Wood doesn't have a chance to dry- Custom shed Idea

[njtomatoguy]

Hello,

I live in south jersey, and the rain just wont stop- I have 2 sheds on my property, 10X8 and 10X12.. They came with the house
The smaller is on its last legs, so I was thinking of cutting some holes for cross-ventilation and stacking the wood in there..


Any opinions?

Thanks

Bob

 

[BrotherBart]

Hello,

I live in south jersey, and the rain just wont stop- I have 2 sheds on my property, 10X8 and 10X12.. They came with the house
The smaller is on its last legs, so I was thinking of cutting some holes for cross-ventilation and stacking the wood in there..


Any opinions?

Thanks

Bob

A few pictures would help people give better advice as well as explaination of direction the sheds face, etc.

 

[elkimmeg]

I like the idea of a wood shed. To me ,I think the exposure to sun and wind is the best drying conditions. The shed would be the final
storage place ,after the wood has been exposed to the previous conditions. Even with venting it, which is a good idea, I think the shed location for freshly split wood, would retard or prolong the drying time. If you are planning 3 years out, then a shed would work ok.

Many have noticed the top of the pile drys out fastest. I know more work is involved, but I rotate my piles. Its not that much of an issue now as I have a three year supply. I have at least 2 additional cords that has been given to me. All I have to do is cut it up and haul it home. It would have already been here, but for all the rain and now quite hot and humid. I scrounge year long.

 

[velvetfoot]

I have about 4 cords stored under some trees. It's pretty shady in there. Will it take a lot longer to dry out under there?

 

[Eric Johnson]

Full exposure to direct sunlight is the fastest way to dry wood outdoors. Any wood stacked outside should eventually dry out, but the more airflow and exposure to sun, the faster it will happen.

So the short answer is "yes."

The longer answer is that if you have good air circulation through the stacks, it probably won't make too much difference.

 

[suematteva]

We keep some wood in shed and others outside. Right now, we have 2 winters worth of wood..Like Elk, I will cycle it. first year is outside second is in the shed.. During the winter we have about 2 weeks in the house..the wood under the trees should have tops of pile covered and be off the ground..My outdoor piles are covered with tin on pallets and under trees, under the pallets is a old piece of maple floor that we tore out that lifts the pallet another 3/4 inch, my lower pieces are drying very slowly this year..Monsoon here also...We get a good breeze that really helps drying. Snow is a factor in the shed, we are in southern Quebec.

 

[adrpga498]

Mr. Tomato,
Central jersey here, try reading some of the holz hausen posts. I'm convinced less space more air flow and cool yard art. Kinda like being convinced about the top down starting technique.