaneous combustion?

 

[Woody Stover]

Hay is dry, otherwise it is a fire hazard. Ever hear of spontaneous combustion?

Yeah, it's dry enough not to generate too much heat in the stack, but it's still drying. They can't always leave it lying out there long enough, if they don't want it getting rained on. That aside, a barn isn't sealed well enough for moisture to be a problem in most cases, I wouldn't think.

 

[bholler]

That aside, a barn isn't sealed well enough for moisture to be a problem in most cases, I wouldn't think.

I agree i dont think moisture would be an issue but the bugs from the wood will have a field day in an old barn

 

[sportbikerider78]

Exactly. If there is air movement through the barn, you're all set.

 

[Newwave]

I'm in the "split, stack and cover" group. I just cover it and forget it for 2-3 years. More if I can but two years minimum. I use an old swimming pool cover, cut to size, and some plywood sheets, held down with cement blocks, bricks, large uglies or whatever. Currently have about 10 cord ready to go that has been sitting for two years. Should be good to go this winter if needed. This years 4 cord has been sitting covered for three years and is definitely ready.