Storing Firewood in a Loose Pile or Stacked? Which Seasons Better?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 10 кві 2021
- Storing Firewood in a Loose Pile or Stacked? Which Seasons Better? In this video I revisit a pile of firewood I tossed in a loose pile last Summer. I want to see how the wood has seasoned on the inside of the pile compared to firewood that was stacked.
New videos every Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and the Back 40 Live Stream every Friday night at 8:00 pm central.
www.back40firewood.com/
Thank you for all your support, it is greatly appreciated.
#back40firewood #woodhound - Розваги
I believe stacking is always the way to go. But I also believe air doesn't flow through tarps. The tarp just holds moisture under it.
So what you recommend cover the wood or not ??
@@lunaservicesinc If its stacked, the top couple of layers. Just my opinion. I'm not a guru.
@@lunaservicesinc I wouldn't cover a loose pile.
No need to cover up during spring fall and summer. I coverage top in the winter to keep it from freezing up. The big thing is keeping it off the ground to allow air flow under it and allow it to drain when it rains. If you pile it up put on pallets. My best advice is look at the guys that sell thousands of cords of wood they don’t stack any of it. Too slow. Go check out skidder kev, they sell a huge amount of wood and don’t stack any of it.
I think a loose pile under a roof would be fine. I don’t like tarping wood. Just a roof with open sides.
Being OCD, of course I stack. If I could organize my wood alphabetically, numerically and by shape and color, I probably would.
Probably wood 🪵
I'm over 70 and love to stack wood, calms me. Love to shovel too...I'd like to try that patterned stacking. Some folks make real pretty designs in their stacks.
I have always left my stacks uncovered for six months to a year and then put it in my shed. Left exposed is part of the seasoning process but I could be wrong 😂
Shifty, you opened up a conversation that has divided families, broke up friendships and caused people to be institutionalized. Cover, pile or stack, oh my! Stack it!!!
🤣 Institutionalized 🤣 I was on my way before this conversation 🤣
WST. 🤣🤣🤣👍
LOL....Ohh I know this is a touchy subject, that's what makes it so much fun...hahahahaha
Mice and Snakes in that pile...😊…..lol. Maybe even some Wood Frogs.🤣 I stack my wood and cover the just the top, and I keep it off the ground with pallets. Keep the rain off, Sun and air will dry. Stay Safe out there in the wood yard, Thanks Dan !
I bet if you pile it on top of pallets rather than on the ground, you would be surprised. Thanks for the test and result! Great vid
Here in maine we leave it completely uncovered and the wood seems to dry out way better, I've found that putting tarps on the top causes chipmunks and squirrels to get into it and nestle in under the tarp more often
Well I am a tree Service so I like to watch your wood progress witch is pretty damn good 👍 as far as your landscaping projects they are cool and landscaping is alot of work I know I use to run a landscaping business. I would definitely not go any closer to your home if you have a basement. That could be a huge problem if there ever was to have a leak in your water feature to your homes foundation. Keep up the good work shifty and god bless you and yours. 😇
We choose to always stack. Looks neat, takes up less space, air flows through better, and easier to get a idea of how much you have. Thanks for sharing 40 👍🏻👍🏻
That'll prolly be my plan going forward, always stack...at least in some sort of fashion. I'll be sure to save a few piles so you can show me how it's done when you come up in June....lol
@@Back40Firewood well I would be glad to stack some wood. Unfortunately I will not make the Frenzy and we are bummed😔 8 hour drive for us and I can’t take Friday off.
I’m an uncovered stack guy. That’s the way my dad did it, so that’s what I know. Come fall, we move it under cover and when we need more during the winter months, I just wait until there’s been a couple sunny days, or just take off the top couple rows. The wood below is dry. Never had a problem. Also, I’d like to see the stream project videos mixed in as you go.
thank you friends for all the comments are positive for me it is my second year in this business I am learning about firewood
Thanks for your videos back 40 firewood
Luna. Your welcome. We all have our days but even when life can be negative all we can do,is try to be positive through it..
Hey Luna the one thing with Firewood is it's always changing and you'll always be learning...and you're one of us Wood Hounds so we'll always be here to give ya advice and maybe a hard time here & there...Hahahahahaha j/k Thanks for being part of the channel & community my friend!
@@Back40Firewood thanks 😊🙏
@@andrewjames5925 : are you asking me or Luna??
@@andrewjames5925 Pennsylvania
Stacked in rows is the way to go for me anyway, good luck with the pond and keep us updated
When I sold more wood I just split and tossed in a huge pile , because it was moving on soon. My personal firewood is stacked and tinned. This past burn season I had 3yr. Old Oak. That was stacked and top covered. Very dry, excellent burn and heating. ... Just my experience. Later 40ty🍺🇺🇸
Stacking is the way to go. Looks neater and dries better 👍
We prefer open & always has seasoned perfectly. ENJOY YOUR CHANNEL here in Hartland, Michigan!!! Stay safe & healthy!!🌟😊👍🇺🇸
I have used old wire type corn cribs with a roof to store firewood for years. I use a 42 foot ear corn elevator to get the wood into the corn crib. Also, you can salvage wood with mold spots by taking a pump up sprayer and mix 90% water, 10% bleach and lightly spray the moldy wood. It will kill most of the mold and bleach it white. The chlorine will eventually air out and evaporate. 🤠👍
Don't spray mold with bleach it makes it mad grows more
Yes it’s a little more work to stack but it helps airflow that helps prevent molding. Plus you get to look at a nice organized stack of wood for the next year or so
Them are some very interesting finds!! I've never stacked nor covered my wood piles!! All I do is split and throw in big piles. Of çourse these are out in the open!! Hope all is well my friend!! Stay safe 🍻🍻😀!!
gotta keep it off the ground and uncovered during the spring, summer and fall.
Interesting to see how each way dries. I personally can't keep a pile long enough in the yard to mold but started stacking everything to keep yard clean and able to hold more wood and better estimate on what you have. Awesome Video Dan
I mostly stack my wood when it is green on the outside for about a year uncovered then I stack it in my wood shed
Stacking the best way. Love the bar! Cool 😎
Stacked on pallets, air space between rows, t-posts at the ends, tin on top. Occasionally will tarp if a big snow is coming, then uncover when its over.
Thanks for revisiting this subject Shifty, always an interesting debate. I have always stacked on pallets, in a crisscross pattern, which allows for plenty of air flow. I have also always tarped my wood stacks year round, never had any issues of trapped moisture. But I think I am going to be pulling the tarps off until next winter. It seems from the comments most wood hounds go the uncovered route for the most part, so I'm going to give it a try.
Stack only. Leave open for at least 3-4 months, up to 6, then cover with tin. Make sure if you have overlap that the flow of water doesn't go into the wood, EVER! Good channel so far, thanks for sharing.
Thanks, as usual Dan. Really appreciate you circling back to this, I almost forgot about it from last year. I was hoping there would be less mold/ mildew in those piles, 😂! Thanks again! -Brad
Yeah I was hoping/thinking there wouldn't be too much mold either...oh well, it'll still burn...hahaha
The more you touch the wood the more time and money......I spilt wood commercially, 50 cords a month....big piles 50 cords per pile....never had one problem after it sat for 8 months
Like you said, I only tarp in late fall to keep the snow off. Otherwise it's always stacked and uncovered. Great video!!!!
After splitting my wood I put it on pallets then cover it during winter and uncover it in summer leaving it in piles don't dry very good.
Sun does not dry wood as much as airflow will. Note that your washing will dry on a windy but overcast day. Hard top covers are best if you live in a wetter climate, if springs and summers tend to be dry, you may consider leaving it uncovered. As always, it all depends on where you are whether you are right!
My wood pile from fresh cut white oak, black walnut and pecan dried enough to sell and burn in three months. It was at 15 to 20 percent moisture. Im by the shore in north Carolina plenty of wind and sun.
I've always stacked out in the open, with the ends of the wood facing directly into the west wind. I've never covered any of my stacks for decades, and I've never had any issues. Even with snow in the winter time, the moisture content has always been very consistent after the appropriate amount of drying.
Very informative video great job in letting people know about wood characteristics
Great subject Dan! We see a tarp as a good shield to protect from the rain. But we should see it otherwise. It's the perfect barrier for the moisture to be kept inside too! There is a tremendous amount of moisture coming out from the ground. And it's coming 24/7... 365 days a year! As opposed to rain, which occurs a few hours a week. Which BTW can be evaporated within hours when the sun comes out. Your practical experience says no tarped wood pile! Although covering the very top of a stacked pile might be beneficial. Thanks for sharing that with us.
Good video on why not to pile it up. I leave my stacked rows open and they dry out great. Keep up the great videos. I look forward to the live streams each week. Great group of followers.
Thanks...yeah this community is full of some great people who like a good time.
We typically stack. But you're right - it really depends on the situation. Nice job.
Hi Dan - it's Big Rodders in Ireland. Many folk consider it's sacrilegious to have any covering touch any part of split logs. The most I have is a top covering with a good air gap. I have a place in Donegal on the western seaboard, renowned for its rain and wind. For years I have seasoned and stored softwoods in a 100 X 6 X 6ft uncovered pallet corral into which my 9 to 12 inch split pieces are just chucked. Time, wind and rain seasons them perfectly with no mold or creosote in the flu.
That pondscape looks like a ton of work
As much as I dislike the stacking part of firewood I think it's the best way to go!
Even studs for a house will get mold on them
Morning Dan. Thanks for the followup after so much time - good comparison. I might offer that tarping anything minimizes any air flow - and may, I think, capture and hold moisture. Having a cover , like the top of a shed, keeps the elements off the pile but also offers space for air flow. So I think tarping the wood, whether stacked or loose piled, will have a negative effect. I think stacking will offer more wood in a smaller space and also looks nicer (:))- I'm thinking the amazing Amanda probably prefers you to stack it :)). Thanks again - have a good one pal!
I stack mine let it open all summer then cover it over the winter. We stack as we split or within a few days of splitting
Great comparison shifty! I have to stack maple, elm, ash, oak, etc in direct sun, under tin to get moisture down as fast as possible. I can get away with loose piles for locust and cherry if I toss it on 1-2 layers of pallets, in the sun, no tarp until late fall. Most of my stacking area has a slope, which is good so the tin on my stacks drains really well. I get them close as I can to 4 x 4 x many ft long then put pallets on top before putting the corrugated tin on, lap the sheets, use those spring loaded clamps every 6 ft or so to keep stuff solid. Keep the lab results comin!
Great educational video :) I have found that leaving my wood uncovered all summer the sun and wind do there job much better then I cover just before the snow comes, usually only popular & birch that I cut green we don't have a lot of hardwoods up north in my country,
Great video on firewood cones below.
Tarped or not, wood is not going to season well in a pile since there is not much airflow into the center of the pile to carry away moisture. Stacking is better since the ends are exposed to the air. Wood is going to conduct most of the moisture out to the ends. So it is best if the ends are exposed to fresh air.
I see you stacked on pallets. The tossed pile does not look like it has pallets under it. Makes a huge difference. Uncover all spring, summer, fall and if no wood shed then tarp just the top to keep snow off. If not then make sure bark is up that helps the moisture not to be reabsorbed when raining. Working on my firewood for this year, need to get a couple years ahead. Seems this past year used so much in garage and fir pit and it was not replaced. Wish me luck
I have left wood in piles to season and never seen mold and discoloration like that. Mine were out in the open with full sun, so maybe the shade added to the problem. As for covering, I wouldn't. Maybe keep just a small portion of the wood you are using for the stand covered incase you need to refill the stand right after a rain. Just opinions and suggestions. Love the videos.
I guess I doing it right by stacking, I just covered some for the firepit and a stack for my son. 3ft house wrap is what I used.
How you need to dry your wood and how long it takes really depends on the climate you live in. I live in Utah in the high desert with a low humidity and high temperatures. I dried wood for this winter in only 2 months underneath a tarp. Took off all the bark, criss-cross stacked and put under a tarp. It got so hot under the tarp I guess that all the yellow jackets that tried to build any form of nest died 😅
The only real benefit of stacking is it minimizes pieces touching the ground and that will allow less rot to set in. I collect chunks or whole limbed trees and stack them as much as I can. Chunks or small pieces of rounds takes about 18 months to cure, about 24 to 30 months if whole logs. Western Colorado anyways...stacks are usually in the sun 60% of the day.
I had the same problem with my dtaxks being too close. So every year I stack further apart than the year before..
Yard work content in with firewood. Works for me..
Also my daughter Lily had fun on the live stream too..
I think it was also just this wood being pretty wet, I mean the wedge of the splitter was dripping after some of those splits when thru it...lol
England here:
I find that any stack, loose or organised, tends to sweat if closely covered with a tarp or sheet, particularly a plastic one. It will sweat from moisture content already in green wood or from general moisture in the air, even sometimes in summer. It's all about that air flow being able to allow evaporation and be blown away.
I have a loose stack in the garden by the house, but it's in a wire mesh cage measuring about 6' x 6' x 6' 6" high. There are pallets on the ground (paving flags) and a corrugated tin roof on the top, slightly pitched to get the rain to run off. The roof sheets are a few inches off the top of the pile and over hang the front edge by about 6 inches to allow the rain to drip well clear of the stack. It dries just fine and stays dry and usually splits made early year are ready to burn come October or so. It's the breeze whistling through the sides of the cage that does the job as much as any rise in weather temperature. I just filled it over the last month or so with a mixture of Beech, Birch, Sycamore and Willow, with an odd bit of Cherry and Hawthorn.
Willow is very wet when freshly cut and split (over 50%) but conversely it dries quicker than most people think if given air flow and covered not too closely. The open grain will soak up moisture like a sponge if uncovered or on bare ground, but if stored with air flow and covered and on pallets it dries very quickly too, because of the open grain. It's not the hottest or slowest burn, but very good for mixing with slower, harder timber. It burns brightly when properly dry.
I have a very similar cage alongside work premises but four times larger - about 12' x 12' x 6' 6", also with a palleted base and corrugated sheet on top. That holds about six cords when full to the brim.
Staking is definitely better in my opinion. It is dry here in Idaho. I got stock of wood not covered just stacked for six years. Also had pile on the ground. The pile of wood was about half rotten the stack was all good.
I was always a "stacked" guy. I started using IBC totes and I longer have to restack when stacks fall over the summer. IBC totes also make the wood portable with the tractor forks.
build some bins out of pallet to keep it up off the ground or hell even a floor out of pallets to keep the bottom dry
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME LANDSCAPE VIDEOS
I live in the desert and I remove the tarps in the spring when I am finished burning wood for the season. I do it as much to save the tarps from the sun as dryness. Uncovered wood looks better in the driveway too. We only get 10 inches of rain a year so I have only been "caught in the rain" a few times. Mosquitoes you talk about tell me your area is wetter and you will need to work harder at drying. I like the tin covers I see on Ytube. Wet wood can be passed by for the next year. It looks like you need to stack. I stack along a long wall for my own use. That just works for my couple chords.
No, it's not a debate, it's what someone who doesn't want to stack thinks they can get away with. I have a lot of odd and ends that goes in a big pile that I use and I just accept the fact that it will not be consistent throughout for the convenience of tossing off at the end (or beginning) of a batch of processed firewood.
I read that wood bring rained on in summer actually helps the wood to season, but then again it was only words and they are cheap
Loose is faster to pile but if it’s green wood and you want to do the CUSTOMER’S JOB (seasoning/drying) the wood 🪵 you better stack it in single row’s where it can get plenty of sunshine ☀️ AND cover the top 1/4 of stack with metal siding or tarp.
Hey Dan,
Earlier this year I split and created a large pile of firewood. Unfortunately, I got busy with other “adventures” and couldn’t stack it for several weeks. As a result, some of the wood towards the center of the pile started to rot. Lesson Learned: stack soon after split! Tom at “Adventures at Home”.
Yep, stacking is the only way to go. Same here, lesson learned...lol 👍 😀 🍻
Probably best to stack the wood in single rows so air and sun can get to the wood from both sides. And maybe just tarp the top of the single row stacks.
Morning Dan. It looks like, “ Fungus Amongus “ I always stack, even if I don’t cover it.
I only sell 1/3 cords or bundles. My bundles stay in my shop and everything else stays outside in totes (stacked neatly) not covered and I just took a reading yesterday and the moister meter averaged 14% from some wood that was already seasoned and stuff I cut up a couple months ago was reading anywhere from 18-26%. I'm fortunate that where our shop is, its usually windy and its been rather dry in our area. I usually hate the wind up there but in this case it definitely helps. We had a good soaking rain the other night and nothing but the top row was wet but at the end of the day everything was dry.
I agree to only tarp the top. Going to ground holds in ground water. It's just a tent keeping in the moisture.
Where was the moisture meter as well
As you know we put up all our firewood in piles and do our best to keep them tight to shed water we get the odd bad piece but they are easy to pull out. I do recommend to our home owners to stack it after receiving to keep it dry to prevent any issues during winter. Piles have work well for us.
Yeah I think the type of wood was main flaw and reason for some mold here...think it may have even gotten mold if stacked...lol. The nice thing is I have the perfect place to get rid of them, in my boiler..hahahaha
Definitely better a king in my opinion. I use the steel sheeting but I make sure that I have some slope on my wood pile from one into the other so all the sheets overlap each other but it drains from the high-end to the lowest end and it doesn’t pool anywhere and my wood still gets lots of air, no mould and dry as a bone
Stacking and leaving uncovered is my choice. Rain will easily dry on sunny days. You have to get the moisture out of the wood at the cellular level. Uncovered in the wind and sun will do that best.
I stack my wood. Wind n sunlight work best.
Do not try to be idle. Stack all split wood. Let the sun shine on it and the breeze blow through it.
I ve found that maple does not like any type of moisture. Not even in log form. For your purposes using a boiler it probably does not matter but for bundles and selling wood covered stacks is the way to go.
Stacking just makes better sense. Air can get through all the wood and sun can hit every end. Piling doesn’t make as much sense and covering it totally eliminates air flow. I stack everything. It certainly takes more time but it looks nicer and produces a better product in my novice opinion
For me, certain times of year Green Maple sometimes molds even when stacked. Maybe it needs to be split on a dry summer day. Save the other types of wood for wetter spring and fall days.
stacked is the best because you can stack it in cords or face cords
I don't cover nun of my wood untill im ready to burn it in the late fall let the weather do the rest it drays out if it rains in a few days .
Maybe if your pile was on pallets you would have had better air flow underneath and no mold. The mold on the maple is from the sugars in the sap. I had maple racked green in a shed and it got mold on all of the parts that didn’t have bark.
I find those plastic tarps just draw the wet I stack every time really afraid of black mold . anyway enjoyed your video learned more about the firewood business
I think the way you had the piles tarped would also trap the moisture in the "tent" you created, almost like a sauna which would promote the mold. The metal across your stacks is probably best short of a wood shed, although as you showed the collected water is a problem where it drains. The sun hitting the piles outdoors is extremely important too. I had a stack of wood (non split) that I made in an area with no sun between two trees. No tin or tarps, but the wood just rotted away to nothing, but were like log shaped sponges. Some hardwood, but also sycamore, and even a little walnut. So no direct sun- no direct heat. Just my thoughts.
1 cord loose piles I have had the same results with stacking
Knotty curly shorty ones go on a pile.
Long straight ones get stacked.
Nough said
I think a tarp covering the pile is the cause of the dampness and mold! Wood with a tarp over its entirety will stay damp. No air can flow over and through it to dry it and keep it dry. I have found this out the hard way. I only cover the top of my wood stacks. Piles like that I do not cover at all. Also I do not cover any wood from the end of heating season until just a few weeks until the next heating season. Warm wind and sun will best dry wood. And even cold wind and sun. Just my personal experience!
Its difficult to season green wood over winter you will get that mould and fungus except under the best conditions. Cutting up dry and semi-seasoned logs over winter is the way to go but it takes a few years to build up a stockpile that way. I only cut green wood to season April-August because our wet damp dark west coast winters don't dry wood all
Have to agree with Tom Waldo, air doesn't flow through tarps.
Air cannot move through a stack more than eight feet thick.
My battle plan is to Stack it off the ground in a spot with lots of wind.
The bigger question is bark up or bark down.
I am a bark up piler.
My experience with piles vs stacked, the center bottom of the pile doesn't dry it gets moldy and rots
I believe the tarp is what caused the mold, the moisture that’s in the wood can’t escape. I can see covering in the winter if you’re using the wood. If not I’d leave it uncovered.
Lol small round 3” and smaller on the bottom in rows 6” high then split pieces on top of that 4 feet uncovered all year, with a foot between the rows. Never had a problem even with logs that were on the ground for years will dry in 6 months ,ones that have water coming out when split.
Off the ground and covered is key, hard to do properly when in a pile. To know for sure you need to take any piece, split immediately and test with a moisture meter. Burn if 20% or less.
I like your new video the moming you did a really good jop yes i what see you do you Landscaping done make a video this buddy 🍺🍺
Good video. In loos pile you exchange assets with time/physical labor. I mean you have to invest to loose pile drying.
As you point out air circulation is the key. Humid air is heavier. So the wind needs to blow under the loose pile. At least 2 layers of pallets; I have first concrete pillars of 40 cm, then 8x8s and then a layer of pallets.
Tarps are from hell. Especially tarps on loose piles, because you actually create a trap for all the moisture trying to get out of the firewood as well as the moisture from the soil. All that stays inside the tent you created with the tarp. On the other hand rain water goes deeper into the pile in loose pile than stacked; stacked is basically horizontal, so only the top layers get wet..
You want to have a proper roof. I have build a frame for the sheets of tin I have covering my pile. But mark that this way your roof has to be significantly larger that your pile, rain tends to come with wind.
As you have the frame for the roof, have walls as well. Mine are made from sheep fence which is maybe 2 mm steel wire mesh with about 4 inch in between the wires. This way you pile is high, not wide. The forces on the frame are surprising small; loose pile basically stays where it is, it does not try to lean to any direction.
Just my 0,01 USD worth from the old continent :)
Great video. I've been wanting to start my own firewood service and was wondering how a pile would dry compared to stacking. Stacking by myself is extremely time consuming so I was hoping a pile would work out as good as stacking.
Another big factor is the type of wood...wood that is higher in moisture is tough to put in piles. Lower moisture wood like Ash will do fine in just a pile. Also depends on how big of pile and how buried the inside is.
U gotta pile it on pallets ,never on the ground
Try spraying some of the moldy sticks with bleach, then let them sit in the sun. I have always had some wood with mold no matter how I stacked or stored it. Oak did not mold as much as maple and birch. Ash seemed to stay quite mold free. The worst wood for mold is bass and poplar.
What Came First The Chicken Or The Egg.
I pile mine in a building cuz I got no time nor energy to stack alot of wood just to handle it two more times. 40x60 building
How often do you run moisture checks on your stacks?? I’m sure you’ve covered this before... I like the look of a nice long perfectly stacked pile of firewood! Landscaping - definitely do some footage of that. Might need your expertise up at the tiny homestead eventually. Wish we had a silo pit pool too!
I usually don't check moisture too often....just guesstimate based on how long it's sat split if it's ready or not. Let me know what ya got cooking on the THOW landscape.....you don't need a silo pit, just start digging...hahaha
It’s more or less personal preference on stacking or piling up. Those of us that run big numbers of cords there is no way it makes financial sense to stack any of it. This is like 400 plus cords. I stack up 10 face to have available at all times. My piles are on pallets so they aren’t on the ground all mine is open to the air year round but in the winter I tarp to keep it from being frozen together. To each his own on what you do. I look at it as time is money and stacking is slow. (Unless I can hire my nieces to stack it for me. Lol )
I stack after I split. This year I’m stacking rounds in the woods and bringing them down just before I split to prevent the mold issues. I’ll see if it’s a better method.
Stacking wood is best. But stacked wood will not cure if you tarp it to the ground. Air has to flow.