When to move your wood inside

[ChadMc]

As of now I have seasoned wood split and stacked outside and not covered. From what I’ve gathered from here there’s mixed ideas on needing to cover it or not. My question is after a rain or snow how long should I wait to moving in my garage? I have a rack in the garage to hold a face cord. I’ve noticed though once it’s in there it doesn’t dry at all. I’m using the garage as a staging area to keep a good few weeks worth of dry wood.

 

[jmb6420]

If it doesn't dry at all in the garage your only option is to leave it out until it does dry.

Lopi Endeavor
Lopi Republic
Northern tool 37t splitter

 

[Sawset]

I try to get the current years supply either inside the garage or under a leanto by the house by mid to late august. We usually get a good dry spell about that time. Failing that, it's getting late to dry wood. Anything uncovered now is collecting moisture, and having a hard time evaporating that back off again. What you have now - get it covered somehow, either inside or out. Keep the rain and snow off it if at all possible. Sounds like you are going to be fighting wet wood for a while at least this year.

 

[jmb6420]

If it's too wet outside to dry, you might move into the garage and set up some fans to circulate the air in the garage. Not ideal but it would help.

Lopi Endeavor
Lopi Republic
Northern tool 37t splitter

 

[begreen]

As of now I have seasoned wood split and stacked outside and not covered. From what I’ve gathered from here there’s mixed ideas on needing to cover it or not. My question is after a rain or snow how long should I wait to moving in my garage? I have a rack in the garage to hold a face cord. I’ve noticed though once it’s in there it doesn’t dry at all. I’m using the garage as a staging area to keep a good few weeks worth of dry wood.

Wood dries best when open to the air. I think most agree that top covering is good, but not full covering, which would not allow wind to blow through the stacks. We bring in a cart load a couple times a week to keep in a box on the porch, but this is for convenience's sake only.

 

[weatherguy]

My wood dries out nicely in the garage, I keep a half cord in there and top cover the rest of my outside stacks. When the weather's nice I bring in 3-4 days worth and keep the garage wood for inclement weathet.

 

[Woody Stover]

I'm digging through some stacks now that weren't covered too well, but the wood is dry inside. I bring it up near the door and cover the top with a mat, where it can't get rained on, and the breeze can work on it. A few weeks out there and it's gotten rid of a lot of the surface moisture. Then I bring it in near the stove for a few day to get rid of the rest of the moisture.

 

[Grizzerbear]

I keep my stacks top covered but keep enough stacked on porch for a week or so. I keep a stove load next to stove out of convenience. I would bring as much in stove room as you can and put as much in garage as you can with fans on to help dry it out and i would get your stacks covered asap.

 

[spudman99]

Howdy neighbor.

My wood was wet from last weeks rain on top, the tarp had leaks. I brought it into the garage on Saturday afternoon, but left the door open when I was working outside. Winds we had on Sunday got inside. Most of the surface moisture was dry by the afternoon. Bring it in, but when you have the chance leave the garage doors open. You might be surprised how quickly the surface dries. Bring it inside next to your stove for a few hours for a final drying.

 

[ChadMc]

Howdy neighbor.

My wood was wet from last weeks rain on top, the tarp had leaks. I brought it into the garage on Saturday afternoon, but left the door open when I was working outside. Winds we had on Sunday got inside. Most of the surface moisture was dry by the afternoon. Bring it in, but when you have the chance leave the garage doors open. You might be surprised how quickly the surface dries. Bring it inside next to your stove for a few hours for a final drying.

That’s the process I had in mind. If surface moisture can dry out that quick why even top cover? Seems like they would still get wet at the ends. A nice breezy sunny day and they seen to dry out quick. Just curious, cause this is my first winter burning and I have booth seasoned wood stacked for this winter out there and a growing supply for next year and so on.

 

[Sawset]

That’s the process I had in mind. If surface moisture can dry out that quick why even top cover? Seems like they would still get wet at the ends. A nice breezy sunny day and they seen to dry out quick. Just curious, cause this is my first winter burning and I have booth seasoned wood stacked for this winter out there and a growing supply for next year and so on.

This would work. I've found that as winter sets in though, and snow accumulates, then melts, things can get out of hand. I used to bring in half of what i needed in August, then the other half, having been still uncovered, into the garage in January. It worked, the wood seemed dry by the time I went to use it. I also had some stacked uncovered, and tried using it all winter that way, and it didn't work very well. Wood was snow and rain soaked (all silver maple) , and seemed wet (been "drying" 2 years), stove was very sluggish, real pain to keep it going. The outer 3/4" would sizzle and boil. I've ered on the safe side ever since.
Somewhere I've read, it takes 3wks to dry the rain soaked surface layers, it takes 3yrs (oak) to dry the inside.

 

[thewoodlands]

As of now I have seasoned wood split and stacked outside and not covered. From what I’ve gathered from here there’s mixed ideas on needing to cover it or not. My question is after a rain or snow how long should I wait to moving in my garage? I have a rack in the garage to hold a face cord. I’ve noticed though once it’s in there it doesn’t dry at all. I’m using the garage as a staging area to keep a good few weeks worth of dry wood.

We top cover our wood that we'll be burning, that way we can bring it in about three days before we burn it and not worry about it being wet.

 

[ChadMc]

Ok you guys are convincing me to top cover my stacked stuff. Here’s a question. Tarp or leanto roof style built on top on my existing pressure treated racks? The roof would look cleaner for sure but would it be as good as a tarp?

 

[jmb6420]

Ok you guys are convincing me to top cover my stacked stuff. Here’s a question. Tarp or leanto roof style built on top on my existing pressure treated racks? The roof would look cleaner for sure but would it be as good as a tarp?

I've got both. I use the top tarp on wood that is drying and then move it into the wood shed for storage. I have 3 of the racks and the shed holds 3 cord.

Lopi Endeavor
Lopi Republic
Northern tool 37t splitter

 

[Sawset]

In a pinch, tar paper works. When the sun gets at it the stuff softens and molds to the top surface. Just throw some splits on top. It's cheap, and would get a guy by till more permanent thoughts come together.
Plus you could get it done today. Go to Lowes, pick up a roll. Tarps, unless done right, can blow around and disintegrate. Solid covers cost money and time, and they too can blow off and be a pain if not built right or fastened. All are good. Just need to think about it, weigh the time, benefits.

 

[jmb6420]

Northern Tool sells a 4'x18' tarp for $4.

Lopi Endeavor
Lopi Republic
Northern tool 37t splitter

 

[weatherguy]

Ok you guys are convincing me to top cover my stacked stuff. Here’s a question. Tarp or leanto roof style built on top on my existing pressure treated racks? The roof would look cleaner for sure but would it be as good as a tarp?

Good idea, I've run into trouble with unstacked wood when it snows, the sun melts the snow, it refreezes, it rains, you get the idea, easier to keep it top covered and dry.

 

[trguitar]

I always bring about 3 cord into the garage around Columbus Day weekend. Then I fill it back up before the big snow comes. I really don't like to go out into the yard to get wood every day. I burn 4-5 cord per year.

I have to top cover my wood outside. My stacks are right on the edge of the woods. I didn't top cover the first year, and the stacks were filled with wet leaves and pine needles which never really dried out. The wood was moldy and starting to rot. It was a big lesson learned.

 

[spudman99]

Yes you still have to top cover. Wind will dry surface moisture on the tops and sides. Much harder to dry the splits in the middle that have wood on top and below. I suspect you already figured that out. Tarps are free from Harbor Freight, closest to me being in Philadelphia Mills, there is one in West Trenton NJ. Get it covered and enjoy the heat.

 

[BigJ273]

Ok you guys are convincing me to top cover my stacked stuff. Here’s a question. Tarp or leanto roof style built on top on my existing pressure treated racks? The roof would look cleaner for sure but would it be as good as a tarp?

I buy metal roofing panels at Home Depot. About $10 each. I just lay them on top, stake them down, and put some uglies on top as well. This allows for complete air flow and evaporation. Tarps can hold the moisture in, even on the top. And stack on pallets. Most places will give u pallets for free. They pay someone to take them away if not. It’s worked well for me.

 

[hickoryhoarder]

When there are plenty of nights below 30, I move about ten days worth of firewood under the soffit of the house (wide soffit), and bring some into the garage and living room. It will keep drying when leaned against the house in the sun. It won't dry a lot in the garage. I never put anything damp in the garage. I always bring stuff in during dry weather.

My basic criteria for near the house or inside: weather has to be cold; the wood has to be bug free; it has to be ready to burn today.

 

[nola mike]

I don't think top covering does much to dry out the wood, at least in my neck of the woods where there isn't usually snow sitting on top. The moisture from rain is on the surface. It's gone within the day when I bring it inside. My 2 yo oak is 15%, and that doesn't change after a heavy rain. I'm top covering this year just for convenience. I'm burning some 2-3 yo birch at the moment and it seems the same. YMMV with other species. I can see species that dry quicker might be quicker to take up water, but haven't experimented with them as much. Oh, if the bark gets wet that might be different. When my wood is seasoned the bark usually falls off anyway.