I started using the IBC totes/cages in February of 2020. Like most IBC users appear to, I cut the bladder in half diagonally to use as a roof over the cage to keep the wood dry. My question is, would another style roof/cover help the wood season quicker? My totes had mulch dye in them. Even after power washing and scrubbing with a stiff brush numerous times, there is still a black reside on them. Some potential options could include: *Large rolls of stretch wrap (like a giant roll of Saran wrap). This seems like it would allow more sunlight to pass through which could dry the wood quicker *Black plastic. This seems like it would get hotter from the sun, potentially causing better drying times *Clear plastic panels. Similar to #1 in potential benefits *Cut a half circle in the IBC bladder. This could allow better cross breezes to get in, and allow any moisture build up to get out *Cut a vent in the top of the IBC bladder. Much like a roof vent on a house. Allows moisture to get out, but not get in ???
They found out when doing solar kilns, the clear is better...allows the sun to directly heat the wood. As for the other questions...
don’t know about mulching dye but i got silicon one rather have dyed ones silicone still slipper crap after a year my wood seems to dry good in them cut that way
I've said it many times and will repeat it many times. Think about wind, or simply air movement when you want wood to dry. Simply put; it works. I have stacked wood in the sunshine and have stacked wood in total shade and have even stacked wood in barns and corn cribs. As long as the wood gets good air movement, it dries great! The hot sun of course is always good but if you can't get it, don't worry. After all, even if your wood is stacked in the sun, all the wood is not getting the benefit; some wood just don't get the sunshine. I recall many years when we stacked wood right where we cut it and that was in the woods. Trees and leaves keep the hot sun off the wood, but we found the wood could dry at about the same rare as that stacked in the open. Yet, if some were stacked in the open, stacked rather loosely and had full wind and sun, that always was a sure thing to help along those hard and slow to dry woods like oaks. If one keeps in mind the above he'll do well. If one gets on the 3 year plan,he'll never lose.
I would agree with you provided the top of the stack is covered. If left uncovered, I think the sunnier area would dry better. In addition, things like moss, mold, fungus, etc need moisture to thrive. A sunny area would prevent a lot of that where a shaded area may not.
If you really want to throw money at a problem that doesn't exist intsall solar powered roof fans in those IBC bladder roofs.
Dennis, I am not sure that works in humid areas like mine. Seems to me that wood in the shade gets lots of fungus on it and if it's in the open, not near as much.
Indeed! I could never understand why anyone would go to the trouble of putting up firewood and then not covering it. Why do half a job?
As I've stated, it depends upon air! No circulation? Then it won't work. For example, I had a fellow call me out on this. I went to his place and although he had his wood split and stacked for 2 years, it was simply too wet to burn. As soon as I drove in the problem just jumped right out. House on high ground with open yard. Off to side of garage the land slopped down many feet into a swamp. In addition it was really thick and although at the time I was there no standing water but the ground was really wet and mud was clinging to our shoes. He did say that there was standing water most of the year there... What did he expect??? Of course that would never work. One still has to think a bit about what he is doing. btw, I talked him into moving the entire wood pile up onto the higher ground and although it was much work, the following winter he called me to thank me (I really did nothing) because his wood was burning so nicely. He also came to our place and was amazed we had so much wood stacked where it got no sun but was excellent firewood.
