How to store downed trees so they last

[cantoo]

I have posted these pics before but they show how I store my logs. The 1 st pic is an empty log bay, it held approx. 160 logs that I just cut into 16" rounds and split the last couple of weeks. 2nd pic in the back corner you can see some poplar logs that I have sitting there waiting to replace the rotten ones and ones that sink into the ground. Also in that pic is about 300 pcs of 4x4' black plastic skid lids that I bought to lay down and pile split wood onto. That will be next years trial, if it doesn't work then I will cut them in half and burn them in my OWB.

 

[Franny K]

If you can afford $300 or so for a roll of black edpm or rubber roofing 0.060 thick 10 by 50, make 20, 20, 10 pieces for the top of your piles of rounds until you can process further, which might be essentially until use.

Snake business is unrealistic.. Preferable to rodent urne and excrement imo.

 

[ThatCrazyMtnGuy]

It's important to remember that at temperatures above freezing, whole logs and even firewood length logs will start developing fungus within a few weeks. It's imperative to cut, split, and stack the logs ASAP after felling. Personally, I'm a fan of holzhausens (as stated before), but whatever your choice for stacking, don't leave them in logs! Once the fungus takes hold, the wood will never fully season.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

It's important to remember that at temperatures above freezing, whole logs and even firewood length logs will start developing fungus within a few weeks. It's imperative to cut, split, and stack the logs ASAP after felling. Personally, I'm a fan of holzhausens (as stated before), but whatever your choice for stacking, don't leave them in logs! Once the fungus takes hold, the wood will never fully season.

It generally doesn't season well in logs anyhow, some species worse than others. I dunno about "a few weeks", I guess it depends on area. I had a pile of poplar logs we cut in 2013 I just finished going through. Pile had maybe 200-250 cords when it started out. The stuff on the ground was getting pretty bad, but most of it was fine still.

I wouldn't even worry about leaving a pile for 2-3 years.

 

[jthornton]

I have a buddy that wants some shooing lanes cut in his woods. Most of the trees I'm cutting are 6" to 12" or so hickory. I can cut and split about 6 loads then my wood rack will be full. A few years back I built a shop and had to cut some large oak and hickory trees, so much that it had to be stacked up for a couple of years before I could cut and split it. It developed shelf mushrooms on some of the logs even though they were all off the ground but uncovered. So I'm thinking this time to stack them up so air can circulate a bit better and nail some tin on top to keep the leaves and snow off. Any thoughts on this?

JT

 

[Gugi47]

 

[Gugi47]

 

[U&A]

Good info but no way in hell am i stacking a nice pile (and those piles are stacked very nicely) and then moving it just to re stack it again.

to much handling IMO.




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[Gugi47]

Good info but no way in hell am i stacking a nice pile (and those piles are stacked very nicely) and then moving it just to re stack it again.

to much handling IMO.




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A good job always take time.
Bad job , take twice us much time....because you have to redo it or lose it...

 

[sb47]

Down here leaving the bark on is the biggest problem with how long the wood last. If you can store them whole in a dry barn or cover, the bark is not as big a deal. But if your gonna store them outside, the bark is your worst enemy. It traps moisture and attracts bugs and fungus that like moist conditions. If I can get them split and have to let them sit, I at least try to split them in half or quarter them up till I'm ready to split to size.
Now that's down here in the south where it almost never freezes. My guess is once it freezes, all or most insect and fungus go dormant till temps worm up.
Ever wounder why log cabin builders de bark the logs?
I would also not make my piles to big and spread my stacks far enough apart to let the sun and wind work for you, help keeping things as dry as possible.
The number one thing is keep your stacks out in the open and not under shade trees. Store them in full sunlight, and keep the weeds cut around the piles so the wind can do it's magic.

 

[jthornton]

Yea my last pile of logs got covered in leaves in the fall so that didn't help much. I'll have to see how many extra logs I have when it's all said and done. I counted 32 trees marked for me to cut this morning, I'm thinking about 18 or so will fill up my wood bins so I may just be building a wood dome with the rest. Would you put landscaping fabric down before stacking to keep weeds and grass from growing up inside the dome?

JT