What to do with wet wood

[back2basics]

I just had some wood delivered. Maple & oak. Not planning to burn it till next year. Some of it is pretty wet - not just wet on the outside, but on the inside. How long should I leave it in a pile before I can stack it and cover it? Can I start stacking it and cover it right now if need be? Thanks!

 

[bigealta]

The sooner u stack it, the sooner it starts to dry. Covering is to me optional at the early stages of seasoning. I opt to not cover.

 

[NHWS]

Do a general network search for "firewood drying time" or "firewood seasoning time". You'll find a number of references. They won't all entirely agree, but you'll get a reasonable idea.

General advice for oak is to let it dry for 3 years. Maple might be ready in a year. "A year" usually really means "a summer", i.e., several months of low humidity and shirt-sleeve or higher temperatures. In Western Washington, the humidity is likely to be 90%+ for 7 or 8 months per year, so that time doesn't count for much. Split it and stack it off the ground (on pallets is good enough). Loose stacking helps with drying. Most people top cover the stack, particularly in the PNW, but don't cover the sides (it keeps the moisture in).

If you need oak next year, search these forums for info about solar kilns, Not hard to make if you have a summer-sunny location, and they seem to be helpful.

You've got mostly oak and maple in Western Washington? Most of us make do with softwoods.

#1 point: get and learn to use a moisture meter. They are not expensive, and it is better to know the real numbers than to guess.

 

[back2basics]

Do a general network search for "firewood drying time" or "firewood seasoning time". You'll find a number of references. They won't all entirely agree, but you'll get a reasonable idea.

General advice for oak is to let it dry for 3 years. Maple might be ready in a year. "A year" usually really means "a summer", i.e., several months of low humidity and shirt-sleeve or higher temperatures. In Western Washington, the humidity is likely to be 90%+ for 7 or 8 months per year, so that time doesn't count for much. Split it and stack it off the ground (on pallets is good enough). Loose stacking helps with drying. Most people top cover the stack, particularly in the PNW, but don't cover the sides (it keeps the moisture in).

If you need oak next year, search these forums for info about solar kilns, Not hard to make if you have a summer-sunny location, and they seem to be helpful.

You've got mostly oak and maple in Western Washington? Most of us make do with softwoods.

#1 point: get and learn to use a moisture meter. They are not expensive, and it is better to know the real numbers than to guess.

Yes - I have a moisture meter. And both varieties were cut down and sitting for ~3 years before being split. I just wanted to make sure stacking it now (loosely) on my pallets and covering the top would be okay. I got it to mix in with my multiple cords of Doug Fir as needed. I'll check out the solar kin stuff, if not just for the fun of learning something new.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Yes - I have a moisture meter. And both varieties were cut down and sitting for ~3 years before being split. I just wanted to make sure stacking it now (loosely) on my pallets and covering the top would be okay. I got it to mix in with my multiple cords of Doug Fir as needed. I'll check out the solar kin stuff, if not just for the fun of learning something new.

So you never wait to stack.. Stacking right away starts the drying process.. Letting the wood sit for 3 years will only lose you BTUs and the wood will start to degrade. As soon as you get the opportunity.. buck , split and stack. Woodsheds are your friend. Sheds save time and no babysitting the stacks.. tarps suck..

 

[peakbagger]

The wood will dry quicker if you can get an air gap between the top of the wood and the cover it will dry quicker. In a pinch just sitting pallets on top of the stacks with an overhang and covering the top of the pallet without wrapping down over the sides will really help. If you have the room, single stacking the wood will dry quicker than stacking multiple rows deep but single stacks are lot less stable. A compromise that works pretty well is stack two rows about 8" apart and hold them together with long branches stacked in with the split wood. The gap at the ends are filled in. The branches tie the two piles together and makes the stack much more stable. I tend to throw "uglies" (odd shaped splits) in that space loosely as I stack and air flow still seems to be pretty good in the center.

 

[Caw]

Yep. As everyone said earlier, stack it ASAP. Sitting in log/round form for 3 years isn't really do much for drying unfortunately.

 

[cahaak]

Split wood will actually dry faster in a loose pile if it is up off the ground on pallets. It's a much more open stacking with much better air flow, especially if the pile is in the sun. Honestly, if you don't get snow and you have space, it can sit in piles just fine, there is no reason to stack it.

 

[bigealta]

Split wood will actually dry faster in a loose pile if it is up off the ground on pallets. It's a much more open stacking with much better air flow, especially if the pile is in the sun. Honestly, if you don't get snow and you have space, it can sit in piles just fine, there is no reason to stack it.

Hmmm that's not the case here in NJ by the coast. The middle of the pile will be wet all the time.

 

[patrickk222]

With me i always make sure to have my wood stacked right away and if i have no more room in my stacks i keep all my splits in a big pile till i have room

 

[Caw]

Stacked off the ground facing the prevailing wind will absolutely dry faster than a pile of logs around here. The wind whistles right through the stacks touching almost every log.

 

[Slimdusty]

Before finding this site I did not realize drying wood was such a struggle for folks. Here we have hot summers, low relative humidity and plenty of wind. One summer is all that is needed for the wood around here. I’ve taken this for granted without realizing it

 

[Caw]

I think everyone should have to experience wet wood at some point to understand and appreciate the importance of being prepared with good dry wood. Not only is wet wood a major safety issue it's just way the heck easier to use dry wood and you'll be warmer.

My wife didn't understand why I made such a big deal about storage location, orientation, etc the first couple years we were burning. Now that we're using 3 year old wood every day she gets it and is right there with me making sure we're prepared.

Nothing beats dry wood!

 

[kborndale]

Split wood will actually dry faster in a loose pile if it is up off the ground on pallets. It's a much more open stacking with much better air flow, especially if the pile is in the sun. Honestly, if you don't get snow and you have space, it can sit in piles just fine, there is no reason to stack it.

That's the opposite of my findings. If you leave it in a pile only the outside of the pile will dry. Wood drys much faster when stacked.

 

[cahaak]

That's the opposite of my findings. If you leave it in a pile only the outside of the pile will dry. Wood drys much faster when stacked.

Well, there are multiple firewood processors across the country that dry in piles, they don't stack, and they measure MC. It's much less work and faster drying in a pile if the pile is out in the open. It dries stacked also, but the primary benefit of that is compactness.

 

[Caw]

Well, there are multiple firewood processors across the country that dry in piles, they don't stack, and they measure MC. It's much less work and faster drying in a pile if the pile is out in the open. It dries stacked also, but the primary benefit of that is compactness.

Piles are not faster than off the ground and stacked properly. Not even close. The top will dry ok and the middle will be soaking wet. The primary benefit of stacking is allowing all the wood exposure to wind and sun not just the top.

 

[bigealta]

Well, there are multiple firewood processors across the country that dry in piles, they don't stack, and they measure MC. It's much less work and faster drying in a pile if the pile is out in the open. It dries stacked also, but the primary benefit of that is compactness.

Of course there are. Piles are about handling not drying.

 

[kborndale]

Well, there are multiple firewood processors across the country that dry in piles, they don't stack, and they measure MC. It's much less work and faster drying in a pile if the pile is out in the open. It dries stacked also, but the primary benefit of that is compactness.

Yes, and they don't have dry wood. It's quite difficult to buy dry wood because wood doesn't dry well in a pile. I'm sorry but you are wrong about wood drying better in a pile than stacked.

 

[Caw]