Wet Firewood Question

[bob95065]

I have my 2015 firewood on the ground. I am almost done with my woodshed but I was too late. We had three rainstorms in the last week and the firewood is wet.

Now that the wood shed is done I have a question. Should I leave the wood on the ground until next fall or should I stack it wet.

Before you answer I'll explain the weather in Felton, California. It rains a lot between November and April. Around May is dries up and won't rain until the following November. We get full sun all summer and temps from 80° to 100° and not a drop of rain. Temps in the winter get as low as 40° with higher temps between storms.

I am concerned that the wood won't dry in a woodshed as well as in the sun. On the other hand will leaving it out all winter make it hard to burn next winter?

Please let me know what you think.

Bob

 

[Wood Duck]

First I'd say that a few rains falling on the firewood won't make any long term difference. The rain has probably dried off the wood already.

Second, I wouldn''t just leave it 'on the ground' if that means in a pile and/or not split. I would make sure the wood shed is well ventilated and put it in the shed. I think in California your summer will be low enough in humidity that it will dry well enough in the shed.

It will dry better over winter in the shed, but would dry better over summer in the sun. Assuming you don't want to put it in the shed now, then in the sun for summer, then back in the shed, I'd put it in the shed now.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

I say you put it in the shed after a long spell of having dry and or windy weather that will help dry out that wood....
I had dry wood last year, I thought......it rained for some time, I got hissing in my insert and disapointing heat output...
So I think your in the same position as me last year..... What I did this year is tarp it in September and I am having such a big difference in heat due to using dry wood that is dry.......

 

[Applesister]

Maybe stack it in the shed cross stacked or crib stacked and point a fan on it during dry weather days. The air circulation will evaporate the surface moisture, or a good percentage.
It might be advantageous to get it out of the rainy weather for the winter.
Normally I would say keep it outside but I'm unsure about your climate.
The summer would be a no brainer.

 

[gzecc]

Stack it and forget about it. Assuming your shed has good air flow.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Off the ground is always better.

 

[BobUrban]

Solid wood does not work like a sponge so rain/snow/surface water is just that. If you take a split is at say 18% MC and you throw it into a lake when it comes out it is still 18% MC with surface moisture on it. Internal moisture of split wood seeks relative humidity over time so off the ground and exposure to air will get you there the quickest. All my 20 cord(give or take) sit out in the elements and have no cover at all. I am working on getting some rolled roofing and metal sheeting to top cover but it has not been an issue so far.

I guess the answer to your question is the intended purpose of your shed and how big the shed is?? is it for storing the wood that is to be burned during the current season or for future seasons? If it only holds enough for one season - only put wood in that you know will be ready to burn and stack the other stuff outside. If you have enough space for multiple yrs inside then stack in sections and rotate going forward.

 

[bob95065]

My shed is 28x12 with 24x8 covered. It is divided in half for two years of wood storage. If I stack 6 feet high I'll haave 9 cords.

The walls are open and I plan to put canvas tarps up for winter storage. In the summer I'll roll them up for maximum air flow.

I am worried that the air movement will be restricted with the stacks 8x12. What do you think?

This is an early picture of it:

I'll snap some more later today.

 

[2PistolPacker]

I would stack it in that nice shed and let it dry covered leaving some space between the stacks for air flow. Unless you burn a ton of wood every year, with 9 cords at hand you'll have access to dry wood without having move one stack to get to the wood you want to burn. Since I don't have the yard space at home to have a proper woodshed I have to stack my wood along the fence around the perimeter of my yard, two deep across the back. My thoughts are once it is stacked, it doesn't get touched again until it is sold or burned. Just don't leave it laying on the ground.

 

[gyrfalcon]

I have my 2015 firewood on the ground. I am almost done with my woodshed but I was too late. We had three rainstorms in the last week and the firewood is wet.

Now that the wood shed is done I have a question. Should I leave the wood on the ground until next fall or should I stack it wet.

Before you answer I'll explain the weather in Felton, California. It rains a lot between November and April. Around May is dries up and won't rain until the following November. We get full sun all summer and temps from 80° to 100° and not a drop of rain. Temps in the winter get as low as 40° with higher temps between storms.

I am concerned that the wood won't dry in a woodshed as well as in the sun. On the other hand will leaving it out all winter make it hard to burn next winter?

Please let me know what you think.

Bob

I'd say leave it where it is until you get a couple dry days in a row, then put it in the shed. You may have to do this in stages as the rainwater that drips through to the lower pieces in a pile won't dry out enough until it's exposed.

Although the rain won't penetrate more than a fraction of an inch, having rain-wet wood in the shed for a full year is likely to give you some mold on the wet surfaces, which isn't a tragedy but I'd rather not. (I even get a little of that on damp wood stacked outside in full sun and wind just for a few months in summer, so it would surely be worse in even a well-ventilated shed for a year.) And next time, throw a couple of tarps over a pile like that temporarily if you've got rain coming. On a windy day, even if it's cloudy, I find wood that got wet from a rainstorm dries out in only a few hours.

Been there, done that-- a lot. I've got a crappy hip and get my wood csd, so each cord lies in a pile on the ground for a week or more before I can get it all stacked and I'm ready for the next one.

 

[Hills Hoard]

Far better off stacked, off the ground....

 

[bob95065]

We bought a screwed up house the end of July 2013. It's been like triage around here. I work on the projects that need immediate attention first. I had to get the yard fixed uup before I built the woodshed. I ground out 11 stumps and had a friend with a big tractor and box scraper level it. I ran out of time before it started raining.

I won't have this problem again. Now that I have a decent woodshed the firewood shouldn't be in the rain again. I plan on splitting and stacking as I go to avoid having cords of wood to split and stack. This year time got away from me.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

We bought a screwed up house the end of July 2013. It's been like triage around here. I work on the projects that need immediate attention first. I had to get the yard fixed uup before I built the woodshed. I ground out 11 stumps and had a friend with a big tractor and box scraper level it. I ran out of time before it started raining.

I won't have this problem again. Now that I have a decent woodshed the firewood shouldn't be in the rain again. I plan on splitting and stacking as I go to avoid having cords of wood to split and stack. This year time got away from me.

Great attitude, take your lumps now, be ready in the future.....

 

[Poindexter]

In general the three best things to do with green firewood, no matter the climate are 1) get it off the ground, 2) get it good airflow and sunshine and 3) cover the tops. Lots of places can get away with not covering on top, esp if it isn't going to be burnt until two years from now.

If you got room I would split it, stack it loosely on pallets inside the future wood shed, throw a tarp on the top leaving the sides open, and then roof the shed when I had time.

 

[bob95065]

Great attitude, take your lumps now, be ready in the future.....

We got a great deal on the house and I like to work. It is already paying off and will only get better with time.