Storing Firewood in a Loose Pile or Stacked? Which Seasons Better?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ย. 2024
- Storing Firewood in a Loose Pile or Stacked? Which Seasons Better? In this video I revisit a pile of firewood I tossed in a loose pile last Summer. I want to see how the wood has seasoned on the inside of the pile compared to firewood that was stacked.
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I believe stacking is always the way to go. But I also believe air doesn't flow through tarps. The tarp just holds moisture under it.
So what you recommend cover the wood or not ??
@@lunaservicesinc If its stacked, the top couple of layers. Just my opinion. I'm not a guru.
@@lunaservicesinc I wouldn't cover a loose pile.
No need to cover up during spring fall and summer. I coverage top in the winter to keep it from freezing up. The big thing is keeping it off the ground to allow air flow under it and allow it to drain when it rains. If you pile it up put on pallets. My best advice is look at the guys that sell thousands of cords of wood they don’t stack any of it. Too slow. Go check out skidder kev, they sell a huge amount of wood and don’t stack any of it.
I think a loose pile under a roof would be fine. I don’t like tarping wood. Just a roof with open sides.
thank you friends for all the comments are positive for me it is my second year in this business I am learning about firewood
Thanks for your videos back 40 firewood
Luna. Your welcome. We all have our days but even when life can be negative all we can do,is try to be positive through it..
Hey Luna the one thing with Firewood is it's always changing and you'll always be learning...and you're one of us Wood Hounds so we'll always be here to give ya advice and maybe a hard time here & there...Hahahahahaha j/k Thanks for being part of the channel & community my friend!
@@Back40Firewood thanks 😊🙏
@@andrewjames5925 : are you asking me or Luna??
@@andrewjames5925 Pennsylvania
I see you stacked on pallets. The tossed pile does not look like it has pallets under it. Makes a huge difference. Uncover all spring, summer, fall and if no wood shed then tarp just the top to keep snow off. If not then make sure bark is up that helps the moisture not to be reabsorbed when raining. Working on my firewood for this year, need to get a couple years ahead. Seems this past year used so much in garage and fir pit and it was not replaced. Wish me luck
Them are some very interesting finds!! I've never stacked nor covered my wood piles!! All I do is split and throw in big piles. Of çourse these are out in the open!! Hope all is well my friend!! Stay safe 🍻🍻😀!!
Stack only. Leave open for at least 3-4 months, up to 6, then cover with tin. Make sure if you have overlap that the flow of water doesn't go into the wood, EVER! Good channel so far, thanks for sharing.
Hi Dan - it's Big Rodders in Ireland. Many folk consider it's sacrilegious to have any covering touch any part of split logs. The most I have is a top covering with a good air gap. I have a place in Donegal on the western seaboard, renowned for its rain and wind. For years I have seasoned and stored softwoods in a 100 X 6 X 6ft uncovered pallet corral into which my 9 to 12 inch split pieces are just chucked. Time, wind and rain seasons them perfectly with no mold or creosote in the flu.
That pondscape looks like a ton of work
Being OCD, of course I stack. If I could organize my wood alphabetically, numerically and by shape and color, I probably would.
Probably wood 🪵
I'm over 70 and love to stack wood, calms me. Love to shovel too...I'd like to try that patterned stacking. Some folks make real pretty designs in their stacks.
Thanks, as usual Dan. Really appreciate you circling back to this, I almost forgot about it from last year. I was hoping there would be less mold/ mildew in those piles, 😂! Thanks again! -Brad
Yeah I was hoping/thinking there wouldn't be too much mold either...oh well, it'll still burn...hahaha
I agree to only tarp the top. Going to ground holds in ground water. It's just a tent keeping in the moisture.
Where was the moisture meter as well
I ve found that maple does not like any type of moisture. Not even in log form. For your purposes using a boiler it probably does not matter but for bundles and selling wood covered stacks is the way to go.
I live in the desert and I remove the tarps in the spring when I am finished burning wood for the season. I do it as much to save the tarps from the sun as dryness. Uncovered wood looks better in the driveway too. We only get 10 inches of rain a year so I have only been "caught in the rain" a few times. Mosquitoes you talk about tell me your area is wetter and you will need to work harder at drying. I like the tin covers I see on Ytube. Wet wood can be passed by for the next year. It looks like you need to stack. I stack along a long wall for my own use. That just works for my couple chords.
Knotty curly shorty ones go on a pile.
Long straight ones get stacked.
Nough said
I think the way you had the piles tarped would also trap the moisture in the "tent" you created, almost like a sauna which would promote the mold. The metal across your stacks is probably best short of a wood shed, although as you showed the collected water is a problem where it drains. The sun hitting the piles outdoors is extremely important too. I had a stack of wood (non split) that I made in an area with no sun between two trees. No tin or tarps, but the wood just rotted away to nothing, but were like log shaped sponges. Some hardwood, but also sycamore, and even a little walnut. So no direct sun- no direct heat. Just my thoughts.
Why do you split the wood so small ? It burns too fast split so small .
How often do you run moisture checks on your stacks?? I’m sure you’ve covered this before... I like the look of a nice long perfectly stacked pile of firewood! Landscaping - definitely do some footage of that. Might need your expertise up at the tiny homestead eventually. Wish we had a silo pit pool too!
I usually don't check moisture too often....just guesstimate based on how long it's sat split if it's ready or not. Let me know what ya got cooking on the THOW landscape.....you don't need a silo pit, just start digging...hahaha
Your problem is the tarp. You don't cover green wood. Leave it open for air circulation then it can dry even after each rain and snow. Also never stack wood under trees because sun can't dry it in the shade. Stacked wood will dry faster but piled wood will still dry if not covered
I agree with you 💯
Yeah, I didn't put the tarp on til late Fall before the snow. Just think the type of wood was really high in moisture that added to the problem. 👍😀🍻
The tarps won’t let ventilation in and will cause mold
Ok watch some other videos. When you put wood in piles only cover it when it’s snowing or if it’s going to rain for more than one day. I can dry oak in 6 months in a pile AS long as I cover it when it’s gunna have a huge storm or if it’s gunna rain for more than one day… trust me on this. I have a tree company and my way will blow your mind.
Why would you cover it and trap all that moisture in?
A loose pile is a great way to make your wood rot, rendering it useless.
Yes indeed...as I found out here with that little experiment...lol 😆👍🍻
Dude, love your show, but you had equal amounts of dark spots in the wood in both the loose pile as well as the stacked pile. Go back and look at your video. I would say that your testing is inconclusive. Also, you are comparing types of wood that are known to have lots of moisture in them at the start and retain this moisture even when when split.
I have always left my stacks uncovered for six months to a year and then put it in my shed. Left exposed is part of the seasoning process but I could be wrong 😂
The more you touch the wood the more time and money......I spilt wood commercially, 50 cords a month....big piles 50 cords per pile....never had one problem after it sat for 8 months
Here in maine we leave it completely uncovered and the wood seems to dry out way better, I've found that putting tarps on the top causes chipmunks and squirrels to get into it and nestle in under the tarp more often
Shifty, you opened up a conversation that has divided families, broke up friendships and caused people to be institutionalized. Cover, pile or stack, oh my! Stack it!!!
🤣 Institutionalized 🤣 I was on my way before this conversation 🤣
WST. 🤣🤣🤣👍
LOL....Ohh I know this is a touchy subject, that's what makes it so much fun...hahahahaha
Mice and Snakes in that pile...😊…..lol. Maybe even some Wood Frogs.🤣 I stack my wood and cover the just the top, and I keep it off the ground with pallets. Keep the rain off, Sun and air will dry. Stay Safe out there in the wood yard, Thanks Dan !
gotta keep it off the ground and uncovered during the spring, summer and fall.
I mostly stack my wood when it is green on the outside for about a year uncovered then I stack it in my wood shed
PUTTING A TARP ON WOOD YOU ARE TRYING TO SEASON IS FUTILE. WINTER IS AN EXCELLENT TIME TO SEASON WOOD AS THE HUMIDITY IS USUALLY VERY LOW. WHEN MOISTURE GOES OUT OF COVERED WOOD...IT HITS THE TARP AND DRIPS BACK DOWN ON THE WOOD, ESPECIALLY IN WARMER WEATHER. LET THE WOOD BREATH. JUST MY OPINION, WHICH OF COARSE EVERYONE HAS ONE.
Tarped or not, wood is not going to season well in a pile since there is not much airflow into the center of the pile to carry away moisture. Stacking is better since the ends are exposed to the air. Wood is going to conduct most of the moisture out to the ends. So it is best if the ends are exposed to fresh air.
Well I am a tree Service so I like to watch your wood progress witch is pretty damn good 👍 as far as your landscaping projects they are cool and landscaping is alot of work I know I use to run a landscaping business. I would definitely not go any closer to your home if you have a basement. That could be a huge problem if there ever was to have a leak in your water feature to your homes foundation. Keep up the good work shifty and god bless you and yours. 😇
We choose to always stack. Looks neat, takes up less space, air flows through better, and easier to get a idea of how much you have. Thanks for sharing 40 👍🏻👍🏻
That'll prolly be my plan going forward, always stack...at least in some sort of fashion. I'll be sure to save a few piles so you can show me how it's done when you come up in June....lol
@@Back40Firewood well I would be glad to stack some wood. Unfortunately I will not make the Frenzy and we are bummed😔 8 hour drive for us and I can’t take Friday off.
I have used old wire type corn cribs with a roof to store firewood for years. I use a 42 foot ear corn elevator to get the wood into the corn crib. Also, you can salvage wood with mold spots by taking a pump up sprayer and mix 90% water, 10% bleach and lightly spray the moldy wood. It will kill most of the mold and bleach it white. The chlorine will eventually air out and evaporate. 🤠👍
Don't spray mold with bleach it makes it mad grows more
When I sold more wood I just split and tossed in a huge pile , because it was moving on soon. My personal firewood is stacked and tinned. This past burn season I had 3yr. Old Oak. That was stacked and top covered. Very dry, excellent burn and heating. ... Just my experience. Later 40ty🍺🇺🇸
Stacking just makes better sense. Air can get through all the wood and sun can hit every end. Piling doesn’t make as much sense and covering it totally eliminates air flow. I stack everything. It certainly takes more time but it looks nicer and produces a better product in my novice opinion
Morning Dan. Thanks for the followup after so much time - good comparison. I might offer that tarping anything minimizes any air flow - and may, I think, capture and hold moisture. Having a cover , like the top of a shed, keeps the elements off the pile but also offers space for air flow. So I think tarping the wood, whether stacked or loose piled, will have a negative effect. I think stacking will offer more wood in a smaller space and also looks nicer (:))- I'm thinking the amazing Amanda probably prefers you to stack it :)). Thanks again - have a good one pal!
What Came First The Chicken Or The Egg.
I’m an uncovered stack guy. That’s the way my dad did it, so that’s what I know. Come fall, we move it under cover and when we need more during the winter months, I just wait until there’s been a couple sunny days, or just take off the top couple rows. The wood below is dry. Never had a problem. Also, I’d like to see the stream project videos mixed in as you go.
Sun does not dry wood as much as airflow will. Note that your washing will dry on a windy but overcast day. Hard top covers are best if you live in a wetter climate, if springs and summers tend to be dry, you may consider leaving it uncovered. As always, it all depends on where you are whether you are right!
I stack mine let it open all summer then cover it over the winter. We stack as we split or within a few days of splitting
Even studs for a house will get mold on them
U gotta pile it on pallets ,never on the ground
After splitting my wood I put it on pallets then cover it during winter and uncover it in summer leaving it in piles don't dry very good.
Loose is faster to pile but if it’s green wood and you want to do the CUSTOMER’S JOB (seasoning/drying) the wood 🪵 you better stack it in single row’s where it can get plenty of sunshine ☀️ AND cover the top 1/4 of stack with metal siding or tarp.
The tarp is almost certainly the main difference between the two stores of wood here and invalidates the test completely. Wood isn't going to season well at all with a tarp over it. Also, was the wood seasoned / burnable regardless of how it looked cosmetically?
I stack my wood. Wind n sunlight work best.
HOW TO FIND NUMBER OF CORDS IN ANY SIZE RELATIVELY SQUARE STACK OF FIREWOOD
Use a calculator.
1. Measure the stack in inches.
Inches Wide or Deep X Inches Tall or High X Inches Long = a big number.
Example: 36 in wide X 69 in tall X 156 in long = 387,504 cu inches.
2. Now divide 387,504 by 1728, (cubic inches in a cubic foot) = 224.25.
3. Now divide 224.25 by 128, (cubic feet in a cord of wood) = 1.75 cords of firewood.
My wood pile from fresh cut white oak, black walnut and pecan dried enough to sell and burn in three months. It was at 15 to 20 percent moisture. Im by the shore in north Carolina plenty of wind and sun.
My wood pile from fresh cut white oak, black walnut and pecan dried enough to sell and burn in three months. It was at 15 to 20 percent moisture. Im by the shore in north Carolina plenty of wind and sun.
I bet if you pile it on top of pallets rather than on the ground, you would be surprised. Thanks for the test and result! Great vid
Stacking is the way to go. Looks neater and dries better 👍
You still need to keep it off the ground...
I have left wood in piles to season and never seen mold and discoloration like that. Mine were out in the open with full sun, so maybe the shade added to the problem. As for covering, I wouldn't. Maybe keep just a small portion of the wood you are using for the stand covered incase you need to refill the stand right after a rain. Just opinions and suggestions. Love the videos.
Stacked on pallets, air space between rows, t-posts at the ends, tin on top. Occasionally will tarp if a big snow is coming, then uncover when its over.
My experience with piles vs stacked, the center bottom of the pile doesn't dry it gets moldy and rots
The only real benefit of stacking is it minimizes pieces touching the ground and that will allow less rot to set in. I collect chunks or whole limbed trees and stack them as much as I can. Chunks or small pieces of rounds takes about 18 months to cure, about 24 to 30 months if whole logs. Western Colorado anyways...stacks are usually in the sun 60% of the day.
Yes it’s a little more work to stack but it helps airflow that helps prevent molding. Plus you get to look at a nice organized stack of wood for the next year or so
Air cannot move through a stack more than eight feet thick.
My battle plan is to Stack it off the ground in a spot with lots of wind.
The bigger question is bark up or bark down.
I am a bark up piler.
It’s more or less personal preference on stacking or piling up. Those of us that run big numbers of cords there is no way it makes financial sense to stack any of it. This is like 400 plus cords. I stack up 10 face to have available at all times. My piles are on pallets so they aren’t on the ground all mine is open to the air year round but in the winter I tarp to keep it from being frozen together. To each his own on what you do. I look at it as time is money and stacking is slow. (Unless I can hire my nieces to stack it for me. Lol )
Lose the tarps on loose piles. Moisture comes out of the ground and condenses inside. Make sure your corrugated tin roofs pitch and lap downhill off the end of a row.
I pile and stack without cover and do not get mold. I know guys who pile, stack, and cover and they get mold. I am just saying.
Lol small round 3” and smaller on the bottom in rows 6” high then split pieces on top of that 4 feet uncovered all year, with a foot between the rows. Never had a problem even with logs that were on the ground for years will dry in 6 months ,ones that have water coming out when split.
As long as u pile it on pallets and cover it that’s fine ,or if u wanna stack ten cord that’s cool ,but these guys that stack 50 cord while selling it is a big waste of time ,u don’t make money stacking wood
i stack and dont cover untill the leaves start falling then cover the top. my problem is possums live in it and crap all over it.
I pile mine in a building cuz I got no time nor energy to stack alot of wood just to handle it two more times. 40x60 building
No, it's not a debate, it's what someone who doesn't want to stack thinks they can get away with. I have a lot of odd and ends that goes in a big pile that I use and I just accept the fact that it will not be consistent throughout for the convenience of tossing off at the end (or beginning) of a batch of processed firewood.
Open air dry for a year then put it in a wood shed so it stays that way. Folks who depend on wood to stay warm all winter have known this for centuries...probably millenia.
Off the ground uncovered year round. Frozen wood is good for the drying process also. The water inside the wood expands allowing it to escape when it thaws. Creates more room to wick out. Covering wood doesn’t speed up the process at all and creates other issues. Only cover the wood you are going to use that burning season. You don’t see people tarping their wood cabins made with fresh lumber for the same reason.
Uncovered off the ground in single row stacks speeds up the drying process by about 20% compared to off the ground in a pile. So if you can afford to wait an extra 3 months on average don’t waste your time stacking. If you get ahead of your wood needs early you should never need to waste your time stacking. Doing it for cosmetic reasons is of course a totally different thing.
It’s not fair to compare wood on pallets VS wood on the ground....of course the wood on the ground will not be as good.
I guess I doing it right by stacking, I just covered some for the firepit and a stack for my son. 3ft house wrap is what I used.
Maybe if your pile was on pallets you would have had better air flow underneath and no mold. The mold on the maple is from the sugars in the sap. I had maple racked green in a shed and it got mold on all of the parts that didn’t have bark.
Stacking wood is best. But stacked wood will not cure if you tarp it to the ground. Air has to flow.
We prefer open & always has seasoned perfectly. ENJOY YOUR CHANNEL here in Hartland, Michigan!!! Stay safe & healthy!!🌟😊👍🇺🇸
Doesn't all firewood turn black from seasoning?
Do not try to be idle. Stack all split wood. Let the sun shine on it and the breeze blow through it.
1 cord loose piles I have had the same results with stacking
Interesting to see how each way dries. I personally can't keep a pile long enough in the yard to mold but started stacking everything to keep yard clean and able to hold more wood and better estimate on what you have. Awesome Video Dan
Probably best to stack the wood in single rows so air and sun can get to the wood from both sides. And maybe just tarp the top of the single row stacks.
I don't cover nun of my wood untill im ready to burn it in the late fall let the weather do the rest it drays out if it rains in a few days .
Stacked in rows is the way to go for me anyway, good luck with the pond and keep us updated
Go with vented 1/3 cord mini bulk totes
stacked is the best because you can stack it in cords or face cords
I had the same problem with my dtaxks being too close. So every year I stack further apart than the year before..
Yard work content in with firewood. Works for me..
Also my daughter Lily had fun on the live stream too..
I think it was also just this wood being pretty wet, I mean the wedge of the splitter was dripping after some of those splits when thru it...lol
THE TRICK TO DRYING IN A PILE IS TO USE A BLACK TARPE.
Tarped pile vs untarped stack?
🪵⛓🪚🪓☀️🌬🔥= Stacked
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME LANDSCAPE VIDEOS
HAY ( D ) I GUESS I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT ASTECTICS... I ALWAYS THOUGHT WOOD WAS WOOD. SO I LEARNED SOMETHIN NEW. I LIKE YOUR TAST IN YARD-ART, WE KINDA SHAIR ALOT OF THE SAME INTERESTS... SO IF YOUR ASKIN ME " AND YOU DID " I KINDA LIKE THOSE TIME LAPS VIDEOS... BUT MAJORITY RULE'S... HAVE YOU EVER WATCHED ANY ( ANDREW CAMARATA? ) HE DOSE LONG VIDEOS, ONE OF THE HARDEST WORKING MILLENNIALS I'VE EVER SEEN FER-SHER... BY THE WAY HOW DID THOSE SHELVES YOU MADE FOR AMANDA COME OUT??? ALSO WHEN IS THE SPLITZ MERCH COMMIN??? WELL ENOUGH OF ME, YOU STAY COOL MY BROTHER... PEACE...
Yeah I'm usually not too worried about how the wood 'looks' just that it burns..lol. I plan on dropping a few updates on the landscaping project in here & there, & then having a video of it later on when done. Made a lot of progress today so hoping it won't be long til I have it finished.
Yep I've watched a few vids of Andrew C.....good stuff.
We typically stack. But you're right - it really depends on the situation. Nice job.
Air flow is what drys wood, turbidity.
Great educational video :) I have found that leaving my wood uncovered all summer the sun and wind do there job much better then I cover just before the snow comes, usually only popular & birch that I cut green we don't have a lot of hardwoods up north in my country,
Great subject Dan! We see a tarp as a good shield to protect from the rain. But we should see it otherwise. It's the perfect barrier for the moisture to be kept inside too! There is a tremendous amount of moisture coming out from the ground. And it's coming 24/7... 365 days a year! As opposed to rain, which occurs a few hours a week. Which BTW can be evaporated within hours when the sun comes out. Your practical experience says no tarped wood pile! Although covering the very top of a stacked pile might be beneficial. Thanks for sharing that with us.
Staking is definitely better in my opinion. It is dry here in Idaho. I got stock of wood not covered just stacked for six years. Also had pile on the ground. The pile of wood was about half rotten the stack was all good.
I have no choice. I have to make tall, large piles of split wood. I don't have a big yard. I make piles on pallets and I don't cover it. It is all Oak and I don't have this problem.
As much as I dislike the stacking part of firewood I think it's the best way to go!
I read that wood bring rained on in summer actually helps the wood to season, but then again it was only words and they are cheap
I just had a guy trying to tell me that nonsense! Making something wet helps it dry? ?
why did you tarp it?
Off the ground and covered is key, hard to do properly when in a pile. To know for sure you need to take any piece, split immediately and test with a moisture meter. Burn if 20% or less.
Good video. In loos pile you exchange assets with time/physical labor. I mean you have to invest to loose pile drying.
As you point out air circulation is the key. Humid air is heavier. So the wind needs to blow under the loose pile. At least 2 layers of pallets; I have first concrete pillars of 40 cm, then 8x8s and then a layer of pallets.
Tarps are from hell. Especially tarps on loose piles, because you actually create a trap for all the moisture trying to get out of the firewood as well as the moisture from the soil. All that stays inside the tent you created with the tarp. On the other hand rain water goes deeper into the pile in loose pile than stacked; stacked is basically horizontal, so only the top layers get wet..
You want to have a proper roof. I have build a frame for the sheets of tin I have covering my pile. But mark that this way your roof has to be significantly larger that your pile, rain tends to come with wind.
As you have the frame for the roof, have walls as well. Mine are made from sheep fence which is maybe 2 mm steel wire mesh with about 4 inch in between the wires. This way you pile is high, not wide. The forces on the frame are surprising small; loose pile basically stays where it is, it does not try to lean to any direction.
Just my 0,01 USD worth from the old continent :)