Drying firewood in a pile?

[reddogrunner]

I've often thought if I had a BIG operation I would get a nice limestone bottom laid down and then build highwall tunnels with a black plastic roof and open sides. I would windrow the wood in those. I think that would work pretty darned good. The wood one the bottom may need another run through, but so what.

 

[BoBDoG2o02]

I don't know who to believe...helpppppp!!!!

Believe the guys who use the wood to heat their own houses.

 

[BoBDoG2o02]

I say no, it's not possible. The moisture from the ground will always be wicking up unless it's elevated on some sort of pallet or platform. The other problem is that airflow is what drys wood, not time or sun. Airflow. A big pile doesn't allow any airlow. Most guys that burn dry in stacks, long single width rows, and move to a shed if they have one after 1-2 years depending on species.

 

[muddstopper]

Not sure how well the high tunnel would work for piles. I had a friend that thought he could dry his wood in a green house, but that didnt work at all. Did get a lot of mold tho. I have piled some pretty big stacks and left them for a while and the bottom layer will never dry out, but anything off the ground seems to do pretty well. I usually split and pile in spring, and stack under a shed in the fall. I would suspect that if I piled my wood on pallets to get just a little air flow, the piles would dry pretty good, but thats to much work.

 

[reddogrunner]

Problem with a greenhouse is lack of airflow. They are usually buttoned up pretty good. I am thinking of something that would take a lot of heat from above but be open on the sides and ends.

 

[zogger]

Problem with a greenhouse is lack of airflow. They are usually buttoned up pretty good. I am thinking of something that would take a lot of heat from above but be open on the sides and ends.

You can get good airflow with a 3-4 foot fan on one end set to exhaust and a louvered vent window thingee on the other end. That's how the greenhouse here works in the summer, and the broiler houses are all like that, just tons more fans.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Believe the guys who use the wood to heat their own houses.

I heat my house and the shop with wood plus sell about 500 cords a year.

 

[BoBDoG2o02]

Problem with a greenhouse is lack of airflow. They are usually buttoned up pretty good. I am thinking of something that would take a lot of heat from above but be open on the sides and ends.

Look up solar kiln, or solar wood kiln. ...

 

[BoBDoG2o02]

I heat my house and the shop with wood plus sell about 500 cords a year.

Cool. Burn in a stove? OWB?

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Stoves. Blaze King Princess at home, section of oil pipeline at the shop. Around 4ft around by 7ft long.

Belive me if I could figure out an easy way for wood to dry out without much work or cost I'd be doing it.

 

[square1]

Nothing good can come from having your wood in contact with the ground.

 

[reaperman]

Works great in my climate. Key is full sun and wind exposure. View attachment 474585

If I had that much wood processed I wouldn't stack it either. I used to stack everything but the older I get I could really care less if some wood is in contact with the ground and rots.

 

[olyman]

But a little bit of white mold isnt punk, I'd bet the wood was still solid.

true dat,,and when it was in logs,,no mold.. but then,,is was rainy here all year??? its got mold on it now.........

 

[Marshy]

I tell ya, I made a big mistake 2 years ago. I decided to cut my rounds without moving the logs off the pile. It worked well but all the sawdust fell on the logs lower in the pile and I didn't get to cutting the rest of the pile until this past spring/summer. All the saw dust held the moisture and even started decomposing on top of the logs low in the pile. It just made a friggin mess of the lower logs. I'll never do that again, I'll always roll them off for now on...

 

[Circle B MN]

I've made that same mistake. I had a few ten cord loads to process. Cut some logs into rounds, tossed some more logs on top, cut them into rounds. Big old pile of rounds and sawdust. Turned into quite a mess by the time I got around to moving the bottom rounds.

Stacking is perhaps a necessary evil. I hate to do it and despise putting time into the chore, but the end result in the dry wood, less storage space, and aesthetics is a good thing.

 

[BoBDoG2o02]

I've made that same mistake. I had a few ten cord loads to process. Cut some logs into rounds, tossed some more logs on top, cut them into rounds. Big old pile of rounds and sawdust. Turned into quite a mess by the time I got around to moving the bottom rounds.

Stacking is perhaps a necessary evil. I hate to do it and despise putting time into the chore, but the end result in the dry wood, less storage space, and aesthetics is a good thing.

Amen brother. It sucks but if you want truly dry wood its gotta be off the ground and stacked. The old adage, stacked tight enough for a mouse to go through but not the cat to chase it. AIRFLOW.

 

[Marshy]

Letting the saw dust stay covering the logs or rounds is a recipe for disaster ad it collects a lot of moisture. I even had a big collony of carpenter ants start building a home in the chips.

 

[bonner1040]

Lol we dry hundreds of cords a year in piles as big as a house. Good to know that it doesn't work


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[olyman]

Lol we dry hundreds of cords a year in piles as big as a house. Good to know that it doesn't work


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soooo, do tell some of us,,the moisture content,,of the logs in the bottom of the pile,,if you rip one apart QUICKLY... do tell.......

 

[Marshy]

Lol we dry hundreds of cords a year in piles as big as a house. Good to know that it doesn't work


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I don't think "it won't work" is not a good reply or the general consensus of the discussion. I think the take away is it doesn't work as well. Also, depending on things like your climate and soil type it could result in mold, fungi, soggy wood, or it could be completely acceptable and dry...