@@homesteadknowhowquestion, How long is it okay for a piece of wood to be on the ground getting wet by the rain, and me being able to use it for firewood?
My Man 20seconds in I already love this video your introduction alone is perfection I've seen 25 minute videos on how to cover wood. Thanks for keeping it simple for the newcomer.Please keep up the awesome work👍😁
You covered some excellent points for drying wood. Just to add; Seasoning/drying wood really depends on the environment you live in. Its moderately dry where I am so I never have to cover my hardwood. If it rains it only takes a day of sun/wind to re-dry the outer wet surface. Humidity plays a major factor in drying wood, sun with high humidity levels will not dry your wood efficiently, you need lots of wind, so the greater surface area exposed the better. I stack all my wood like a fence row as I have the space. Even stacking two rows together could add 2 weeks of extra drying time. Wind is your best friend for wood drying. Thanks for the video.
I agree, I’m in a dry part of Australia. I’d also add; Keep your stack where you make noise/vibrations and away from chicken coops or grain, to avoid snakes nesting. Some rain on your stack will keep Redback spiders away. And keep watch for European Wasps flying in and out of the stack, which is a sign of a nest.
@@lee-irvinjacobs3927 Yes I do...I usually only burn what has been drying for 2 years or more, I also try not to keep firewood longer then 2-3 years as anything that is too dry will just burn very fast, not as fast as soft wood but you do need some moisture to keep the burn rate down.
Good idea not stacking on the ground, dirt, but we have a stone driveway with large #2 stone which lets the water seep through so we can stack directly on the stone without worry. The first layer we always put the bark down do as not to absorb moisture. We usually stack bark down anyway, but don't worry about it much which way it goes as long as it's covered. We don't have great sun as we are in the woods so if the wood is stacked for a couple of years it's always good.
I have full southern exposure so I still put old lumber covers over the top. As far as chimminy fires I use rutlands creasolt remover once a week and don't worry about it. The treatment if used right turns the creasolt into non flammable material. Also I was brought up with wood and coal heat and you have to know how to run a fire properly.
I'm grateful to be alive then! Apparently, advance thinking is required when someone suggests building a fire. Putting out the fire hopefully happens seemlessly and after its purpose executed.
A wood shed with open walls. Keeps the rain off, gets sun and wind. Don’t have to fight with snow or coverings constantly. I split my wood in the spring and stack it uncovered for the summer. Get it to the covered woodshed before snow. I burn 7 or 8 cords a winter here in northern BC. A good hot fire keeps the chimney clean.
@@jasonsharpbucks Yes, I look at it early fall, clean the cap, and brush the chimney if needed. dry wood doesn’t make creosote, but if you burn pitchy greener wood, esp. spruce or pine, you can end up with creosote buildup, which is a hazard for chimney fires. The longer your chimney is, the more condensate you produce….the smoke cools more the further it goes. In my case, the cap usually only needs cleaning..
Norwegian's might argue stacking wood bark side up. I have always stacked bark side up and tight in rows. I am now rethinking to circular Norwegian style stacking for better airflow. Thanks for your thoughts in this video.
I expected to hear where the wood came from...how old the tree's were...what kind of stove he used...where he bought it...how old it was and so on. Most would turn this into a Hollywood Mini Series but NO...to the point...no rambling...WELL DONE.
Im in Kentucky, here is what ive tried. Basically every configuration. What works the best for me has been having enough firewood for 2 years. By the time the wood has sat for 2 years, covered, uncovered, in direct light or not, it tends to reach a satisfactory MC. The one thing I always ensure, is airflow. Its not difficult. Just try several different things for your climate, site, and prevailing wind/weather direction, and you'll find that drying wood is going to work best for you in 1 or 2 different ways.
Good advice. I was also told by a older tree cutter. He said split the wood then stack like you said. He said if it isn't split . The wood will not dry. Thanks
You're absolutely right a couple years ago I cut up a decent size red oak the fell down during a storm I split most of it and stacked it but left some hole rounds because I was tired of splitting it by hand. The stuff I split turned out great, the whole ones were nothing but pithy mush when I went to use them. 👍
Stacking wood vertically is very effective as well. Same concept as bark side up and deck boards with the growth rings “frowning”. Moisture can travel through the summer part of the growth rings but not so well through the harder winter part. I recently saw a stack like this… looked like a giant wood igloo.
Just to add you’ll get mold and mushrooms going if you don’t set it up to season properly. Also, space two rows apart so wind can flow. Wood piles rot in the middle so always stack. Pallets are a great way to get wood off the ground. Finally some wood like oak takes two full summers to season whereas standing dead ash can be ready in as little as 3 months. Cheers
Just to simplify what you have said... Single row for stacking, only cover the top to keep rain / snow from sitting and keep the pile off the ground. (you can use rocks, skids, or PT 4x4 lumber) That will do for 90% of users.
Exactly, I only cover the top layer when the forecast predicts rain or during winter. The other layers need to have good ventilation to dry out quickly, covering the whole thing traps moisture.
Agreed. I have some strips of old tarps I put on stacks for future use only. This is to keep top free of ice and snow. If I need them It'd be late winter they'll be ready. Bark up, bark down , who gives a sh!t! Just stack it tight so it doesn't fall over lol.
I live in Brittany, France which is the wettest and dampest region here and I can attest that using a pallet to keep the bottom layer from absorbing water from the ground is essential, as well as stacking with adequate gaps between each split log to allow max. airflow and when covering - not to bring a tarpaulin down around the sides but to use corrugated metal (weighted down with rocks) to cover, allowing for max. airflow to the sides of the pile - but keeping as much rain and leaf material from falling inside the pile. Keep warm folks! Thanks for your concise video 👍👍👍
Great video. Great tips. However, I believe wood dries better bark down. I primarily burn red oak. Split small. Debark as much as possible. On pallets and covered with sheets of used corrugated sheet metal in open area with sunlight. With a double row stacked on pallets, with air in-between, north/south stacking seems to allow all the wood to get sunlight. With east/west stacking only the south face of the row gets addaquate sun. Also, ventilation and depending on the predominate wind, plays a big part in drying. It's very rare that everyone's situation is going to be ideal for maximum drying. We're all just try to do the best we can.
I agree with you Hank. I’ve been burning wood all my life and was taught to have the back side down. The back side up actually traps moisture and insects, resulting in rot. Removing the bark as you move it in or around once it’s dried will keep the wood in good condition as well.
I'm anal about stacking bark side up. I leave my drying wood uncovered. I wind up moving 14 faces nearer to my home, stack it ( hopefully before it's full of leaves ) and the use lumber wraps to cover it to keep the snow off. I try and stay two years ahead so between my home and shop I try to have 50 to 60 face cord stacked by fall. I buy 10 pole cord semi loads of 100 inch, cut it to 16 /18 inches and generally wind up with about 23 face cord of splits. I split stacked and covered stuff up in early October. It's mid November now and we just got 16 inches of wet early snow here in Northern Michigan.
Great Video! Going to share. Hope to see more videos in the future as I'll probably burn through all your existing videos in a day. Hope all is well and God bless.
This is more or less exactly how I stack wet wood that gets rounded up as it falls. That bottom row is the worst pieces to protect better wood, and it's allowed to dry slowly out there where it's cut until dry, generally two years. At that point it's brought in and stored dry.
All good points. Good video! One thing I would add is to keep you stacked firewood a good distance from your house as it is a safe hiding place for small rodents seeking other shelters.
Also never stack it between two live trees like he did, when a grass/leaf fire runs through, and they do from time to time, the pile will catch fire and kill the trees they are stacked between.
Purchase tarps with gromets sized to cover top of pile & hang approx. 1 to 1 1/2 feet over the sides. To keep the tarp in place use a cordless drill, hold each gromet against the wood & drill hole with a 3/16" drill bit through the gromet & into the wood. Use eyehooks to screw through the gromets & into the wood. Hand tighten eyehooks to secure tarp to wood. As you use firewood just drill new holes as needed & reattach tarp. This works really well even with windy conditions.
I have been burning wood for many years now and never cover my piles, as it hold moisture and doesn't allow wind and sun to dry it. I strongly recommend not covering, or if you do to only cover the top and never the sides. Rain will not penetrate wood if it's off the ground. I live in a maritime environment btw.
We have a crushed stone (2B) driveway. I lay pressure treated fencing rails parallel about 16 inches apart to keep wood off ground. The fence rails are about 22 years old so I know they last. Works great, for drainage & air flow. I leave the wood uncovered for 6 months to a year, then cover the top & about 1foot down the sides attaching with eye hooks through the gromets into the cut ends of the wood stacks. As you use the wood move the eyehooks down. Works great, tarp doesn't blow off & top layer of wood is always stove seasoned.
Sounds like a lot of work. I purchased about 100 bricks. I cut pieces of synthetic rope (sisal rots) to about 2 feet longer than the wood pile is wide. I tie a brick to each end and drape the line over a tarp that has been cut about 1 foot wider than the pile. You can use the tarps and rope/bricks over and over as you go through the piles of firewood. I just keep them stacked in the shed, when they are easily accessed when I cut new wood that needs seasoning.
Never thought of the bark placement. Thanks. On a more serious note, burning the damp wood at times, 'she' is always saying I smell smoke, the fire isn't burning right, I can hear it hissing or steaming. Over an over I've argued back like an idiot, get it hot enough and anything will burn!! Like my old man always said burning OUTSIDE. She was right, no more wet/damp wood inside to avoid creosote build up!!
I wonder if we should have some Woodstove classes that actually demonstrate the process then beginners get hands on learning. I mean in school they teach us how to bake cookies and mathematics but heat especially in Northern climates should be essential. The process can be overwhelming and fearful to newcomers as we hear stories of chimney fires by even by experienced wood stove owners. Chainsaw accidents. I bought a woodstove for my garage so I can get a better understanding of how it actually works coming from a town that has natural gas to living in the country, I have become confident with a pellet stove but would like to graduate to a wood stove in case of power outages. Thanks for the tips!
I've just started (about 6 months ago) cutting my own wood. Here in Scotland we get a lot of precipitation at the moment in winter, and not much sunlight intensity. I store it on a pallet but recently swapped the translucent tarpaulins for sheets of MDF as I felt the tarps were holding 'sweat'. Are you saying I should remove the covers until the wood is dry?
@@homesteadknowhow Thanks for replying. I had been piling it on the pallets randomly to maximise surface area. Will try to get the side that was coated with bark facing the sky. PS. Great, concise video. Learned or reinforced more in under 4 minutes than all the other videos combined. 👍
Build a shed with spaces between the wall boards. I cut and split it a year before it will be used. The firewood spends a year seasoning. Then goes under a covered deck before it gets burned
In the sun and out of the woods works GREAT, until your cabin is in the deep shady woods. Otherwise, bark-up, with a top cover works fine (just may take more time), and then of course once dry totally covered is preferred.
Very informative. Question: I've been told that pine species are the most likely to leave creosote buildup. Do you find this to be true, or is it simply wet wood is more likely? Thanks
Pine/soft wood species have more resins in the wood fibers and therefore typically create more smoke when burning which results in more and faster creosote buildup. I think if you’re burning a soft wood like pine, it’s best to make sure it is seasoned really well (2 year minimum is probably best) and try not to be your primary fuel. Pine is great for kindling to use as a fire starter because it catches fire easily, quickly, and it’s pretty hot when first ignited.
If the wood is touching the ground, aren't you likely to get termites in it? I had termites in mine until I put it up on a steel wood holder in my yard. Other solutions? Or wrong solution? I would like to hear.
I burn red oak exclusively. There's more red oak on my property than I could ever use. I've found that very few insects will attack red oak. I season mine about 2 years before use. No problems.
People who know there stuff please chip in on the bark up versus down or get the bark off if possible.. I was always under the assumption that bark on top locks the moisture in because it holds the most moisture please advise.. I know my round I take bark off of always dry more clean and don’t have mildew of mushrooms as bad bark on I have to use also but seems like it’s acting like a sponge so why have sponge on top? Just curious so I can do it right
Moisture is drawn out from all sides of wood. Bark up helps to shed rain. Generally, there is no appreciable gain by debarking the wood. It's not worth the time it takes. If you are having trouble keeping wood nice and dry, look for a more sunny and windy spot to stack it.
My grandfather cooked with wood, heated with wood, made axe handles out of hickory and fashioned wooden toys till the day he died at 94 years old. If I stacked firewood with the bark side down he would make me take it down and stack it correctly…bark side up.
Tks for info regarding burning wet wood. I never do but always others that do and wondering like most about it. The conversion to resin makes sense vs vaporized to gas. Tks
The answer here might depend on wood type. For red oak, keeping that bark on adds zero value and does nothing but trap moisture and bugs that wake up once in the indoor fire rack next to your stove. Any small added BTUs of the bark are not worth the downsides. Now, would i make bark removal a project, no. But if its loose when splitting, i rip it off.
Nice to meet you! It's mid-spring here. We had a freeze this morning, but not enough to hurt anything. How's your growing weather? Here, summer isn't long enough to grow good melons or large peppers.
@@homesteadknowhow In Mumbai winter is also of 19°C and if good than up-to 16°C and you can imagine what would be summer today it was 33°C but realfeel is totally different from that 😀
When you said off the ground, you need 12" of level clear air space for air flow. Then you need to know your solar path East to West. If you own your property take down a couple trees to open the canopy to add more light & airflow. Or build a 4'x4'x8' chicken coop 12" off the ground in the sun, an paint it black to draw sun light, for heat. Plus the floor should not be plywood or planking, cattle panel work better, with the floor joist 8" on centers. For better airflow.
I built a beautiful woodshed which the rats loved....now I single stack, leaving room for cats to get around the pile, the stack is longer but no more rats.
I got a 14 foot diameter steel grain bin for free all i had to do is move it home 2 miles floor was rotted off but managed to get it on my car trailer and get it home dug a 2 foot trench with pads in bottom set bin down and back filled with crushed rock put a wind turbine attic ventilator on the cap where the auger hole is. The grain bin acts like a kiln dryer it gets pretty hot in there without the wind turbine but now the heat gets sucked out the top along with the moisture there is a couple of spots that aren't sealed and let in a little snow last winter but when it warms up a little with the sun shining on the bin the snow disappeared . I put in some green wood on one side last year didn't want to mix it up but this year that wood is really dry and splitting from the drying process i just stacked nicely around the door for a barricade thet just pitch the rest in .this year I've been filling it with good deadfall its already 2 feet from roof. Ive questioned if it was a good idea to have wood in there but i figured if it can hold grain for long periods of time it should be good for wood especially with the ventilator. Now im putting the green stuff that wind has taken down in an old shed that has holes in wals but roof is good to pre dry it some while I'm using the dry stuff in the bin the old shed is my overflow storage along with some old truck sleepers they also make good wood sheds
You don't need it in the sun, but you do need a roof, not a tarp covering the sides, and that makes the sun useless anyway. Airflow is important, but most anyplace outside will get good airflow. Off the ground is good but not important just don't burn the bottom layer.
I’ve burnt wood for heat and hot water for thirty years and I learned something. Thank you.
Awesome!
@@homesteadknowhowquestion,
How long is it okay for a piece of wood to be on the ground getting wet by the rain, and me being able to use it for firewood?
Thank you for these tips!! Perfectly presented with no wasting time!
I aint got time to waste time.
Great simple video. Thanks. And thanks to those adding helpful comments as well.
My Man 20seconds in I already love this video your introduction alone is perfection I've seen 25 minute videos on how to cover wood. Thanks for keeping it simple for the newcomer.Please keep up the awesome work👍😁
Good info my friend. Good video.
(And no excessive blabber.) Been burning wood for years. I learned a thing or two.
Thank you.
Great video, short and to the point.
Glad you found it handy.
You covered some excellent points for drying wood. Just to add; Seasoning/drying wood really depends on the environment you live in. Its moderately dry where I am so I never have to cover my hardwood. If it rains it only takes a day of sun/wind to re-dry the outer wet surface. Humidity plays a major factor in drying wood, sun with high humidity levels will not dry your wood efficiently, you need lots of wind, so the greater surface area exposed the better. I stack all my wood like a fence row as I have the space. Even stacking two rows together could add 2 weeks of extra drying time. Wind is your best friend for wood drying. Thanks for the video.
I agree, I’m in a dry part of Australia.
I’d also add;
Keep your stack where you make noise/vibrations and away from chicken coops or grain, to avoid snakes nesting.
Some rain on your stack will keep Redback spiders away.
And keep watch for European Wasps flying in and out of the stack, which is a sign of a nest.
Do you stack it outside throughout the year? Regardless of winter or summer?
@@lee-irvinjacobs3927 Yes I do...I usually only burn what has been drying for 2 years or more, I also try not to keep firewood longer then 2-3 years as anything that is too dry will just burn very fast, not as fast as soft wood but you do need some moisture to keep the burn rate down.
@@jedidiah5131 noted thanks
Mine dries in 6 months in a pretty humid environment. Lots of sun and wind though
Good idea not stacking on the ground, dirt, but we have a stone driveway with large #2 stone which lets the water seep through so we can stack directly on the stone without worry. The first layer we always put the bark down do as not to absorb moisture. We usually stack bark down anyway, but don't worry about it much which way it goes as long as it's covered. We don't have great sun as we are in the woods so if the wood is stacked for a couple of years it's always good.
I have full southern exposure so I still put old lumber covers over the top. As far as chimminy fires I use rutlands creasolt remover once a week and don't worry about it. The treatment if used right turns the creasolt into non flammable material. Also I was brought up with wood and coal heat and you have to know how to run a fire properly.
I'm grateful to be alive then! Apparently, advance thinking is required when someone suggests building a fire. Putting out the fire hopefully happens seemlessly and after its purpose executed.
Thanks for the bark-side up tip.
Very helpful, thank you!
A wood shed with open walls. Keeps the rain off, gets sun and wind. Don’t have to fight with snow or coverings constantly. I split my wood in the spring and stack it uncovered for the summer. Get it to the covered woodshed before snow. I burn 7 or 8 cords a winter here in northern BC. A good hot fire keeps the chimney clean.
do you have to clean your chimney yearly?
@@jasonsharpbucks Yes, I look at it early fall, clean the cap, and brush the chimney if needed. dry wood doesn’t make creosote, but if you burn pitchy greener wood, esp. spruce or pine, you can end up with creosote buildup, which is a hazard for chimney fires. The longer your chimney is, the more condensate you produce….the smoke cools more the further it goes. In my case, the cap usually only needs cleaning..
you mean the side walls are hardware cloth with overhangs?
@@garymurawski1476 no…open, no covering on the sides…Just a foot of overhang from the roof. 6x6 poles support the roof
Norwegian's might argue stacking wood bark side up. I have always stacked bark side up and tight in rows. I am now rethinking to circular Norwegian style stacking for better airflow. Thanks for your thoughts in this video.
Thanks man, sound advice. Thanks for making the video
Love it when the wind picks up while he’s talking.
I didn't really appreciate it. Gets chilly quick out here, lol.
Great video. I didnt think to stack it bark side up. Good tip, thanks for the info.
Great info and well done. Thanks.
Great advice Thanks 🇨🇦👍
I expected to hear where the wood came from...how old the tree's were...what kind of stove he used...where he bought it...how old it was and so on. Most would turn this into a Hollywood Mini Series but NO...to the point...no rambling...WELL DONE.
Im in Kentucky, here is what ive tried. Basically every configuration. What works the best for me has been having enough firewood for 2 years. By the time the wood has sat for 2 years, covered, uncovered, in direct light or not, it tends to reach a satisfactory MC. The one thing I always ensure, is airflow. Its not difficult. Just try several different things for your climate, site, and prevailing wind/weather direction, and you'll find that drying wood is going to work best for you in 1 or 2 different ways.
Good points.
Good advice.
I was also told by a older tree cutter.
He said split the wood then stack like you said.
He said if it isn't split .
The wood will not dry.
Thanks
Wood dries several times faster if split.
You're absolutely right a couple years ago I cut up a decent size red oak the fell down during a storm I split most of it and stacked it but left some hole rounds because I was tired of splitting it by hand. The stuff I split turned out great, the whole ones were nothing but pithy mush when I went to use them. 👍
@@homesteadknowhow Thanks From Ireland ua-cam.com/video/eL7BIGnj4SA/v-deo.html
Awesome video. Thank you
Good pointers. Thanks.
Great video
Stacking wood vertically is very effective as well. Same concept as bark side up and deck boards with the growth rings “frowning”. Moisture can travel through the summer part of the growth rings but not so well through the harder winter part. I recently saw a stack like this… looked like a giant wood igloo.
Bark side up…good point.🧐👍🏻
Good info, I live in the city but good info.
Good advice.
Just to add you’ll get mold and mushrooms going if you don’t set it up to season properly. Also, space two rows apart so wind can flow. Wood piles rot in the middle so always stack. Pallets are a great way to get wood off the ground. Finally some wood like oak takes two full summers to season whereas standing dead ash can be ready in as little as 3 months. Cheers
That's true. I'l often season winter cut oak in a single season, but I split it smaller and really keep it dry
Ash can be burnt green, and if the tree was dead standing then you certainly don’t need to season…
@@homesteadknowhow Thanks 🙏 ua-cam.com/video/oAqoAgxXdyo/v-deo.html
We only season 1 year with all our white and black oaks, never had a problem at all.
great advice
Just to simplify what you have said... Single row for stacking, only cover the top to keep rain / snow from sitting and keep the pile off the ground. (you can use rocks, skids, or PT 4x4 lumber) That will do for 90% of users.
Exactly, I only cover the top layer when the forecast predicts rain or during winter.
The other layers need to have good ventilation to dry out quickly, covering the whole thing traps moisture.
Agreed. I have some strips of old tarps I put on stacks for future use only. This is to keep top free of ice and snow. If I need them It'd be late winter they'll be ready. Bark up, bark down , who gives a sh!t! Just stack it tight so it doesn't fall over lol.
great information, thank you.
Blessings From Texas🤠
I live in Brittany, France which is the wettest and dampest region here and I can attest that using a pallet to keep the bottom layer from absorbing water from the ground is essential, as well as stacking with adequate gaps between each split log to allow max. airflow and when covering - not to bring a tarpaulin down around the sides but to use corrugated metal (weighted down with rocks) to cover, allowing for max. airflow to the sides of the pile - but keeping as much rain and leaf material from falling inside the pile. Keep warm folks! Thanks for your concise video 👍👍👍
We had our stacks on pallets and one rotted and dumped the pile which then sent the whole row of it tumbling. I'm here looking for other options.
Helpful, thank you!
Thanks for the good advice!😊
Any time!
Good advice
Great video. Great tips. However, I believe wood dries better bark down. I primarily burn red oak. Split small. Debark as much as possible. On pallets and covered with sheets of used corrugated sheet metal in open area with sunlight. With a double row stacked on pallets, with air in-between, north/south stacking seems to allow all the wood to get sunlight. With east/west stacking only the south face of the row gets addaquate sun. Also, ventilation and depending on the predominate wind, plays a big part in drying. It's very rare that everyone's situation is going to be ideal for maximum drying. We're all just try to do the best we can.
I agree with you Hank. I’ve been burning wood all my life and was taught to have the back side down. The back side up actually traps moisture and insects, resulting in rot. Removing the bark as you move it in or around once it’s dried will keep the wood in good condition as well.
@@ericglaude4953 Thanks ua-cam.com/video/eL7BIGnj4SA/v-deo.html
Stacking wood between two trees is not a good idea either. When the wind blows the stack collapses.
Thank you!
Nice video thanks 👍🏻👍🏻
I'm going to stack my firewood at the local Wal Mart parking lot. Just kidding! Good advise and thanks for the post.
Thank you
Great pointers
I'm anal about stacking bark side up.
I leave my drying wood uncovered.
I wind up moving 14 faces nearer to my home, stack it ( hopefully before it's full of leaves ) and the use lumber wraps to cover it to keep the snow off. I try and stay two years ahead so between my home and shop I try to have 50 to 60 face cord stacked by fall.
I buy 10 pole cord semi loads of 100 inch, cut it to 16 /18 inches and generally wind up with about 23 face cord of splits.
I split stacked and covered stuff up in early October.
It's mid November now and we just got 16 inches of wet early snow here in Northern Michigan.
Here, just north of Grand Rapids, we got about a foot of snow.
I dry for 2 years. It gets covered 3 months before the first fire. Works well!
Thanks!
Great Video!
Going to share.
Hope to see more videos in the future as I'll probably burn through all your existing videos in a day.
Hope all is well and God bless.
I'm actually running a different channel right now. Found out I can't do two at once.
Thank you.
Great info
Thanks, glad you found it helpful
Good tips!
Thanks. It's basic, but we often fail to teach the basics well.
@@homesteadknowhow some people are searching for the basics!
Old swimming pool covers excellent covering
Awesome tips
Thanks.
I totally forgot at 50 years old to sea
I totally forgot to season the wood and test the moisture content
Thanks dude
Thanx
This is more or less exactly how I stack wet wood that gets rounded up as it falls. That bottom row is the worst pieces to protect better wood, and it's allowed to dry slowly out there where it's cut until dry, generally two years. At that point it's brought in and stored dry.
Thanks
I cover mine with a piece of plywood. Tarps blow off, and hold moisture and attract spiders, mice, and ants.
All good points. Good video! One thing I would add is to keep you stacked firewood a good distance from your house as it is a safe hiding place for small rodents seeking other shelters.
Also never stack it between two live trees like he did, when a grass/leaf fire runs through, and they do from time to time, the pile will catch fire and kill the trees they are stacked between.
Or you can get termites into your house, which happened to my dad.
Purchase tarps with gromets sized to cover top of pile & hang approx. 1 to 1 1/2 feet over the sides. To keep the tarp in place use a cordless drill, hold each gromet against the wood & drill hole with a 3/16" drill bit through the gromet & into the wood. Use eyehooks to screw through the gromets & into the wood. Hand tighten eyehooks to secure tarp to wood. As you use firewood just drill new holes as needed & reattach tarp. This works really well even with windy conditions.
That's a good idea.
Thanks, just pass it on. I've been using firewood for heat for 34 years & just figured this method out 3 years ago.@@homesteadknowhow
I have been burning wood for many years now and never cover my piles, as it hold moisture and doesn't allow wind and sun to dry it. I strongly recommend not covering, or if you do to only cover the top and never the sides.
Rain will not penetrate wood if it's off the ground.
I live in a maritime environment btw.
We have a crushed stone (2B) driveway. I lay pressure treated fencing rails parallel about 16 inches apart to keep wood off ground. The fence rails are about 22 years old so I know they last. Works great, for drainage & air flow. I leave the wood uncovered for 6 months to a year, then cover the top & about 1foot down the sides attaching with eye hooks through the gromets into the cut ends of the wood stacks. As you use the wood move the eyehooks down. Works great, tarp doesn't blow off & top layer of wood is always stove seasoned.
Sounds like a lot of work. I purchased about 100 bricks. I cut pieces of synthetic rope (sisal rots) to about 2 feet longer than the wood pile is wide. I tie a brick to each end and drape the line over a tarp that has been cut about 1 foot wider than the pile. You can use the tarps and rope/bricks over and over as you go through the piles of firewood. I just keep them stacked in the shed, when they are easily accessed when I cut new wood that needs seasoning.
I leave my wood stacked off the ground uncovered. Around Labor Day,I cover it with a tarp to keep it dry.
Good morning my friend
Mornin
Never thought of the bark placement. Thanks. On a more serious note, burning the damp wood at times, 'she' is always saying I smell smoke, the fire isn't burning right, I can hear it hissing or steaming. Over an over I've argued back like an idiot, get it hot enough and anything will burn!! Like my old man always said burning OUTSIDE. She was right, no more wet/damp wood inside to avoid creosote build up!!
I wonder if we should have some Woodstove classes that actually demonstrate the process then beginners get hands on learning. I mean in school they teach us how to bake cookies and mathematics but heat especially in Northern climates should be essential. The process can be overwhelming and fearful to newcomers as we hear stories of chimney fires by even by experienced wood stove owners. Chainsaw accidents. I bought a woodstove for my garage so I can get a better understanding of how it actually works coming from a town that has natural gas to living in the country, I have become confident with a pellet stove but would like to graduate to a wood stove in case of power outages. Thanks for the tips!
That's an interesting idea. Wood stoves are a very unique piece of equipment and do have special quirks and concerns.
Never thought I’d get useful tips on storing firewood from Adam Sandler.
I'll take that as a complement.
I've just started (about 6 months ago) cutting my own wood.
Here in Scotland we get a lot of precipitation at the moment in winter, and not much sunlight intensity.
I store it on a pallet but recently swapped the translucent tarpaulins for sheets of MDF as I felt the tarps were holding 'sweat'.
Are you saying I should remove the covers until the wood is dry?
Just be sure there's good airflow
@@homesteadknowhow
Thanks for replying.
I had been piling it on the pallets randomly to maximise surface area. Will try to get the side that was coated with bark facing the sky.
PS. Great, concise video. Learned or reinforced more in under 4 minutes than all the other videos combined. 👍
Build a shed with spaces between the wall boards. I cut and split it a year before it will be used. The firewood spends a year seasoning. Then goes under a covered deck before it gets burned
Good idea.
Once the sap moisture is gone it never comes back. I never cover my stack. Let the sun and wind hit it. No cover. No need.
In the sun and out of the woods works GREAT, until your cabin is in the deep shady woods. Otherwise, bark-up, with a top cover works fine (just may take more time), and then of course once dry totally covered is preferred.
I always finish completely drying it in a stack near the stove.
Thank you! :)
Sure thing bud!
Very informative. Question: I've been told that pine species are the most likely to leave creosote buildup. Do you find this to be true, or is it simply wet wood is more likely? Thanks
Wet wood causes creasote buildup.
I’ve always been told you should never burn pine indoors because of the creosote it gives off in your chimney. Burn the pine in an outdoor fire pit
Pine/soft wood species have more resins in the wood fibers and therefore typically create more smoke when burning which results in more and faster creosote buildup. I think if you’re burning a soft wood like pine, it’s best to make sure it is seasoned really well (2 year minimum is probably best) and try not to be your primary fuel. Pine is great for kindling to use as a fire starter because it catches fire easily, quickly, and it’s pretty hot when first ignited.
If the wood is touching the ground, aren't you likely to get termites in it? I had termites in mine until I put it up on a steel wood holder in my yard. Other solutions? Or wrong solution? I would like to hear.
Honestly, I've not had termites in a wood pile.
I burn red oak exclusively. There's more red oak on my property than I could ever use. I've found that very few insects will attack red oak. I season mine about 2 years before use. No problems.
People who know there stuff please chip in on the bark up versus down or get the bark off if possible.. I was always under the assumption that bark on top locks the moisture in because it holds the most moisture please advise.. I know my round I take bark off of always dry more clean and don’t have mildew of mushrooms as bad bark on I have to use also but seems like it’s acting like a sponge so why have sponge on top? Just curious so I can do it right
Moisture is drawn out from all sides of wood. Bark up helps to shed rain. Generally, there is no appreciable gain by debarking the wood. It's not worth the time it takes. If you are having trouble keeping wood nice and dry, look for a more sunny and windy spot to stack it.
@@homesteadknowhow Is rain an issue if wood is covered?
My grandfather cooked with wood, heated with wood, made axe handles out of hickory and fashioned wooden toys till the day he died at 94 years old. If I stacked firewood with the bark side down he would make me take it down and stack it correctly…bark side up.
Tks for info regarding burning wet wood. I never do but always others that do and wondering like most about it. The conversion to resin makes sense vs vaporized to gas. Tks
❤
Just cover the top. DO NOTwrap
Do NOT wrap or cover the pile all the way to the bottom. That will just trap moisture under the tarp a make it worse than no cover at all
Good point.
Agree. I would think corrugated metal would work as well as anything and has longevity unlike plywood and tarps.
Should I debark the wood before storing?
nope
Nope, the bark actually helps it to stay dry and adds a bit more fuel value.
The answer here might depend on wood type. For red oak, keeping that bark on adds zero value and does nothing but trap moisture and bugs that wake up once in the indoor fire rack next to your stove. Any small added BTUs of the bark are not worth the downsides. Now, would i make bark removal a project, no. But if its loose when splitting, i rip it off.
Cover in case of an ice storm. If yo don't you will have no fire wood because you won't be able to get it apart. Don't ask.
If you cabin stack the ends of your piles you don't need to put them between posts or trees, they're free standing
I've been doing that lately.
Now I have re-stack 5 chord, thanks I guess.
How do you keep snakes out of it
That's never really been a concern. I don't think I've ever seen a snake in my woodpile.
May sure ur neighbors aren't Democrats
@@mikekemper9566 Funny!
Why. Most snakes in woodpiles would be the beneficial black snake. They need habitat.I agree I've never had a snake in my stacked wood.
Hi I'm from India 😀 it's summer here ufff just seeing for entertainment and for future help 😁
Nice to meet you! It's mid-spring here. We had a freeze this morning, but not enough to hurt anything. How's your growing weather? Here, summer isn't long enough to grow good melons or large peppers.
@@homesteadknowhow In Mumbai winter is also of 19°C and if good than up-to 16°C and you can imagine what would be summer today it was 33°C but realfeel is totally different from that 😀
@@homesteadknowhow I want to visit Arctic circle countries I heard that there is six months of night and 6 months of day
I have friends in Alaska who talk about a month without nights.
It's a warm 65 degrees Fahrenheit today, that'd be about 18 C .
When you said off the ground, you need 12" of level clear air space for air flow. Then you need to know your solar path East to West. If you own your property take down a couple trees to open the canopy to add more light & airflow. Or build a 4'x4'x8' chicken coop 12" off the ground in the sun, an paint it black to draw sun light, for heat. Plus the floor should not be plywood or planking, cattle panel work better, with the floor joist 8" on centers. For better airflow.
Rule #6 - build a woodshed!
I'm saving up for a shed to use as office space.
Been burning wood my whole life. 50+years. Had a chimney fire last year. Terrifying. I got it out but was freaked enough to call 911.
Definitely not something to scoff at.
Impossible to clean a creosote glazed Chimney .
Stacking wood in the sun is a great idea, but living in the woods that's not entirely feasible. Great advice though!
If you can do it, that full sun contact will really bake the moisture out of split wood.
I take old scans of plywood or rubber roofing and tack it on top ,,,wood always dry!!
At'd do it
bark side up,makes since,thanks
I use tar paper.
I built a beautiful woodshed which the rats loved....now I single stack, leaving room for cats to get around the pile, the stack is longer but no more rats.
I'm lucky to have never seen a rat nearby.
Jack Dorsey?
Wouldn’t the tarp defeat the Sun method 😂
Worst thing you can do is stake a Tarp around your dry wood. It creates a moisture tent and your wood will absolutely mold, grow fungus, and rot.
I try to get my wood down to 20 percent before I burn it
Do you test it? I have been wanting a moisture tester.
I got a 14 foot diameter steel grain bin for free all i had to do is move it home 2 miles floor was rotted off but managed to get it on my car trailer and get it home dug a 2 foot trench with pads in bottom set bin down and back filled with crushed rock put a wind turbine attic ventilator on the cap where the auger hole is. The grain bin acts like a kiln dryer it gets pretty hot in there without the wind turbine but now the heat gets sucked out the top along with the moisture there is a couple of spots that aren't sealed and let in a little snow last winter but when it warms up a little with the sun shining on the bin the snow disappeared . I put in some green wood on one side last year didn't want to mix it up but this year that wood is really dry and splitting from the drying process i just stacked nicely around the door for a barricade thet just pitch the rest in .this year I've been filling it with good deadfall its already 2 feet from roof. Ive questioned if it was a good idea to have wood in there but i figured if it can hold grain for long periods of time it should be good for wood especially with the ventilator. Now im putting the green stuff that wind has taken down in an old shed that has holes in wals but roof is good to pre dry it some while I'm using the dry stuff in the bin the old shed is my overflow storage along with some old truck sleepers they also make good wood sheds
You don't need it in the sun, but you do need a roof, not a tarp covering the sides, and that makes the sun useless anyway. Airflow is important, but most anyplace outside will get good airflow. Off the ground is good but not important just don't burn the bottom layer.
This wouldn't work in the west of Scotland build a shed
FFS. It's firewood. Stack it so it has a little air flow, keep the rain off of it and just wait till it's seasoned(dry).
Just store it up against your house. 🤔
Best way to store wood outside is to store it inside.
As long as you have space. I live in a single-wide trailer with a wife and 5 kids. Gotta keep mine outside.