To split, or not to split: that is the question.

[jimmyj]

The smaller the pieces of wood the more surface area is exposed to oxygen and it will burn easier, hotter and much more efficient. Large pieces of wood have a tendency to build up carbon on the outside [low burning temp.] which does not allow oxygen access to the wood vapours so combustion can occur.

x2. Well said Egon.

 

[hr3]

Why does everybody cover there wood ??

 

[tcreeley]

If you cover your wood on the top- a drenching rain doesn't soak into the top layer. Wood stays dryer. Also works the same for snow/melt cycles. Sides open allow the wood to breathe. I cover the side with the driving rain/snow.

Re slow/hot burn- I always burn slow unless I am at home, then I burn a few for quick heat. I often leave the stove for 10-12 hours and I want the house warm when I get home. I load it up- bigger the better on a pile of coals, and keep it open until I start to see smoke curling around the wood. Then I close it down. I use a damper set 1/4 turn. The stove is turned right down -air tight stove (not as air tight as it could be). At night I burn it hot and turn it down again for the night time. I use a Shenandoah now with fire brick (largest). 2nd one, nothing pretty but reliable. I clean the chimney 1-2x during the winter. Creosote- fact of life. I made 2 cinder block chimneys - and both could not handle the creosote/condensation. Chimney was against the house and the cold wind cooled the block. The creosote over time soaked out and discolored the block and loosened all of the cement joints. I was able to lift off a block when I took it down, and then lift off the cement joint in one piece. Did this for the whole chimney - that's even with using a tile liner.
I switched to metal asbestos stainless steel. Has been great. I'd never run a chimney on the outside of a house in a cold climate again -creosote and condensation. It needs to keep its heat to avoid condensation. I don't think going up through the middle is so good either- when it clears the roof- same problem. I only heat with wood- so maybe I have a different situation than others, and I use slow burn all of the time.

 

[MossRoad]

Not poking fun, but seriously, why? Other than this looking cool, what is the point? If you made normal stacks they would dry the same and take a whole lot less planning/building time i would think.

Those are good questions, so here's the reasoning...
Its fun.
It looks cool.
The neighbors like it.
It takes up less than half the square footage in my yard VS a traditional 4 X 4 X 8 per cord stack.
That means it also takes less than half the tarps to keep it covered.
That also means I don't have to carry the wood as far or relocate the splitter when I'm building it.

On the down side....
I do have to lift it higher.
I don't think it dries faster than conventional stacking.
I do think it might take longer, in fact due to less area open to the wind.
However, the reasoning in the writings about these piles is that the shape of the stack draws air in and up as it is heated by the sun and it is alleged that it actually dries faster. I don't believe that.
I will say, that as I tear into it over the winter, the wood is dry and ready to use except for the very bottom row where it is usually sunk into the ground and thus damp. But that would be the same for conventionally stacked wood.
All I do with that last layer of wood is toss it onto the top of next year's pile. Nothing wasted.
:thumbsup:

 

[MossRoad]

How do you cover it?

Thanks in advance!
David

I put a square hole in the center of the tarp to fit over the center pole. I only cover the top and leave the sides open to the air. As I pull wood out, the tarp naturally follows the top of the pile. In the spring, I lift the center pole out with my hands, remove the tarp, replace the center pole and start building the pile for two years from now. I'm trying to work my way up to three stacks. One for this year, one for next and one in progress.

 

[MossRoad]

I've heated with just wood since 1978. I used to split because everybody did. Then I thought about it and wondered about how many times I handled each piece of wood before it went into the stove. I also noticed that burn time was longer and easier to control unsplit. Now I use as big a piece of unsplit wood that will fit into the stove. The stove never goes out, just the ash! I always have a bed of coals. I burn wood that is dry- no sizzle (cut/stacked the year before- cherry, oak, maple, birch. Punky wood is not much good for heat.
I hate handling wood- there is always something else I could be doing- so no splitting. If is is too big- I use a maul. Maybe once or twice all winter.

I agree. The first year I used 5-6 branches, trees, etc... unsplit.
Last year someone gave me two free maple trees. BIG maple trees. Man, that was a lot of work. Huge rounds. Took two people to roll them onto the trailer. Had to use forklift to get them on splitter by myself. Just a huge pain compared to smaller locust trees that required much less splitting.

 

[MossRoad]

David, if you google building holz hausens you will find loads of information and explanations. To answer your question if built "by the book" it does not need covering because the top is slanted out with bark side up pieces forming the cover.

I did that my first year. The problem becomes having to make sure all the bark is always up and overlapping like shingles. Too much work and attention to details. Typical German engineering! That's why I switched to a tarp.

 

[Pete Judd]

Any thing that is over 6 inches I split. The door on my shop wood stove is only 12 inches wide, so have to keep that in mind. I stack my firewood bark up with no problem. It drys just fine, I have several rows of firewood, each lade out on small cedar logs that will rot away in time, but takes a few years. We get about 80-90 inches of rain here, and even with this, the wood dry's fast. 6 months or so it is ready to go in the stove. The smaller alder and fir can be ready in a few weeks.

 

[wawajake]

Okay maybe too artistic , saved it from web a few years ago (maybe it was from someone at TBN even )

 

[DAY]

now that is a woodpile!
Needs to be in some "Arts in the Park" exhibition!