Wood stacks - cover

[Jay106n]

Your split wood stacks, to cover or not to cover?

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

I don't cover my wood while it is seasoning, I let it get all the sun and wind that it can get...... I do cover the wood that I need for burning while in the burning season....

 

[firefighterjake]

Me personally ... wood stacked outside seasoning for a year or two is uncovered, But then I haul the wood into the woodshed for another year and then burn it in Year Three.

If I was normal and only seasoning a winter's worth of wood a year ahead of time I would top cover it.

 

[bholler]

I top cover as soon as it is split and i seem to get my wood under 20% faster than most here. To me it does not make sense to let something you are trying to get dry get wet every time it rains or snows. I know that surface water evaporates quickly but in that time the internal moisture isn't escaping where if it was top covered it could be. Also as the rain works its way down inside the stacks that surface water does not evaporate as quickly it can sit there quite a while

 

[JRHAWK9]

I top cover as soon as I split. To me it does not make sense to let something you are trying to get dry get wet every time it rains or snows. I know that surface water evaporates quickly but in that time the internal moisture isn't escaping where if it was top covered it could be. Also as the rain works its way down inside the stacks that surface water does not evaporate as quickly it can sit there quite a while

How I see it as well; right, wrong or otherwise.

 

[Seanm]

Lots of threads on here about this topic but I dont mind talking about it again. After all if everyone did a search for questions on Hearth then we wouldnt be entertained with threads! I know some will disagree.... Im with Bholler on his view on covering. It depends on a number of factors. Depending on the opinions given just check where they are located and you will get an idea. Also if you are dealing with lots of space then some wont top cover as they can get 3 years ahead and leave it uncovered for a year or so. This can mean many will have 12 cords plus of wood on their property! I burn wood the following season, often (but not always) it is already half to fully dry due to being standing dead softwood (fir, lodgepole pine,larch) For me it is essential that once I bring it home bucked I split it, stack it on pallets and top cover. I have to stack double row so I will put my drier wood in the back row. I will use tarps to top cover that I remove from time to time in the summer when there are long periods of hot high pressure. Due to frequent summer thunderstorms and heavy winter snow top covering, stacked on pallets wood is essential for me.

 

[Fred Wright]

We leave it exposed for a year after stacking. This way, it spends a year top covered before being burned.