I saw this linked at another forum: www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200612347_200612347 ShelterLogic Firewood Seasoning Shed — 20ft.L x 10ft.W x 8ft.H, Holds 7 Cords Features + Benefits Top of page Creates dry, seasoned firewood 2X faster than open air drying Heavy-duty 34mm steel frame has Dupont premium powder-coat finish that resists chipping, peeling, rust and corrosion ShelterLock stabilizers strengthen and stabilize frame Translucent triple-layer 5.5-oz. polyethylene ripstop fabric cover allows light in and retains heat to dry wood faster Cover has heat-bonded seams and is 100% waterproof Cover is UV treated with added fade blockers, anti-aging and anti-fungal agents for long life Floor vapor barrier keeps out excess ground moisture Shed features zippered front and rear door panels for easy stacking and access to wood Screened vents allow for increased airflow Cross ventilation wicks away moisture to assist the drying process Easy Slide cross rail system and Ratchet Tite tensioning provide solid cover anchoring to the frame Drying times are dependent on geography and seasons Shed includes ratchet tie-downs, auger anchors, bungee cords and instructions Interesting that they view wood heat as a growth field worthy of this level and kind of product development.
For three and a quarter I guess that is not a bad unit. Kind of a car cover in theme, though better suited to wood drying with the vents. Not sure how you can get 7 cords into a 20x10 space though. If you stacked it tight 8 feet wide by 18 feet long to t-posts a foot inside the sides, and 4 feet high you would only have 4.5 cords. And that would be tight stacked rows with no space between them. Not sure how fast it would dry stacked that way. I have been designing a 10x20 wood shed here as that is the largest you can build here w/o a permit. I figure I can get 4 cords in there with enough air space between rows to dry it.
I played with the numbers a little, and tight packed 6' high with a 2' alley down the center gets you 7.5 cords. I will not comment on how much fun it would be to load that way.
Well, unless you build some rigid type of framing I cannot see going that high. A tent is not a rigid structure like a wood shed that you can stack high and tightly against the walls. You also need air space/flow between the wood and the tent to get the rapid greenhouse drying effects. With 6 inches at the edges, you get a 9x19 foot drying area. A solid mass of stacked wood 6' high would give you 8 cords. Adding a 2 foot isle down the length of the center would reduce that by 1-3/4 cords, leaving 6-1/4 cords. With more manageable 5' high stacks you get down to around 5 cords. The dimensions listed for height of the tent are at the apex of the ceiling, not the shoulders. If they are 6 feet the realistic maximum is about 6 cords of wood with a isle down the long length and the wood raised off the ground on 4" pallets.
I just wonder what drying times would be inside this shelter vs out in the wind and sun. If it decreased drying times substantially it might be worth the investment for someone who is behind the curve on seasoned wood.
According to the Cornell University web site, such a structure would likely cut the drying time in half. In places like the PNW where there is a lot of rain, it may well be even better than that.
Three sizes available, 10ft.L x 10ft.W x 8ft.H, Holds 3 1/2 Cords, 5ft.L x 3 1/2ft.W x 5ft.H, Holds 1/2 Cord, http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...p=24&Ntt=ShelterLogic+Firewood+Seasoning+Shed
Yah, but the roof is sloped off from the peak, and only the "center height" is 8 ft. The shoulder height is lower.
I like the idea of the framed shed like this, but it is the snow load that bothers me. Would not want a collapse in the middle of winter. JMO
This is a company that at least understands what seasoned wood is. They are close in terms of the amount of time needed to season wood. If you can't build a shed and don't have the space to keep wood, then something like this is an alternative. Not a great one, but it is an alternative. http://firewoodfactory.net/pricing.html
I have gotten 2 year barn dry Doug fir delivered here for $175. Super dry. Though the difference between 20% dry and 12% super dry wood is not that much in terms of heat (about 10%) it takes another year on the stacks here. A moisture meter is your friend. I am designing a Cornell type of PVC framed plastic solar wood kiln, but snow load is a big issue here too. You can knock the snow off as it accumulates, but a big wet dump and it would cave. Maybe it would be a late spring to mid fall only thing. I am looked at building a corrugated fiberglass kiln with a steep roof slope, but that stuff is really expensive. Solar wood kiln info: http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/WoodDrying/wood_kiln.htm
Yah, that's why I figured the shoulders of the roof are 6', which would be the maximum realistic height of the wood.
Everything you need to know about drying eastern hardwoods is here. It is about sawed lumber, but you get an idea of who much faster you can effectively dry wood with kilns, and there is a section on solar kilns. http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/nass/general/ah/ah528.pdf
I think this could be the start of a Cornell type solar wood kiln, anyway, that's what I have been thinking of doing in the spring to try it out , low cost to set up, this rack is 12' L x 4' w x 4' H
That is the same size of stacks that I use here; 12' x 4' on pallets, but I have t-posts on the ends. I am thinking of framing with PVC pipe and running 6 mill plastic over it.
When finished filling up, the stack will be 9' x 9' x 6.5' high. (4.11 cords) I think it will hold up to the snow load ok here in SW Ohio. When we put it up in September, It was extremely hot inside the structure. I think it could operate as a solar kiln.
Not could be, it is a solar kiln. Or at least a hothouse. You do not need the plastic to be transparent to get the heating effect. A place where smaller is likely better, for firewood. Less wasted space for the isle. All you need is venting at the bottom and at the top of the front and back and it will work to dry wood faster.
