Outdoor Wood Furnace Info
All-Purpose OWF Discussions => Fire Wood => Topic started by: big don on May 22, 2014, 05:39:48 PM
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I have just bought a dump truck load approx 4 cord of red oak and some white oak mixed all split in 16" length. My moisture meter reads between 30 & 35% and I understand that the ideal % moisture should be 20%+/-. So does anyone know if the wood will cure any quicker by stacking it and covering the top vs just leaving it in the dumped pile for use next year? Is the extra work of stacking really worth it if it would dry out reasonably close to the target 20% I appreciate any feedback anybody has on this subject.
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Stack it! Looks nicer and better air movement!
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Absolutely stack it!.If possible stack it on pallets or some way to keep it off the ground..
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Stack it! Looks nicer and better air movement!
I agree, stack it. I left it in a pile the first year I burned and the stuff in the center will not dry. It stays damp and will raise holy heck with creosote build up. When you stack, if you can stack each row about a foot apart from one another. Not only will this allow air to pass through but will also let the sun shine on it too. It will dry more thoroughly this way. Oh, and get it off the ground too. I take the weed wacker and cut any grass that gets to the bottom of the row, down to allow the air to pass under it. Roger
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Thanks to all who replied. So I guess that I will be stacking wood over the holiday. When do you suggest that I cover it once it is all stacked---I will be using a canvas tarp since I do not have a roof overhang or shed to use.
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Thanks to all who replied. So I guess that I will be stacking wood over the holiday. When do you suggest that I cover it once it is all stacked---I will be using a canvas tarp since I do not have a roof overhang or shed to use.
There are many opinions whether to cover/not cover. I personally do not cover it. It has dried just fine. However, if you feel you want to cover it, simply put something on the top of it, do not have it drape over the sides. Any moisture that lands on the ends of the pieces will not penetrate that deep and once the sun and wind hit it, it will dry quickly. Some people use old boards, metals pieces, etc... The problem with covering it completely will not allow the air to move freely through it. I hope this help. Roger
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Like roger said cover the top only. Best cover I've ever seen was the old top off a boat lift! Covered the top and hung over about a foot on all sides.
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Wood in piles will season just fine IF stored in an open field where full sun and wind do its thing. If there is even a few hours of shade on the pile, seasoning is slowed greatly.
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Wood in piles will season just fine IF stored in an open field where full sun and wind do its thing. If there is even a few hours of shade on the pile, seasoning is slowed greatly.
I've done piles for years, make my pile on a cement slab, drys really well if all the bark is already off the wood so it doesn't end up in the pile. Come later in the summer when the rainy season starts I'll throw a tarp over the top.
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I have always stacked, even before I built the shed. Covered with old steel roofing and was always satisfied with the result.
I have not piled it in a big stack so I can only say that I didn't see how the center and bottom could dry so well, but a cement pad would certainly help. Also for picking it up clean. You would have to hope for a drier fall I think.
Bob
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We handle bulk quantities of firewood, like 30-50 cords a year or more, we pile everything, there's no way I'm stacking those quantities of anything, we pile it on a slab of cement and before cold wet weather sets in, we shove some inside so its dry as we burn it.
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I've always stacked my wood on pallets . I put a tarp over it when the snow starts falling.
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Stacking would be better, but is it really worth it?
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I just dump mine on concrete and move it with a skid steer. Then bring it up as I need it. My pile is about 200 yards from my burner.
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Always stacked mine 6' high, rows 6"-10" apart, uncovered until about a month before I start my owb.
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What I've done is build 1/2 cord pallets out of pressure treated lumber. When the logs are cut and split I simply stack the wood on the homemade pallets. I have a set of pallet forks for the 3pt hitch on the tractor. Once the pallets are full I move them to the field to dry for the next 2 or 3 years. Works really good. Roger
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I have 9 cords in a big pile just outside my woodshed, which contains another 9 cords. In the spring, the pile goes into the woodshed and a new pile will take it's place. It sounds like a lot of work, but I probably wouldn't do it this way if I hated it.
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I have mine stacked on pallets and don't cover, seems to work fine for me, thinking about building a wood shed next year to reduce my moisture in the wood. Want to make sure that my boiler last a long time with good burn rates ;D
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I stack mine uncovered on pallets along the edge of my woods next to a wide open field. Gets lots of wind and sun. Even heavy soaking rains don't add much moisture to the wood and that moisture dries quickly since it doesn't penetrate into the wood, it is just on the surface. Its the moisture from the sap in the middle of the pieces that takes a long time to dry out. I can see how covering it is better, but it definitely needs to have air moving through it.
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I like the idea here! Going from green to good that quick!
The wood I'm burning now is a mix of ash,hickory,poplar and a little oak which has been down approximately 6 mos. It's stacked on pallets in our shed which is maybe 10X16 and scattered other stacks around the area tarped.
So far we have used a bit but we burn 12 months a year for the hot water.
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I would stack it. Oak normally takes 1 1/2 to 2 years to dry. I cut, split and stacked 5 cords last month and won't use it until the 2016-17 season.
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I cut and split wood in the spring and stack it immediately in the wood shed. which faces the sun, 39 feet long 10 feet deep has a raised 8 inch base of gravel. It has a sloped roof and good overhang, no walls. ( Easier to put in and take out wood that way. ) Wood burns just fine by October.
Bob