WinterDeere
Elite Member
Ash dries faster than most hardwoods, which is probably what you're picking up on. You can get ash down to 20%MC after one summer of drying, as opposed to three summers for most specie of oak.
Seasoning Firewood
- Thread starter the old grind
- Start date
tonynz
New member
I think it depends on your local climate. I've known shed stored firewood to remain damp for years due to lack of draught and moist ambient air. My way is to ring bark the tree and let it dry standing for one season, then leave it in a pile uncovered for another season, then bring it to the shed in late summer ready for burning. Those neatly stacked piles of wood are not really drying out much. In countries that mostly burn pine wood, extra care is needed due to the flammable sap content.
WinterDeere
Elite Member
There are always exceptions, such as poorly-designed sheds that prevent sufficient airflow, but that would be an exceptional case. In general, wood does not dry very well at all in log form, in fact in most parts of the US where it's cold enough to desire wood heat, the climate is such that the logs will rot before they dry. The general (and proven) advice is to get it split and stacked ASAP, only then does the drying really begin.
But it's not difficult to figure this out, or to prove out your own case. Buy a moisture meter, many options accurate enough for firewood can be had for $30 - $50.
I can say my wood dries better and faster, and stays dry better thru acute weather events, under my shed roofs than it ever did out in the open or covered with tarps. I also have logs piled, typically 1 - 3 years backlog, but sometimes getting backed up as far as 4+ years. In general, any log I can't get split and stacked within 1 year starts losing value, and is pretty much toast by 3 years.
But under the cover of a shed, it can last many years. The wood I'm burning right now is mostly red oak and hickory felled May 2019, and split and stacked under the shed roofs I had pictured above in autumn 2019.
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Oaktree
Super Member
Weird. I've never had trouble burning ash, certainly not after it's seasoned for a year.
MaxLee
Silver Member
What the size of that shed, I been storing wood like you past 20 year, this year a shed is getting built.
cqaigy2
Super Member
Maritime climate:
I grew up in a dry climate so had to relearn some things as far as seasoning firewood.
In this locale, the winter drops a fair amount of rain over long periods, the ground is damp and any tarp to the ground turns into a good way to provide a nice damp environment. Any wood left on the ground will rot, get chewed up by carpenter ants and termites. So what i've done is built my wood shed so the floor is slightly higher, gravel with plastic to reduce moisture coming up from the soil. The structure is a pole type building with walls 2x4 and cedar fencing slats stapled on alternate sides to promote air flow. Shed style roof with the high end open and oriented on prevailing air flow. Roof is clear PVC with 2 foot over hangs. Eight foot deep, by 16 foot long. Walls on the short end are 8 foot with 12 foot high on the open end.
Basically the shed is divided in two with wood being burned in alternate sides. Typically some split and mostly unsplit rounds would go in and i'd hand split what i needed on an ongoing process, thru out the cool weather.
So far the only wood i've had trouble getting to dry is unsplit oak rounds, that took two years with burning on the 3rd. I now have a wood splitter so i might change it up a bit by splitting more wood as it goes into the shed.
I grew up in a dry climate so had to relearn some things as far as seasoning firewood.
In this locale, the winter drops a fair amount of rain over long periods, the ground is damp and any tarp to the ground turns into a good way to provide a nice damp environment. Any wood left on the ground will rot, get chewed up by carpenter ants and termites. So what i've done is built my wood shed so the floor is slightly higher, gravel with plastic to reduce moisture coming up from the soil. The structure is a pole type building with walls 2x4 and cedar fencing slats stapled on alternate sides to promote air flow. Shed style roof with the high end open and oriented on prevailing air flow. Roof is clear PVC with 2 foot over hangs. Eight foot deep, by 16 foot long. Walls on the short end are 8 foot with 12 foot high on the open end.
Basically the shed is divided in two with wood being burned in alternate sides. Typically some split and mostly unsplit rounds would go in and i'd hand split what i needed on an ongoing process, thru out the cool weather.
So far the only wood i've had trouble getting to dry is unsplit oak rounds, that took two years with burning on the 3rd. I now have a wood splitter so i might change it up a bit by splitting more wood as it goes into the shed.
MaxLee
Silver Member
I usually get a load of logs in winter, between now and April. If winter isn't to bad I get out and cut logs into 17" pieces, in April / May I will split to size, leaved piled up until September. Usually get enough wood for 2 season out of a load of logs. The stuff I split this spring will get burn this coming winter. I never have issue with wet wood, clean the chimney and stove pipe every fall with minimal creosol.
I have been stacking in rows on pallets covered with plastic. It works but shed seems like a nice upgrade. Was going to do it last year but lumber was crazy high around here. I like the way you designed yours, hope you don't mind it will be my starting point on my build.
I been doing this for over 20 yrs, I am like a few on here that getting up in age and getting to point when least amount of handling the better things will be. Plan on upgrading my Kioti tractor this spring which will be geared towards my fire wood operation. Have to try and make it fun too
I will say TBN has guys on here that come up with some great ideas, appreciated that they share them with others!
Happy New Year
I have been stacking in rows on pallets covered with plastic. It works but shed seems like a nice upgrade. Was going to do it last year but lumber was crazy high around here. I like the way you designed yours, hope you don't mind it will be my starting point on my build.
I been doing this for over 20 yrs, I am like a few on here that getting up in age and getting to point when least amount of handling the better things will be. Plan on upgrading my Kioti tractor this spring which will be geared towards my fire wood operation. Have to try and make it fun too
I will say TBN has guys on here that come up with some great ideas, appreciated that they share them with others!
Happy New Year
The Deerslayer
Platinum Member
Its 10' by 24'. Definitely adequate for my needs.
It was a fun project. You won't regret having one.
The Deerslayer
Platinum Member
Appreciate the compliment, thanks.I usually get a load of logs in winter, between now and April. If winter isn't to bad I get out and cut logs into 17" pieces, in April / May I will split to size, leaved piled up until September. Usually get enough wood for 2 season out of a load of logs. The stuff I split this spring will get burn this coming winter. I never have issue with wet wood, clean the chimney and stove pipe every fall with minimal creosol.
I have been stacking in rows on pallets covered with plastic. It works but shed seems like a nice upgrade. Was going to do it last year but lumber was crazy high around here. I like the way you designed yours, hope you don't mind it will be my starting point on my build.
I been doing this for over 20 yrs, I am like a few on here that getting up in age and getting to point when least amount of handling the better things will be. Plan on upgrading my Kioti tractor this spring which will be geared towards my fire wood operation. Have to try and make it fun too
I will say TBN has guys on here that come up with some great ideas, appreciated that they share them with others!
Happy New Year
Fortunately, I built it before all the lumber craziness started......guess I got lucky timing-wise. The rough cut lumber I used for siding was from a local guy and was very reasonable.
Look forward to hearing about your progress. You might consider starting a thread during your build so others can get some ideas or offer some to you. Kinda wish I did.....but I guess I was too busy building the shed...LOL.
Best of luck with yours. I'm no pro by any stretch of the imagination, but if you have any more questions on mine that might be helpful to you, let me know.
Happy New Year!
Eagle223usa
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2021
- Messages
- 99
- Tractor
- 790 John Deere/ Case 580 CK diesel.
When we bought our farm, it came with a 12X24 corrugated wood shed. The south facing wall was rusted out. After welding up the old steel frame we used the poly clear roof panels as the wall. So I kind of made a wood greenhouse. It is full of cherry that was cut and split last spring and has baked in there all summer. It is nice and dry so it really puts out the BTU's. We don't burn any pine or soft wood.