I do cover my wood as well. The only thing I do different is that I put a pallet or a piece of plywood on top of the pile and then a tarp. I have found this to be the best method. It increase air flow at the top of the pile, lessens condensation from the tarp touching the wood, zero chance of creating puddles that may cause more problems because it is a flat surface and it makes it easier to remove the tarp. It is a little more work and more material needed but you get the best results that way, I find. Congrats on your channel, lots of very good information.
There is a difference between dry wood and seasoned wood. A seasoned pile will get wet from rain, not dry but still seasoned and it will burn fine. Unseasoned wood that looks and feels dry will give you a messy, smokey fire. Terminology maybe but it matters to me!
no. ive burned alot of kiln dryed wood un seasoned and it burns just fine less smoke than good air dry. the moisture matters the most. sun does degrade the wood so it possibly may get a char going faster but dry is dry.
The moisture that leaves when the wood is seasoned is cellular water. Once gone, it does not come back. Rainwater might make the wood a bit harder to light, but it dries off in a few minutes and does not affect how the wood burns. I don't think it makes much difference if you cover it or not, aside from your comment about ice and snow buildup, which is annoying. Especially having to chip out a piece to burn after an ice storm. Thanks for the video, it was informative. Thanks.
Yup, I said 6 1/2 -7 foot high it is stacked as high as I can reach which is about 7 feet I am 6 foot and it is about a 6-12" over my head, next time I will measure it with a tape so that I can give you a measurement to the inch.
Glad I found you-I’m in NH and always burn wood and have for 40+ years…couldn’t live here without burning wood-it makes New England I think…great tips. Love your channel, am a new subscriber…thumbs up to you…
Texoma here. I have a wood burning stove. In order of priority: - Amount of seasoning/aging - Type of species - Moisture content I cover the top of a stack... when I'm able. A wood shed is on my (7 year old) ta-do list. Beyond that, my most ragged tarps take up the wood covering duties. I got caught in the Feb. 2021 winter storm with not enough wood and was reduced driving around my land and scavenging the leavings from the county tree service that rolls through every 3-4 years. I was burning some wet, unsplit (yet aged) wood. What I took away from the experience... I can burn nearly anything... so long as my stove gets one good burn/builds up a good bed of coals AND I have good dry kindling. Really enjoy your videos. Well done.
I'm new to wood burning. Only very recently installed a wood stove and im trying to get ready for my first winter this coming year. Could an argument be made that it would be best to leave it uncovered through the summer and then cover it about a month before you intend to burn it? Kind of the best of both worlds?
My biggest issue with uncovered wood is that typically when I needed it the most, it’s always wet. If the top 6-8 pieces down are all wet (even just 40% saturated) it does me no good to have to move 6-8 rows just to get to the good dry stuff. He obviously sells it, and stores it here in his property so it seems to work for him. That pile was right by your head so unless you’re 7-foot tall, there’s no way that cord face was 7 foot high 😂 Thanks for the vid. Good stuff
I leave my wood uncovered during the entire season (a year for most wood and two years for oak). In October, I only cover the top of the wood I plan to use for the coming winter in order to keep it dry and snow free. When fire season is over, the tarps come off again. This also reduces the number of critters usually sheltering under the covered wood.
8' x 16' crib. galvanized sloped roof. No walls. I heat with firewood and have my own home depot splitter and neighboring forest. I used to open-air. But it just boiled in the wood stove for a while. Always damp. Now this stuff is absolutely bone dry, single piece of cardboard will light it. It also seasons for 2 years give or take.
I agree 100%. This summer, in NH, it rained 22 days in June, the rest of summer was either raining or humid. If my wood wasn't covered there's no way I'd be keeping warm now that it's January. I never understood why wouldn't people cover it?
I have been around kilns in 3 different mills , one mill cranking out over 1 million board feet per shift. Kilns normally have water spray into and on lumber periodically after it reach a certain temperature, for a certain amout of time . Spray is based on a combination of temperature and humidity. Wood that gets to dry insulates so moisture is protected, by spraying in water it helps to drive a certain amount of water in to wick moisture out and also to prevent warpage. But old timers did just as you do to air dry lumber, cover it or stack out of direct rain and sun.
I dry hardwood in open shelter,but here in Ireland,heavy driving rain almost always hits bottom of my stack,about a metre high.Is this a problem at seasoning firewood?
I don’t cover my wood. I have about a cord in the garage. Try and keep it filled up so don’t burn wood just brought in for couple weeks. I wanna build a wood shed that hold 8 cords. I try to hear my house close to 100 percent with wood.
And I thought 175 was alot I have some green house plastic 5 years old still like new . The plastic gives it greenhouse effect and dries faster also have lots of tin
YOU SHOULD BUY BIG WARE HOUSE LIKE AND OLD WALKMART MILLION SQUARE FEET AND STORE ALL YOUR FIREWOOD IN SIDE AND CRANK UP THE HEAT TO 200 DEGREES FOR YEAR YOU SHOULD HAVE BONEY DRY FIREWOOD
I haven't covered my wood in years I use the natural bark to cover it I flip all my cuts bark down all the way up too the last two or three rows on top I face the bark up the bark on top works as a water barrier and the rain rolls off I live north of you so if it works here it will work there
Hi Chris, Maybe I'm losing it, but if you look at frame 2:18 of this video, right in the middle of the screen there is a tiny figure in the middle of the shot looking up to where you are pointing. The image appears to be wearing a bonnet. I used to be a professional video editor. We notice everything on the screen. I tend to offer critique of movies in real time. Irritates my wife to no end! LOL ;-)) shalom/gw
I use e.p.d.m. a synthetic rubber from commercial reroof job cast offs. It is free and will last a lifetime. Also it would only end up in a landfill. No sharp edge to cut one either. It heats up in the sun so probably aids in convection too. One can size it with a pair of scissors or glue pieces together to get the size needed.
Chris great videos one thing that I learned from Ohio burn is the importance of having dry wood and what happens to your home and chimly after burning wet wood gotta do something like he did and present it to you the viewers really interesting he had a chimly Sweeper that had a business then his location and talked about it was really really interesting thanks lot have a good day
Wood needs to breath a little rain will not hurt it and as long as it is off the ground on pallets it should dry fast and stay dry. I only cover the top before the snow comes.
I store my wood in a covered carport (like they sell on the side of the road), because I have the space and more importantly, the ground under there stays dry. We only get snow 2-3 times a year and it rarely stays around long, so no problem there. From what I have read, wood like oak that dries slowly also is the most resistant to absorbing water. The only wood I have uncovered is my emergency wood that is about a face cord that I keep near the house in case of snow. It is always oak that has been seasoned for at least two years and it is always dry except the very edges like you showed. I see a great deal of people in the South that never cover their wood, but then many of those folks are fairly poor and tarps are all being used to keep the roof from leaking. Just kidding, I thought yo might enjoy a little self-deprecating Southern humor.
HA! Sounds a lot like the UP of Michigan! As far as wicking moisture from the ground white oak and it's family like burr oak do not wick moisture much at all that's why it was used in ship building for wooden boats back in the old days. Red oak an it's family wick moisture tremendously!
I learned the hard way with my first small stack of wood. Covered it completely with a tarp and 7 months later the entire thing is caked in green mold. Currently building a ventilated wood shed, but now I'm wondering if it's worth the effort to keep the elements (except wind) away from the logs).
I would happen to run across this video after I purchased a fancy wood rack and a cover that completely covers the wood off Amazon. Us city boys could learn a thing or two from you rural fellas.
Great video!!! Learn a lot from your video indeed.... I have a question.. why does my wood keep having ants termites as I'm trying to let it season for a year or for a season ???
Make sure it is off the ground and on pallets, maybe 2 layers, and in the sun as much as possible , wind and sun will help. If you cover it before it dries it can rot too.
Frozen wood is not a bad thing. Water expands and does its thing in the seasoning process. A big creaking wood stack from water expanding in the splits really helps dry that wood out from the inside out.
this was very informative .... i use tin & tarps. But the comment about not letting the tarps hang to the ground to keep fungus from growing was a good tip
I cover just the top with recycleed rubber roof cut 24"x 10' strips the stuff is great and I can just roll it up set it a side till I need to use it again
Chris, thanks for all your great videos. I know it is very time consuming and we all appreciate the important tips you have. I have 8 cords of wood this year all split small and stacked on skids since Mar-Apr. I bought it green and age it my self. It is mostly oak with some maple and elm mixed in. Currently it is uncovered and I may cover the tops with tarps in Oct. I have a bunch of old auto tires to go on the top for weight and that seems to work well. Thanks again for all your videos and I will be eagerly awaiting your future videos.
Hey Chris. I meant to say something on your last covering video. Check your local lumberyards for lumber covers. Most of them end up in a dumpster. I get them at my local yard for $1 each. They hold up very well to the weather.
All that split wood sure is straight.. Mine's all crooked and knotted. I have Sugar Maple and Black Locust. My Walnut & American beech is split straight. Mine is uncovered along a chain link fence pointing West and East.. I'll cover it with a cheap blue tarp come fall. Last year I didn't have that much and I put it in a metal shed.
I leave my wood uncovered in the summer time to season faster I only cover what wood I will be burning in the winter time so it will stay dry. I also bring wood inside my garage by my wood furnace so it can worm up and make sure it gets s dry I get better heat results with dry firewood and it seem to burn a little slower.
Good information here. I do about one tenth of the volume you do 50 to 75 facechords. I don't normally cover it because I usually sell out before the snow comes. I also sell most of my wood in the spring before it's fully dry and the purchaser is responsible for dry it the rest of the way. Thanks for sharing your thoughts
I have 8 face chords, 1 of which i keep tarped just over the top whenever there is 50% chance of rain. So i do remove the tarp otherwise. The rest are not covered. All hardwoods. I have limited sunshine exposure here, I'm mostly wooded with two face chords getting about 6 hrs sunshine per day if/when the sun shines.
Oak will last the longest, maybe a lifetime? If it is kept dry and off the ground most other wood the bugs can turn to powder after a few years. Think about the wood products in your home, tables, trim, chairs, furniture, wall studs, as long as they are dry and the bugs stay away they will last a very long time.
I have covered the wood stacks and I have also had many that I didn't. I live in Kansas where we don't get the snows that you do. I can not tell the difference when I sell them. The advantage to me is when you go to load it the covered wood is much more clean and easier to handle. If I do cover I also use clear plastic sheeting.
I like to cure my stovewood for 2 yr, or at least, 2 summers. I have a wood storage shed where my split wood is stored for the 2 years. It has one east facing open side and a 1" gap between the vertical side boards on the other three sides. But now, I'm wondering if storing the wood completely outside and exposed to the elements and the sun might be even better?! I have already split my wood for burning in two years and have stacked it up outside, fully exposed. I have a storage area inside the house where I move the wood to in the autumn. I think with this wood, I'll bring it inside a little earlier, perhaps the end of August, to allow for all the superficial moisture to evaporate before burning. I'm excited to see how this pile of red oak will burn at that point. ALWAYS LOOKING FOR BETTER OR MORE EFFICACIOUS WAYS OF GETTING THE JOB DONE!
Your evidence based observations are the best on utube on drying wood. Excellent useful information a lot of folks should find useful. Sound high quality wood sheds water like shingles as you observed so if piles are tall and narrow perhaps all the hassle with tarps is not worth the effort. Because I scrounge a lot of my wood from windfalls some of it may not be entirely sound and it acts like a sponge after every rain I have to keep it covered all the time to dry it and keep it that way. You would never sell that kind of wood but it heats fine in the shoulder seasons in my wood heater as long as it is absolutely dry.
Ronald, you are not just another pretty face, you are smart too! Your statement about the not so perfect wood is true, punky wood does burn but I don't want to sell it and it is like a sponge!
Both my parents have a shed and any extra is covered only on top with a tarp. We have stacked up slab wood not covered and even after a couple of months was very dry because it’s relatively thin and even with snow on it was still fine to burn, just knock the ice and snow off before you bring it inside where it melts and makes the surface wet again.
Home owner cutting my own wood. I’m tarping BUTT WRONG Completely covering w plastic tarps in my diy wooden storage frames. I will now get a heavy clear roll of plastic. Then cut my own to size just covering top. Great video Thanks
Chris, I cover my wood with old metal roofing. This works well except for very windy days. I think it makes sense to keep the water and snow off of it.
Holy buckets, 550 face cords in your yard! 14 full cords in our yard at the moment, between halloween & thanksgiving we usually go w corrugated sheet metal to keep the snow off, otherwise it’s uncovered most of the year. Keep the splits small and it dries pretty well uncovered, IMO.
Same as you, I kid you not.😁 Lumber yard tarps cut to size, weighted with junks and best of all, they’re free. Also, like you, the tarps are only used for the winter months. Have thought about building a nice wood shelter, thinking it would look better. However, sheltering 12 cords in one block is not ideal for seasoning.
Moved into my house about 5 yrs ago. Huge tree fell about a year in. Bucked it up and split said tree. Stacked it all off the ground. Used cardboard on top only cause it's what I had a ton of from purchases that I made for various crap for the house. After 9 to 12 mos cardboard would start to get a little ragged looking, so I'd pull it off, burn it in the firepit. I'd just replace it with new cardboard. Wood has no rot, burns great. I was surprised at how quick the moisture levels got down below 20%.
I'm much more aggressive with covering the wood with large tarps that prevent rain/snow from getting at the wood even from the sides. Our firewood (personal use in a woodstove that heats the house and is the primary source of heat all winter) dries for three or four years before it gets used, and it's bone dry when it gets used. Even moisture from rain/snow has a negative effect on how it burns in the woodstove. All our wood is up on pallets so not in contact with the ground at all. There's enough airflow (I tend to rig the tarps with rope as an A-frame or tent style -- not laying directly on the wood pile) that it does dry out. I don't worry about space between the piles for the most part. I have several stacks, so all the wood isn't in one place, but that's more about available space than a concern to separate it, and one stack in particular is well clumped together with little room between the stacks. But this isn't really rocket science, so I don't know that it matters too much -- you do you and that's fine.
one wood is below its grain saturation point it is hard for it to get wet agen. thats why after a rain, only the outside of wood is wet inside is dry. as wood drys the grain cells shrink and below 30 percent they cant expand agen they permanently have shrunk. Wi has generally 2 humidity lvs in dryed wood summer its around 15 to 17 percent equal Librium and winter ive seen it down to 9 percent. due to our low winter humidity. another good video tho. i myself dont tarp till fall. cuz yes breaking a frozen log pile apart sucks.
When I stack my wood into the woodshed in spring it is down to 8-10% moisture by the fall . Now at the woodlot where I stack my extra wood ,I only cover the tops off the ground on pallets
What kind of wood and is it green when you cut and split it and where do you live, all of those things are factors to the speed of drying. Thanks for watching David!
I live in eastern Ontario Canada,, we burn oak, ash,elm,popular,maple, beach. We are giving the fresh cut trees but I have so mush it usually takes me a couple years before I get around to splitting it. Right now I am doing wood from a tree cut in late November 2019
Chris-as a small scale wood home heater-I cover all my wood. I have determined that it’s worth the extra 3-4 bucks to buy the black/silver tarps vs the cheap blue tarps. Triple the life expectancy.
I do not cover my wood in the stack where it is drying. It is in a wide-open location exposed to the Kansas wind and sun. The stack by the house that I pull to burn from I cover when it snows so that it is not a frozen block of snow and ice. But as soon as it stops snowing and drifting, I remove the tarp. Wind and Sunshine we have lots of here, and wood dries fast under those conditions.
Thanks for the great video! Very nice wood yard! I'd definately buy from you! Well I dont have the volume but have been burning for awhile. I always cover the tops as you do. After your video I may uncover during the summer months. Very informative content! Best Wishes......
The two times I covered my firewood (thinking it was a good idea), I had red squirrels move in underneath. They built nests and stogged all the nooks and crannies full of pine cones, making a helluva dusty mess...open air works fine.
good call, by then the squirrels would be settled in somewhere else for the winter...but that would only work if the wood was being seasoned for one year only, or otherwise the cover would have to be removed in the spring and 'til the following late fall.
If you cover your wood properly it drys faster than not covering. Plastics is not the best, I use pallets that are covered with aluminum. Much better air flow.
I do cover because I stack tight and in double rows. I'll still get a little sheet fungus growing between the stacked pieces here and there but just on some red oak usually that still has bark that was partially decayed before it was stacked. I just cover for winter snow and to keep the center between the two rows dry. If I had the room for single rows and didn't OCD on tight neat stacks I don't think there's a need to cover; except when the firewood is getting close to it's best if used by date, and one wants to keep presentation quality high instead of having to explain it's just wet from rain and if placed under cover, it will be dry and perfect again in a few days. I remember it was just starting to rain once and predicted to go on all night so I loaded in a light shower and put it in the shed overnight. That got the askance look or two and at least a couple explanations during delivery the next day!
Hey Chris thanks for the video. What would you suggest if the only place I have to stack wood is in a low lying area which would get some sun and with minimal wind? I'd like your opinion. Thank you.
The best place for wood to dry is in the open on a hill so the sun and wind can hit it. But if you only have a low area, be sure to get it off the ground as much as you can. Maybe double pallets... that is what I would do and stack it as high as you can to catch any wind too! Good luck Chet!
Chris, I cover my wood from Nov 1st to sometime in March. We live in New Hampshire and I don’t want snow sitting on the wood for months at a time. I just cover my round 3 cord piles with a tarp on top. The straight 1 cord piles have roofing shingles over the top held with bricks. All wood sits 2 summer before it gets burned.
This year i stacked 5 full cord of wood under my carport, it gets sunlight on the sides and plenty of air flow all around. I also stacked about 8 face cord next to the carport which i will cover on top. I stack the wood on pallets then place pallets on top of the stacks, place flat boards on the pallets then cover that with tarps and place old tires on top to hold the tarps in place. The tarps keep rain and snow off the wood and the pallets on top allow air flow across the top of the wood. Its not pretty but it works.
I have planted thousands of trees over the years on our tree farm and on the properties I have cut on. And the logger I buy a lot log truckloads from plants tens of thousands of trees every year on his 58 tree farms. Also in nature when you cut a mature tree down dozens of trees grow back in its place, it is the worlds most renewable natural resource. How many trees have you planted?
Wood will stil dry in the winter because of low humidity sucking out moisture even if it is frozen. Ice cubes left for a few months in the freezer will shrink from loss of moisture.
A store used a stove for heat and it was built to burn saw dust. It had a fan and tube system to blow the saw dust apart to keep it burning. The lady that used said with this system it would light and burn anything. It had two fans one for the tube system and one to disperse the heat.
Subscribed because I enjoyed your video and after reading through the comments, I appreciate your engagement with your audience in such a kind and respectful manner. We need more of that sir! Thanks for the video.
I just started doing wood in the beginning of this year and have noticed that wood that was uncovered for 6 months since March is completely Seasond and dry and ready to burn.
![ผัวเถื่อน - ยูริ โตเกียวมิวสิค [ OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/P08ORRVDGl8/mqdefault.jpg)
I used to cover my wood... But then I had a vasectomy, and I don't bother anymore...😂🇦🇺
Ya, heard that one before! It's a good one!
Lol good one
I do cover my wood as well. The only thing I do different is that I put a pallet or a piece of plywood on top of the pile and then a tarp. I have found this to be the best method. It increase air flow at the top of the pile, lessens condensation from the tarp touching the wood, zero chance of creating puddles that may cause more problems because it is a flat surface and it makes it easier to remove the tarp. It is a little more work and more material needed but you get the best results that way, I find. Congrats on your channel, lots of very good information.
Thanks Alain, good idea!
the advantage of a tarp vs plastic sheeting is that the tarps have grommets that you can use to tie it down easily.
There is a difference between dry wood and seasoned wood. A seasoned pile will get wet from rain, not dry but still seasoned and it will burn fine. Unseasoned wood that looks and feels dry will give you a messy, smokey fire. Terminology maybe but it matters to me!
You stated that perfectly and agree! Next time I will get it correct! Thanks!
Thanks guys. I'm taking the tarp off tonight. That makes perfect sense. My wood has been burning smokey because it hasn't been properly seasoned
no. ive burned alot of kiln dryed wood un seasoned and it burns just fine less smoke than good air dry. the moisture matters the most. sun does degrade the wood so it possibly may get a char going faster but dry is dry.
My god you did some nice work ! Most people who sell fire wood just have big heap from the conveyor . Nobody stacks firewood .
Thanks David!
The moisture that leaves when the wood is seasoned is cellular water. Once gone, it does not come back. Rainwater might make the wood a bit harder to light, but it dries off in a few minutes and does not affect how the wood burns. I don't think it makes much difference if you cover it or not, aside from your comment about ice and snow buildup, which is annoying. Especially having to chip out a piece to burn after an ice storm. Thanks for the video, it was informative. Thanks.
Thanks Ian, you are correct, the rain moisture dries fast!
7' high? LOL let me guess, you always catch the "big fish," right?
Yup, I said 6 1/2 -7 foot high it is stacked as high as I can reach which is about 7 feet I am 6 foot and it is about a 6-12" over my head, next time I will measure it with a tape so that I can give you a measurement to the inch.
Glad I found you-I’m in NH and always burn wood and have for 40+ years…couldn’t live here without burning wood-it makes New England I think…great tips. Love your channel, am a new subscriber…thumbs up to you…
That is awesome! Thanks!
Texoma here. I have a wood burning stove.
In order of priority:
- Amount of seasoning/aging
- Type of species
- Moisture content
I cover the top of a stack... when I'm able. A wood shed is on my (7 year old) ta-do list. Beyond that, my most ragged tarps take up the wood covering duties.
I got caught in the Feb. 2021 winter storm with not enough wood and was reduced driving around my land and scavenging the leavings from the county tree service that rolls through every 3-4 years. I was burning some wet, unsplit (yet aged) wood. What I took away from the experience... I can burn nearly anything... so long as my stove gets one good burn/builds up a good bed of coals AND I have good dry kindling.
Really enjoy your videos. Well done.
Thanks a bunch for watching!
I'm new to wood burning. Only very recently installed a wood stove and im trying to get ready for my first winter this coming year. Could an argument be made that it would be best to leave it uncovered through the summer and then cover it about a month before you intend to burn it? Kind of the best of both worlds?
YES! yes! and Yes! Good one, let the wind and sun work!
Same backround music was used by Mac Miller on one of his first mix tapes if anyone knows the song drop it below! Haha
My biggest issue with uncovered wood is that typically when I needed it the most, it’s always wet. If the top 6-8 pieces down are all wet (even just 40% saturated) it does me no good to have to move 6-8 rows just to get to the good dry stuff. He obviously sells it, and stores it here in his property so it seems to work for him. That pile was right by your head so unless you’re 7-foot tall, there’s no way that cord face was 7 foot high 😂
Thanks for the vid. Good stuff
Thanks for watching!
I leave my wood uncovered during the entire season (a year for most wood and two years for oak). In October, I only cover the top of the wood I plan to use for the coming winter in order to keep it dry and snow free. When fire season is over, the tarps come off again. This also reduces the number of critters usually sheltering under the covered wood.
Sounds great, that is a good system you have!
8' x 16' crib. galvanized sloped roof. No walls. I heat with firewood and have my own home depot splitter and neighboring forest. I used to open-air. But it just boiled in the wood stove for a while. Always damp. Now this stuff is absolutely bone dry, single piece of cardboard will light it. It also seasons for 2 years give or take.
Very nice! Sounds like a good set up, nothing like dry wood!
I agree 100%. This summer, in NH, it rained 22 days in June, the rest of summer was either raining or humid. If my wood wasn't covered there's no way I'd be keeping warm now that it's January. I never understood why wouldn't people cover it?
I now leave my wood uncovered on pallets for 6-8 months in a wide open field and it dries great, but before snow I like to cover it.
I have been around kilns in 3 different mills , one mill cranking out over 1 million board feet per shift. Kilns normally have water spray into and on lumber periodically after it reach a certain temperature, for a certain amout of time . Spray is based on a combination of temperature and humidity. Wood that gets to dry insulates so moisture is protected, by spraying in water it helps to drive a certain amount of water in to wick moisture out and also to prevent warpage. But old timers did just as you do to air dry lumber, cover it or stack out of direct rain and sun.
Thanks again for the info Ed, I learn a lot for guys like you on the comments!
I dry hardwood in open shelter,but here in Ireland,heavy driving rain almost always hits bottom of my stack,about a metre high.Is this a problem at seasoning firewood?
Drier is better. Especially so if you do not ever get completely dry on the bottom with rain hitting it...maybe an overhang that is wider??
ICare my wood for year-and-a-half I do not cover it
I only cover it before it snows because I sell it and want it dry for the customers.
I don’t cover my wood. I have about a cord in the garage. Try and keep it filled up so don’t burn wood just brought in for couple weeks. I wanna build a wood shed that hold 8 cords. I try to hear my house close to 100 percent with wood.
Sounds like you have a good plan!
And I thought 175 was alot I have some green house plastic 5 years old still like new . The plastic gives it greenhouse effect and dries faster also have lots of tin
Green house plastic, good idea, I'll check it out!
I used to not cover my wood….but then someone called the police. Now the judge says I have to cover my wood 😞
That sounds strange.
I’m sure I must be missing something but surely the exposed sides of each stack of wood will get wet when it rains etc
Yup, and they will dry fast just like your sidewalk does after it rains, wood has to breath.
I do not cover my wood the only time I'll cover my wood when is snows
Me too, but before it snows!
Is some 5mil plastic just on top, or whatever you got going on good enough, same in winter?
Yup, that will work, black seems to be better. But only cover the top and be sure the water runs off and does not pool up and make ponds.
YOU SHOULD BUY BIG WARE HOUSE LIKE AND OLD WALKMART MILLION SQUARE FEET AND STORE ALL YOUR FIREWOOD IN SIDE AND CRANK UP THE HEAT TO 200 DEGREES FOR YEAR YOU SHOULD HAVE BONEY DRY FIREWOOD
Maybe so.
I haven't covered my wood in years I use the natural bark to cover it I flip all my cuts bark down all the way up too the last two or three rows on top I face the bark up the bark on top works as a water barrier and the rain rolls off I live north of you so if it works here it will work there
Okay!
Hi Chris, Maybe I'm losing it, but if you look at frame 2:18 of this video, right in the middle of the screen there is a tiny figure in the middle of the shot looking up to where you are pointing. The image appears to be wearing a bonnet. I used to be a professional video editor. We notice everything on the screen. I tend to offer critique of movies in real time. Irritates my wife to no end! LOL ;-)) shalom/gw
Yes I saw it! Good eye!
I use e.p.d.m. a synthetic rubber from commercial reroof job cast offs. It is free and will last a lifetime. Also it would only end up in a landfill. No sharp edge to cut one either. It heats up in the sun so probably aids in convection too. One can size it with a pair of scissors or glue pieces together to get the size needed.
Thanks for the tip Leo, some one else told me about that stuff awhile back!
Chris great videos one thing that I learned from Ohio burn is the importance of having dry wood and what happens to your home and chimly after burning wet wood gotta do something like he did and present it to you the viewers really interesting he had a chimly Sweeper that had a business then his location and talked about it was really really interesting thanks lot have a good day
Yes I saw his video, it was a good one.
what about covering the ends? I find if mine ends get wet they don't burn well
Wood needs to breath a little rain will not hurt it and as long as it is off the ground on pallets it should dry fast and stay dry. I only cover the top before the snow comes.
my wood gets wet every time it rains. I have wood 4-5 seasons old and it burns very well....
Yes, rain does not hurt it but ground contact and it will rot. If I am going to sell it I want it dry though.
This is great. Love the passion. I'll show you how I dry firewood in my next video! Check out Rocky Mountain Firewood for all things firewoodin'
Thanks for watching!
Yes I cover mine, I’m new to all of this, I have wood for a fire pit. I probably don’t have to but why not I guess is my thought process.
Covering is fine as long as it is only the top not the sides, it has to breath to dry. Thanks for watching Mr. Marathon!
Well how do you keep the wind from blowing off the plastic cover ,,even with wood weight ,,,,especially in storms
Just fine.
@@InTheWoodyard😆
I store my wood in a covered carport (like they sell on the side of the road), because I have the space and more importantly, the ground under there stays dry. We only get snow 2-3 times a year and it rarely stays around long, so no problem there. From what I have read, wood like oak that dries slowly also is the most resistant to absorbing water. The only wood I have uncovered is my emergency wood that is about a face cord that I keep near the house in case of snow. It is always oak that has been seasoned for at least two years and it is always dry except the very edges like you showed. I see a great deal of people in the South that never cover their wood, but then many of those folks are fairly poor and tarps are all being used to keep the roof from leaking. Just kidding, I thought yo might enjoy a little self-deprecating Southern humor.
HA! Sounds a lot like the UP of Michigan! As far as wicking moisture from the ground white oak and it's family like burr oak do not wick moisture much at all that's why it was used in ship building for wooden boats back in the old days. Red oak an it's family wick moisture tremendously!
I learned the hard way with my first small stack of wood. Covered it completely with a tarp and 7 months later the entire thing is caked in green mold. Currently building a ventilated wood shed, but now I'm wondering if it's worth the effort to keep the elements (except wind) away from the logs).
Just cover the top with a tarp/metal/plastic, you do not NEED a shed.
I would happen to run across this video after I purchased a fancy wood rack and a cover that completely covers the wood off Amazon. Us city boys could learn a thing or two from you rural fellas.
Thanks for watching Mark, there are over 700 videos on my channel for you to learn from!
Great video!!! Learn a lot from your video indeed.... I have a question.. why does my wood keep having ants termites as I'm trying to let it season for a year or for a season ???
Make sure it is off the ground and on pallets, maybe 2 layers, and in the sun as much as possible , wind and sun will help. If you cover it before it dries it can rot too.
@@InTheWoodyard ooooh ok... Thanks for your reply!!! I was binge watching your videos while splitting wood 🪵🪓 😂
Japan here. I do half and half. Always have 20
Cords on hand.
I let mine breath for most of the year, and cover before the snow piles up. Thanks for watching!
Frozen wood is not a bad thing. Water expands and does its thing in the seasoning process. A big creaking wood stack from water expanding in the splits really helps dry that wood out from the inside out.
this was very informative .... i use tin & tarps. But the comment about not letting the tarps hang to the ground to keep fungus from growing was a good tip
Thanks for watching Rob!
I cover just the top with recycleed rubber roof cut 24"x 10' strips the stuff is great and I can just roll it up set it a side till I need to use it again
That sounds like good stuff!
I leave mine open all summer than when the fall rains start I cover them so they are dry and unfrozen in the winter
You are not just another pretty face Mike! You are a smart man too!
Chris, thanks for all your great videos. I know it is very time consuming and we all appreciate the important tips you have. I have 8 cords of wood this year all split small and stacked on skids since Mar-Apr. I bought it green and age it my self. It is mostly oak with some maple and elm mixed in. Currently it is uncovered and I may cover the tops with tarps in Oct. I have a bunch of old auto tires to go on the top for weight and that seems to work well. Thanks again for all your videos and I will be eagerly awaiting your future videos.
Thanks Robert, there is a new video EVERY morning at 5:30 am CDT and 800 others on my channel just for you!
wood dryes fast in my gurage atic it gets over 100 degrees in the summer
Yup!
How thick is that clear plastic you use?
I think it was a 5 mill???
Hey Chris. I meant to say something on your last covering video. Check your local lumberyards for lumber covers. Most of them end up in a dumpster. I get them at my local yard for $1 each. They hold up very well to the weather.
I will check it out, thanks for the tip!
Thanks Todd 👍🏽
All that split wood sure is straight.. Mine's all crooked and knotted. I have Sugar Maple and Black Locust. My Walnut & American beech is split straight. Mine is uncovered along a chain link fence pointing West and East.. I'll cover it with a cheap blue tarp come fall. Last year I didn't have that much and I put it in a metal shed.
I cover all mine in the fall too, gotta keep the snow off of it!
you need a huge million square foot ware house for your firewood
\
That would be nice!
I leave my wood uncovered in the summer time to season faster I only cover what wood I will be burning in the winter time so it will stay dry. I also bring wood inside my garage by my wood furnace so it can worm up and make sure it gets s dry I get better heat results with dry firewood and it seem to burn a little slower.
Kevin - exactly! I agree!
That’s a lot of wood! Do you sell it or just keep it😂. Impressive
Good information here. I do about one tenth of the volume you do 50 to 75 facechords. I don't normally cover it because I usually sell out before the snow comes. I also sell most of my wood in the spring before it's fully dry and the purchaser is responsible for dry it the rest of the way. Thanks for sharing your thoughts
Thanks, keep cuttin!
My wood gets covered prior to me burning it,late autumn into late winter and while burning it.
Yup, that is good!
I have 8 face chords, 1 of which i keep tarped just over the top whenever there is 50% chance of rain. So i do remove the tarp otherwise. The rest are not covered. All hardwoods. I have limited sunshine exposure here, I'm mostly wooded with two face chords getting about 6 hrs sunshine per day if/when the sun shines.
Al long as you only cover the top you can leave the tarp on year round.
My main wood supply is a single row alongside the house, we have a big overhang from the roof so I don't have to cover it or anything!
That's what I do at my house too.
great vid use old pool walls free on craigslist all the time cut to size with an angle grinder last for years
Yes, there is a lot of free things that work well!
About how long would covered hardwood last? Just wondering as i have several years worth banked up
Oak will last the longest, maybe a lifetime? If it is kept dry and off the ground most other wood the bugs can turn to powder after a few years. Think about the wood products in your home, tables, trim, chairs, furniture, wall studs, as long as they are dry and the bugs stay away they will last a very long time.
helo did you firewood ever catch fire on 100 degree day
no.
i WAS TOLD TO USE ROOFING RUBBER TO COVER TOPS OF THE WOOD
Yup, they work great!
Great informative video...keep it up!!
Thanks, will do! Come on back anytime!
I have covered the wood stacks and I have also had many that I didn't. I live in Kansas where we don't get the snows that you do. I can not tell the difference when I sell them. The advantage to me is when you go to load it the covered wood is much more clean and easier to handle. If I do cover I also use clear plastic sheeting.
I would agree with all of that!
I PUT 10000 LGS OF WOOD IN THE ATIC OF THE GURAGE IN SUMMER IT GETS OVER 100 DEGREES I THINK IT DRYS REAL GOOD LIKE A KILN
10000 LBS LOGS IN THE ATIC OF THE GURAGE
Nice!
I like to cure my stovewood for 2 yr, or at least, 2 summers. I have a wood storage shed where my split wood is stored for the 2 years. It has one east facing open side and a 1" gap between the vertical side boards on the other three sides. But now, I'm wondering if storing the wood completely outside and exposed to the elements and the sun might be even better?! I have already split my wood for burning in two years and have stacked it up outside, fully exposed. I have a storage area inside the house where I move the wood to in the autumn. I think with this wood, I'll bring it inside a little earlier, perhaps the end of August, to allow for all the superficial moisture to evaporate before burning. I'm excited to see how this pile of red oak will burn at that point.
ALWAYS LOOKING FOR BETTER OR MORE EFFICACIOUS WAYS OF GETTING THE JOB DONE!
Good ideas Steve! Thanks for watching!
Your evidence based observations are the best on utube on drying wood. Excellent useful information a lot of folks should find useful. Sound high quality wood sheds water like shingles as you observed so if piles are tall and narrow perhaps all the hassle with tarps is not worth the effort. Because I scrounge a lot of my wood from windfalls some of it may not be entirely sound and it acts like a sponge after every rain I have to keep it covered all the time to dry it and keep it that way. You would never sell that kind of wood but it heats fine in the shoulder seasons in my wood heater as long as it is absolutely dry.
Ronald, you are not just another pretty face, you are smart too! Your statement about the not so perfect wood is true, punky wood does burn but I don't want to sell it and it is like a sponge!
Both my parents have a shed and any extra is covered only on top with a tarp. We have stacked up slab wood not covered and even after a couple of months was very dry because it’s relatively thin and even with snow on it was still fine to burn, just knock the ice and snow off before you bring it inside where it melts and makes the surface wet again.
Yup!
how long does poplar fire wood cut and split tack to dry in a wood shead some one said 6 months it will burn is that true 👍
Depends, does it get a lot of sun and wind? 6 months sounds about right for poplar!
@InTheWoodyard good to know thanks u
Home owner cutting my own wood.
I’m tarping
BUTT WRONG
Completely covering w plastic tarps in my diy wooden storage frames.
I will now get a heavy clear roll of plastic. Then cut my own to size just covering top.
Great video
Thanks
You can do it!
im use to cover wood i found out better to not cover wood
Yes but snow is bad.
i WAS TOLD TO USE A BLACK TARP MOORE HEAT TO DRY THE WOOD
Maybe so
Also why do my wood rot alot???
It must be wet, get it off the ground and on pallet in the sun and if you cover , cover ONLY the top.
@@InTheWoodyard yes indeed... I learned that today from watching YOU 😂 thanks appreciate you indeed!!!
Chris,
I cover my wood with old metal roofing. This works well except for very windy days. I think it makes sense to keep the water and snow off of it.
Yup, good idea!
Nail it on. It works.
Did you "forget" to tell Irene good night ?
I might have made one mistake in 700 videos! Ha!
you look diffrent is that your brother
Nope it is me.
Holy buckets, 550 face cords in your yard! 14 full cords in our yard at the moment, between halloween & thanksgiving we usually go w corrugated sheet metal to keep the snow off, otherwise it’s uncovered most of the year. Keep the splits small and it dries pretty well uncovered, IMO.
Yes, a bunch of people cover their wood late in the year to keep snow off and prevent the wood from becoming woodsicles!
Same as you, I kid you not.😁 Lumber yard tarps cut to size, weighted with junks and best of all, they’re free. Also, like you, the tarps are only used for the winter months.
Have thought about building a nice wood shelter, thinking it would look better. However, sheltering 12 cords in one block is not ideal for seasoning.
Yes and yes! I agree!
Moved into my house about 5 yrs ago. Huge tree fell about a year in. Bucked it up and split said tree. Stacked it all off the ground. Used cardboard on top only cause it's what I had a ton of from purchases that I made for various crap for the house. After 9 to 12 mos cardboard would start to get a little ragged looking, so I'd pull it off, burn it in the firepit. I'd just replace it with new cardboard. Wood has no rot, burns great. I was surprised at how quick the moisture levels got down below 20%.
Yup, sounds good.
I'm much more aggressive with covering the wood with large tarps that prevent rain/snow from getting at the wood even from the sides. Our firewood (personal use in a woodstove that heats the house and is the primary source of heat all winter) dries for three or four years before it gets used, and it's bone dry when it gets used. Even moisture from rain/snow has a negative effect on how it burns in the woodstove. All our wood is up on pallets so not in contact with the ground at all. There's enough airflow (I tend to rig the tarps with rope as an A-frame or tent style -- not laying directly on the wood pile) that it does dry out. I don't worry about space between the piles for the most part. I have several stacks, so all the wood isn't in one place, but that's more about available space than a concern to separate it, and one stack in particular is well clumped together with little room between the stacks. But this isn't really rocket science, so I don't know that it matters too much -- you do you and that's fine.
Sounds like you have a good system!
I put bark pieces bark up on top and then only cover it when it starts to snow
That is a good idea Mario!
one wood is below its grain saturation point it is hard for it to get wet agen. thats why after a rain, only the outside of wood is wet inside is dry. as wood drys the grain cells shrink and below 30 percent they cant expand agen they permanently have shrunk. Wi has generally 2 humidity lvs in dryed wood summer its around 15 to 17 percent equal Librium and winter ive seen it down to 9 percent. due to our low winter humidity. another good video tho. i myself dont tarp till fall. cuz yes breaking a frozen log pile apart sucks.
Yup, good points!
When I stack my wood into the woodshed in spring it is down to 8-10% moisture by the fall . Now at the woodlot where I stack my extra wood ,I only cover the tops off the ground on pallets
What kind of wood and is it green when you cut and split it and where do you live, all of those things are factors to the speed of drying. Thanks for watching David!
I live in eastern Ontario Canada,, we burn oak, ash,elm,popular,maple, beach. We are giving the fresh cut trees but I have so mush it usually takes me a couple years before I get around to splitting it. Right now I am doing wood from a tree cut in late November 2019
Chris-as a small scale wood home heater-I cover all my wood. I have determined that it’s worth the extra 3-4 bucks to buy the black/silver tarps vs the cheap blue tarps. Triple the life expectancy.
okay!
Good info.
Thanks!
You have a very impressive amount of wood! Now I need to hunt down one of your videos on how to tell what type of wood you have! Ie: oak, elm, etc
Go for it! I have a lot of videos about wood types. But it is mostly oak!
I do not cover my wood in the stack where it is drying. It is in a wide-open location exposed to the Kansas wind and sun. The stack by the house that I pull to burn from I cover when it snows so that it is not a frozen block of snow and ice. But as soon as it stops snowing and drifting, I remove the tarp. Wind and Sunshine we have lots of here, and wood dries fast under those conditions.
Yup, you has a great plan, let the elements do their work on the wood!
Thanks for the great video! Very nice wood yard! I'd definately buy from you! Well I dont have the volume but have been burning for awhile. I always cover the tops as you do. After your video I may uncover during the summer months. Very informative content! Best Wishes......
Thanks for watching Bob!
Like you I cover just the top of my stacks, come late fall early winter. Nothing worse than wood that is frozen together!
You got that right! WOODSICLES!
The two times I covered my firewood (thinking it was a good idea), I had red squirrels move in underneath. They built nests and stogged all the nooks and crannies full of pine cones, making a helluva dusty mess...open air works fine.
I cover mine late in the fall before the snow.
good call, by then the squirrels would be settled in somewhere else for the winter...but that would only work if the wood was being seasoned for one year only, or otherwise the cover would have to be removed in the spring and 'til the following late fall.
If you cover your wood properly it drys faster than not covering. Plastics is not the best, I use pallets that are covered with aluminum. Much better air flow.
Yup, that works!
PVC corrugated roofing panels. Light, waterproof, corrugations allow air flow. Put something heavy at the top for wind and that's it. :)
Yup, that sounds good too!
I do cover because I stack tight and in double rows. I'll still get a little sheet fungus growing between the stacked pieces here and there but just on some red oak usually that still has bark that was partially decayed before it was stacked. I just cover for winter snow and to keep the center between the two rows dry. If I had the room for single rows and didn't OCD on tight neat stacks I don't think there's a need to cover; except when the firewood is getting close to it's best if used by date, and one wants to keep presentation quality high instead of having to explain it's just wet from rain and if placed under cover, it will be dry and perfect again in a few days. I remember it was just starting to rain once and predicted to go on all night so I loaded in a light shower and put it in the shed overnight. That got the askance look or two and at least a couple explanations during delivery the next day!
Yup, oak does get moldy when wet, a little OCD is good in the wood yard it keeps you organized!
Hey Chris thanks for the video.
What would you suggest if the only place I have to stack wood is in a low lying area which would get some sun and with minimal wind? I'd like your opinion. Thank you.
The best place for wood to dry is in the open on a hill so the sun and wind can hit it. But if you only have a low area, be sure to get it off the ground as much as you can. Maybe double pallets... that is what I would do and stack it as high as you can to catch any wind too! Good luck Chet!
@@InTheWoodyard thanks Chris
@@chetusher444 You are welcome!
Great info and ideas. Here in East Tx, I don't cover but I do stack. I don't like leaving stacks of piles of wood laying around.
Right on!
Chris, I cover my wood from Nov 1st to sometime in March. We live in New Hampshire and I don’t want snow sitting on the wood for months at a time. I just cover my round 3 cord piles with a tarp on top. The straight 1 cord piles have roofing shingles over the top held with bricks. All wood sits 2 summer before it gets burned.
Sounds like a good plan!
This year i stacked 5 full cord of wood under my carport, it gets sunlight on the sides and plenty of air flow all around. I also stacked about 8 face cord next to the carport which i will cover on top. I stack the wood on pallets then place pallets on top of the stacks, place flat boards on the pallets then cover that with tarps and place old tires on top to hold the tarps in place. The tarps keep rain and snow off the wood and the pallets on top allow air flow across the top of the wood. Its not pretty but it works.
Jeff it sounds good to me, your car port/wood shed is a good idea. Plus, your fire wood is much more important than a car anyway! HA!
@@InTheWoodyard Yep, the firewood and my Tractors. :)
Are you a weatherman? Please get to the point.
Yes I am THE weather man actually!
@@InTheWoodyard Then you are also delusional.
I hope you are growing trees to support all the trees you are burning. Interesting video. Thank you
I have planted thousands of trees over the years on our tree farm and on the properties I have cut on. And the logger I buy a lot log truckloads from plants tens of thousands of trees every year on his 58 tree farms. Also in nature when you cut a mature tree down dozens of trees grow back in its place, it is the worlds most renewable natural resource. How many trees have you planted?
Wood will stil dry in the winter because of low humidity sucking out moisture even if it is frozen. Ice cubes left for a few months in the freezer will shrink from loss of moisture.
Yes, good point!
Covering the top helps I think..
I keeps majority of the rain off but it helps hold the heat in also
Air flow on the sides is very important.
A store used a stove for heat and it was built to burn saw dust. It had a fan and tube system to blow the saw dust apart to keep it burning. The lady that used said with this system it would light and burn anything. It had two fans one for the tube system and one to disperse the heat.
nice!
😊Thanks
Thank you too for watching!
Subscribed because I enjoyed your video and after reading through the comments, I appreciate your engagement with your audience in such a kind and respectful manner. We need more of that sir! Thanks for the video.
Thanks so much for the kind words Brandon, I appreciate it!
I just started doing wood in the beginning of this year and have noticed that wood that was uncovered for 6 months since March is completely Seasond and dry and ready to burn.
Yup, sun, wind and time is all it takes!