Okay, I've got a few cords, some oak for 13-14 Hackberry, Maple and Ash, nicely stacked and baking in the warm sun so when do I top cover?
When to Top Cover
- Thread starter Ralphie Boy
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We do not top cover the first summer and fall but do top cover before the snow flies. Some folks live in extremely wet areas and they tend to top cover right away so this does somewhat depend upon the weather in your area. I just tend to think that leaving it uncovered should allow for more evaporation of the moisture. Whichever, the number one thing about drying wood still comes down to air circulation; that is, wind.
Manitoulin Maples
Member
Really, Backkwoods Savage? I always thought to cover right away, to keep out the rain. (We're in NH) Letting the center of the stack get wet doesn't cause it to rot? (Although I see you live in a similar environment, and have 50 year exp.........)
Cover?
The wood gets moved into the shed late summer/early fall after being in the field for at least 2 years. I wait for a few days of sunny, windy days, then move it.
I'd need over 200' of cover in the field......not gonna happen.
The wood gets moved into the shed late summer/early fall after being in the field for at least 2 years. I wait for a few days of sunny, windy days, then move it.
I'd need over 200' of cover in the field......not gonna happen.
Snotrocket
Feeling the Heat
ohlongarm
Minister of Fire
I believe in topcovering any load be it rounds or splits before winter. But who knows I had about 20 splits of pine not covered on a tiny pallet since 2004,for the H of it I split a piece last night,no rot dry as bone,burned 10 of them in the King last night. Kept the house too warm for 22 hours .
Cut while ground still frozen early spring moved to splitter in the round,split stacked double at liesure N/S no cover.
Moved to the barn in October the following year.
The oak one year later.
Moved to the barn in October the following year.
The oak one year later.
Locust Post
Minister of Fire
I generally don't top cover anything other than about a cord that I put on the patio outside the walk in basement. I usually end up keeping that replenished all winter with stuff that has not been covered so really I am burning stuff that may only be under a tarp for a few days. If it gets wet it only take a few days of wind to dry it back out and unless it is a very wet snow it just knocks right off or I peel the top layer off to get to the better stuff.
I cover all split wood, all the time, soon as I have it stacked. I have oak that's been sitting for nearly 4 years outside......no wood shed here.
I don't cover my wood and that weems to work fine except for two things. One is ice, which is a pain in the butt, but I move a coupe of days' wood inside before I burn it so the ice is long gone before the wood goes in the stove. The second is fall leaves, which find their way into the tops of the stacks and stay there, even though my wood is not under trees. After a couple of years I can end up with small piles of leaf mold, which cannot be helpful in seasoning the firewood. So I'd say for seasoning firewood a cover is not necessary, but it would be nice sometimes.
Yes thats exactly what I do- Cover- No Way i'm wasting my time. If I burned out of my stacks I would, but I don't I burn out of my Woodshed.
More Evaporation of the Moisture- Thats why I never cover just move to the Shed in early October.
I'm in NH too, and I began top covering my pallets last year. I stack tight cubes on pallets, and I'm finding that the center stays wet for a long time after a rain and that center pieces can get punky - especially since the stacks sit for 4 years before they hit the stove. I bought a bunch of used rubber roofing and cut to 4' squares - this let's me just cover the top with a bit of overhang - seems to be working great. Cheers!
I think we do have very similar climate. Some do top cover as soon as the wood has been stacked and some never top cover at all. As for the rain, unless it rains day after day after day, the wood will be fine. I've always said that wood is not a sponge and I still believe that except for the punky wood. That for sure will soak up the rain. But good wood will not soak up the rain and usually 24 hours after a rainy day all the wood will be dry. That is the reason you want good air circulation.
As for the center rotting, we have never found that to be true. Most of the time we stack 3 rows deep. However, we've also stacked over 20 rows tight together and had no problems with it. The center will still dry out but, of course, it won't discolor like the outside rows will. Also, stacking 3 rows tight together we have not noticed any difference in the shrinkage which tells us that the center row must be losing moisture just as quickly as the outside rows. Most of the time we stack a 4 1/2' high and that will shrink down to 4' or less by winter. That is all 3 rows, not just the outside rows, so it says the center has lost the moisture too.
I used to cover, and burn out of the covered stacks. What a pain it was....for me, so I built a shed. If I can find a better way to do this whole thing, I'll change.
I'm very adaptable like that.
I'm very adaptable like that.
A better way? Yes Dave. Now you need a conveyer from the wood shed to the stove.
Oh, oh, oh, trust me Dennis. It's crossed my mindless more than once.
13' from the front of the shed to the stove room sliding window. I could fill bins, then down the conveyor they go. Empty? Another conveyor out the other front window back to the shed.
All I need now is the elves.
13' from the front of the shed to the stove room sliding window. I could fill bins, then down the conveyor they go. Empty? Another conveyor out the other front window back to the shed.
All I need now is the elves.
But in a normal year you would also have to cover that conveyer Dave. I'll bet you could handle that too.
It depends on how far ahead I am. Right now, I don't worry with it for the first year. Top cover the second, and they move to the wood shed when winter comes.
ailanthus
Feeling the Heat
I recently got some pallets from our local lumber yard. They receive dimensional lumber by the traincar, and I've found that the stuff they cover the big pallets of 2x4's etc with makes excellent cover for my outdoor stacks. Free, unlimited supply & one side is even black to help capture some heat. I probably wouldn't bother to spend money on a tarp or shed to cover with since my area's generally fairly dry, but I couldn't pass up those free 'tarps.' I top-covered right after stacking, figured it couldn't hurt.
ailanthus, I didn't think any part of VA was not wet. At least it seemed that way as almost every time I've been there we've got plenty wet. That covering sounds great too.
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