Curing Firewood

[Woodman 454]

I have always covered my firewood (mostly oak and maple and cherry) as soon as I split and stacked it. Lately however I have been getting advice from people telling me to leave the wood uncovered, exposed to the elements for several months, then cover it 1-2 mos. before the beginning of the burning season. Any input on this one would be appreciated.

 

[tnttreeman]

I sell a couple hundred cord of firewood per year. I always cover just the top of the stacks with clear plastic, allowing the sides to be open. This allows for two things: the clear plastic works like a green house to let the sun through, and leaving the sides uncovered lets the wind pass through. Combined, this lets it dry quickly. Sometimes I will leave the piles uncovered, but this just seems to weather the wood, graying it. Can't say that it's drier than the stuff that had the rain water kept off it via the plastic.

 

[fwf]

IMHO, ventilation is the key. Whether it is covered or not, it needs fresh air to dry. Covering, as tnttreeman suggests, certainly can't hurt, but whether it is worth the trouble is debatable.

 

[ozy365]

Do a shearch on holzhaus. For my personal use it is the most bang for my buck.

 

[Newfie]

The only time my wood gets covered is just before the first snow and them it stays covered until the wood is used or the snow is gone.

If you want to cover it in the spring or summer I would only cover the top and leave the sides open to ventilate as suggested already. If using plastic or a tarp it doesn't matter if it is clear or not. As a matter of fact a black plastic will absorb more heat from the sun than anything else.