Drying of Cord Wood

[Tombstone]

Does anyone know if there is a web-site that shows the different stacking methods of fire wood? I drive around and see many different versions of wood piles and was just wondering what might work the best etc. :

[DouginUtah]

Here is my preferred method...  :D  ;D

[beenthere]

Now THAT is clever... 8) 8) 8)

[kelLOGg]

How did you make the felling cut so cleanly wth an axe? ;D and arrange the firewood so neatly among the branches? ;D ;D ;D ;D

That's firewood art - it must be hard to burn it.

Bob

[RSteiner]

That is some neat looking pile of wood.  8)

Over the last 33 heating seasons I have tried various ways of stacking firewood so that it might dry most efficiently.  One year I made a round pile like they do in Sweden or Finland.  The pile held close to 4 1/2 full cords of wood and did a very good job at allowing the wood to dry.  However, it seem to take a long time to construct the pile and was a little difficult to unpile as it was needed.

I have tried single rows with the top covered with black plastic.  They seem to work best at drying and ease of unpiling but take up a bit of room if you leave space in between for a wheel barrow.

Last year I tried another stlye that I think I am going to like.  I started out with a row of pallets 20 feet long.  I make two rows of wood along the edge of the pallet and angle it just a tad  toward the center.  Once up about 4 or 4 1/2 feet high I place a row about a foot high right down the center bridging both piles.  They starting along the edge again I make another single layer row one end on the center row andf the other end of the stick of wood on the outside egde.  This puts the piece at an angle once both sides and done I add another layer on top of that one half lapping the first row and meeting in the middle.  The end result is a A- style roof on top of the two rows of wood. 

The rain runs off very nicely and the air space between the rows gets the center dry, I think the pallets help to allow air flow up from the bottom.  One double row like that holds a full cord of 18" long fire wood.

Randy

[Dave Shepard]

We used to have a retiree that cut between 180 and 220 cords a year at our place. He used a simple but effective method for stacking. He would start the pile by standing up a few sticks of wood like a teepee. You would have to hand stack at first, but as the pile grew, you could just throw the wood at it and the sticks would slid down the side and end up so that only the very tips of the wood would be in contact with the ground. Pallets can work out ok for smaller volumes, but can become a pain if they rot down. With just the tips in the dirt, you could let the stick dry and brush the dirt off without any rot.


Dave

[Tombstone]

 I have seen some of the round piles in my area, and I have NEVER seen anything like that work of art! That is something else, very cool! I appreciate the ideas, I will try a little of this and that I guess and see what works the best for me.

[beenthere]

I've tried several methods over the years...and for many stacked it under roof in an open shed. Stopped because the racoon used it for a toilet...and they must have come from miles around.

Now, I stack it outside, split and on pallets. The pallets are stacked two high, and a rubber roofing mat draped over the top stack. Handle the wood once after it is split and stacked directly on the pallet. Move the pallets with forks on the tractor (either FEL or 3pt). Dry it at least two years before trying to get the heat out of the wood.



The small wood that will not stack well on a pallet, gets tossed into a special pallet for moving.


Pallets last two to three years, and then get replaced. Plenty of free pallets around yet.

[Sawyerfortyish]

I bought a outdoor wood furnace so I don't worry about wood being to dry. I stack my wood with a dump truck ;). When it snows I tarp it otherwise it's open to the air.

[Dave Shepard]

It takes 1200 btu's to cook off a pound of water, keep that in mind the next time you load a fire, whether it's an outdoor boiler or a stove in the house. Last winter the woodchucks were burning snow covered green pine slabs in the boiler, and kept complaing "it don't make no heat".  : :


Dave

[TexasTimbers]

Doug, that is one of the coolest thing I have seen in a long time.

[woody1]

Dave.. I agree. My outdoor furnace works alot better with dryer wood.

[John Mc]

Last winter the woodchucks were burning snow covered green pine slabs in the boiler, and kept complaing "it don't make no heat".  : :

Here in Vermont, the "Woodchucks" are the ones who have been living here forever... you've pretty much got to be 3rd generation or more to be considered a "native". They know all about burning wood efficiently. It's the "Flatlanders" who are more likely to make the mistake of burning wet/green wood.

I've been here 7 years, but I'm learning. My kids were both born here, but I guess it will be there kids or even their grandkids who are considered "from here"...

John Mc

[John Mc]

Does anyone know if there is a web-site that shows the different stacking methods of fire wood?

A good site for lots of woodburning tips (including stacking): www.woodheat.org

John Mc

[thecfarm]

When I did have a wood shed at my other house,I would cut and split it and put it under cover in a shed.Best way to built a shed is out of green lumber and let the boards shrink and this would help with the wind drying out the wood.I have seen many ways to dry wood too.I have seen old tin roofing over a pile.Some say cut the trees and let the leaves suck out the mositure.Now I just push my wood up into a pile tree length and cut it 4 foot for my outdoor furnace.Anything I can not pick up fout foot get cuts into 2 foot and than split if needed.I have and can burn green wood and I get plenty of heat from it,due to 2 blowers in the fire box.One year I cut my wood late with my other boiler that was set up like a wood stove,no blowers.I had a hard time all winter with it.That did not happen again.

[John Mc]

thecfarm -

I expect those tree length logs take a while to dry. Even cut to four foot lengths don't dry all that quick, since most of the drying is through the end grain.

Those blowers will help you get a cleaner, hotter fire from the green wood, but they won't change the fact that you are losing BTUs heating up and especially vaporizing all that water. I've heard you can lose up to 40% of the heat value burning green vs properly dried wood. Unfortunately, I can't remember where I read that, or I'd include a link.

[thecfarm]

Probaly you're right.Would make since,but have more time to cut my winter's wood when there is snow on the ground.I really did not notice a big differance in the amount it took from green to dry wood.