# No wood shed...canvas or poly tarp?



## BLL MN (Sep 22, 2009)

So this is my first year with a wood boiler. I won't be able to put up a wood shed this year...and I'm not sure when I will. This may be a no brainer...but would you guys get a canvas or a poly tarp to cover your wood for the winter? I'd assume canvas. I figure it would be more expensive but I figure you pay for what you get. Is there something I'm missing where a poly would be better?


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## cjcocn (Sep 22, 2009)

BLL MN said:


> So this is my first year with a wood boiler. I won't be able to put up a wood shed this year...and I'm not sure when I will. This may be a no brainer...but would you guys get a canvas or a poly tarp to cover your wood for the winter? I'd assume canvas. I figure it would be more expensive but I figure you pay for what you get. Is there something I'm missing where a poly would be better?



I've seen a lot of wood piles being protected by poly tarps. Since it is likely only for one year, I would opt for the poly tarps. They are inexpensive and I don't see why they wouldn't work for you.

One other option is to visit building supply stores and ask if you can have the coverings that come on their lifts of lumber. The building supply stores here just throw them away and have no problems with saving me a couple or a few whenever I ask them.


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## Laird (Sep 22, 2009)

I'd go with poly too, but for my outside stuff I recycle old metal roofing that I have scrounged from several places. I throw a few splits on top and they keep it on except in the strongest of storms.


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## Coldfront (Sep 22, 2009)

I'll second the old metal roofing/siding, they tore down a old gas station and let me have all the old metal siding I wanted, just cover the top of the wood with it and weight it down with some pieces of wood or cinder blocks so it won't blow off, leave all the sides open. It seems to dry the wood much better, for some reason tarps really hold in the moisture.


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## Slick (Sep 22, 2009)

Same boat here last year, I used the cheapest blue poly tarps I could find...they get beat up, wind flapping them around, as the piles went down or up I'd keep adjusting them, adding staples here and there to keep them put....basically my take is, don't spend much money on them


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## crashagn (Sep 22, 2009)

Had some 40 mil clear plastic that we had laying around. Only put it on the top of the stack for the whole length but not the sides so airflow will go through. Used some split wood to hold it down. Also put more pieces in the middle to put a little "pitch" on it so water would drain off and not just sit there.


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## wood4heat (Sep 22, 2009)

If you've got a couple trees you haven't cut down yet this works well:







I've got pallets run between them and a rope tied across. I think suspending the tarp on a rope allows enough airflow to keep moisture out and is easier on the tarp. This one is three years old. (with a few blue duct tape patches )


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## BLL MN (Sep 22, 2009)

For those of you that just cover the top of your piles...do you cover the sides for the winter to keep the snow off of the side of the pile?


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## Laird (Sep 22, 2009)

BLL MN said:


> For those of you that just cover the top of your piles...do you cover the sides for the winter to keep the snow off of the side of the pile?



Not really an issue unless the wood is seasoned already and its your wood for the current winter. In my case that wood is in the shed, w/o a shed and again, if the wood is well seasoned, I suppose I would cover it up completely with a tarp.


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## Coldfront (Sep 22, 2009)

leave the sides open, only cover the top.


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## boostnut (Sep 22, 2009)

This is what you're looking for. Far tougher than any store bought tarp. Just cut it to size and punch some grommets in the edges. Mine have been thru about a year of abuse and have no holes to date. They're heavy and tough.

http://stores.shop.ebay.com/PointOne-Premiums__W0QQ_armrsZ1


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## duane9835 (Sep 22, 2009)

I always use old Tyvec house wrap, that works well also.


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## Coldfront (Sep 22, 2009)

Just don't completely cover your wood it will never dry out, moisture will leach up from the ground with no way to escape. IMO only cover the very top of the wood stack.


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## oneoldbanjo (Sep 22, 2009)

Just cover the top - and not the sides. I also put a layer of plastic down on the ground before I stack the wood and then a few limbs on the top of the plastic to keep the wood off the ground. A huge amount of moisture comes up from the ground and if you cover the sides the moisture will be trapped beneath the tarp with your wood.

I either use poly tarps or old metal roofing - but just on top and let it hang down a few inches. I fill old plastic gallon jugs with water and hang them from the sides of the tarps to weigh them down.


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## logbutcher (Sep 22, 2009)

Laird said:


> I'd go with poly too, but for my outside stuff I recycle old metal roofing that I have scrounged from several places. I throw a few splits on top and they keep it on except in the strongest of storms.



Right: stick with rigid covers. Poly covers are a big PITA, deteriorate in a year or two ( UV ), and blow like hell in a light wind.
Any construction site has plenty of scrap ply that if you're willing to cut are perfect for covering open woodpiles. 

Our Early season wood is stacked temporarily near the two stoves for October, November, and some December heating; maybe 1 1/2 cords at most. They're left exposed  to the weather without harm to the fires. It's only rain and some light snow. Then we go to the woodshed for the winter wood. 

You can put up a good pole woodshed in a day. Not a big deal if I can do it. It's been soild for 8 years now.


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## MNGuns (Sep 22, 2009)

Menards has poly tarps CHEAP. They usually go on sale this time a year get a dozen or more for under $30 and if you need to replace them in a year it's a small price to pay. As well, they have them that are blue on one side and brown on another. Not a big fan of blue tarps myself, and I actually know of a local township that has a ban on them being visable from the road. I certainly was surprised when I first hear that as this area is rather rural.


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## sctstoys72 (Sep 22, 2009)

nothing but canvas will do for me,i keep the wood in the shed but have so many other things to cover up,a canvas tarp will last years,treat it with some common water seal with a spayer,they don't flop like poly junk there high new but old farm auctions estate sales ect. they can be found for pennys,i buy every one i can find even if its torn,stake them thru eyelets to ground with landscaping spikes if it permits. you don't have to worry out it.


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## sesmith (Sep 22, 2009)

I use the better poly tarps (brown and silver ones) only cause I use them on my boat 1 year and then move them to the wood stack. As others said, I only cover the top and hold them with gallon jugs of water and some chunks of wood on the top 'til the snow helps hold them down. I only cover the wood from about now (Sept.) thru the winter to keep it dry. I leave it open and uncovered the rest of the year to season.


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## MrBullfrog92 (Oct 4, 2009)

*wood shed*

I have got to ask why is so important to cover the wood for your outdoor wood burner. I have one of them too and I find that it dosent matter how slopping wet or green the wood is its gona burn. as long as you got some coals already going you could cut it right off the tree and its gona burn. We had an ice storm here a couple of years ago and I was throwing it in with an inch of ice on it and it still burned.


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## Philbert (Oct 4, 2009)

Bill,

This was from another post. Don't know where you are in Minnesota, but this is a Minneapolis company that sells used billboard covering for tarps. 20 mil and huge!


http://www.skygroupcloseouts.com/buy.html

Philbert


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## BlueRidgeMark (Oct 4, 2009)

Northern Tool has firewood tarps. Sized to fit a long, narrow stack. 4ft. x 18ft. and 6x24ft. They work great. Open sides, but keep the rain and snow off the top.


http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200316925_200316925


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## howellhandmade (Oct 5, 2009)

I've used the heavy silver tarps from this place:

http://www.wholesaletarp.net/

Much more sturdy than the blue ones, come in long/narrow sizes.


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