I have been meaning to pose this question for some time. I have some indoor storage space that is a bit tedious to stack wood in when stacked properly. Well, I scored about four cord of Red Oak and needed to get the wood removed from the site quickly. So, I just began throwing the wood in the storage area not adhering to any sort of stacking method. Did I mess up? In other words, will this negatively affect my curing time? I will say that using this method did not greatly impact how much wood I was able to store in this area (by my rough calculations anyway).
Seems there's not much airflow, so that in itself will lengthen drying time. Not sure that a chucked pile will make a huge difference in this circumstance. How long will this get to sit? As you may well know, oak takes a long time to fully dry properly. BTW, first I've seen your posts, so... Welcome aboard
I have not stacked my wood for a few years now. I made cribs out of 6x6 concrete enforcement wire. 5 ft high and about 14 ft dia. Think corncrib. Just split and chuck. Piled to a peak in the middle and covered the top. Works great for me as it gets lots of wind and sun. Storing indoors you loose the sun and wind factor. It will dry, just may take a bit longer. And welcome to the greatest firewood site ever. Glad to have you here.
Thanks guys. I’ve been here for a while, but haven’t posted anything, or really been active for a few months. So what I gather is that it has less to do with the method and more to do with where i am storing it. That makes total sense. Fortunately, this will be able to sit for at least another 18 months. I have both Oak and honey locust in there. The HL has been in there for a year already. I can probably stretch that even longer if I have to.
According to the drying chart, Firewood BTU & Drying Chart HL should get 24 months of drying time, so you may or may not be good there considering airflow issues. The red oak should be allowed 36 mo for proper drying. Once again, airflow being a limiting factor. Do you have the space to stack outside? Even uncovered, you're in a better situation than in the shed. Not sure of your situation, so maybe it's a moot point.
I have 6.5 cord of storage in the indoor storage and 4.5 cord of storage outside. Right now I have mostly white ash and silver maple outside. That’ll be first to go this winter. It’ll be a lot of work, but maybe I’ll switch everything to outside when I burn everything else. And, because I depend on this indoor storage, maybe I can use that for what I primarily burn, white ash.
Primer on Woodburning by Backwoods Savage For sure that is not a good place or method of getting firewood ready to burn good. Yes, you will be able to burn but not get much of the total btu from the wood. You mention it will sit for at least another 18 months but holy moses! Even stacked properly outdoors we won't even attempt to burn oak until it has sit outdoors for 3 years. Oak just gives up its moisture very, very slow. Stacking the wood properly outdoors where air flow gives you the best drying conditions still requires lots of time. And if it is not stacked but thrown into a heap, it needs much more time and even then, it is mostly just the outer layer that will be dry. There just is not air circulation when wood is thrown into a heap. In addition, many people wrongly think it is sunshine and heat that drys the wood but if there is no air circulation, where does that moisture go? This is why it is not best to stack next to a fence or building or anything similar. Also stacking indoors when wood is green it is difficult to get rid of the moisture. With this said, I wish you good luck. You have some great firewood there and it would be a shame to not treat it properly. It is hard enough putting up wood but then whey you can't get the maximum btu from the wood, it is a lot of wasted work.
You said it was inside. Try throwing a dehumidifier by it. Will help get the moisture out at least a little bit. I have read some people also use fans.
firewood ( and oak can be the worst ) can take a long time to season, or give up its moisture content. Inside, with no means to exchange the air, that wet/green wood will keep raising and trapping the moisture content of the air. In this induced high moisture environment that wood will take a VERY LONG time to season. It is also a ripe environment for the growth of mold. Even with a few windows and doors open you can't come close to being outside and all the advantages to being outside provide for the (especially) the first phase of seasoning. Which is why many people stack wood in an open area for a year or two before stacking it again in a shed . Some employing a roof to keep rain off to maximize drying time. Once in the shed MOST if not all of the preliminary drying has occurred and the shed is a means to keep the firewood out of the rain and snow (elements) keeping it a pleasure to use.
While I think curing of your wood loose stacked is your most important question, I might add a word about volume. With 12"to 16" splits, a jumbled or "thrown cord" will take up approx. 180 cubic ft. of space. A "stacked cord" will only take up around 128 cubic ft. This is about 40% more space for the thrown wood. If you are limited for room, you might also add this to your parameters! (This from the State of Maine Definitions)
if anything the wood will be nice and clean until you use it. Maybe you can move it outdoors a year prior to burning?
Licking County Cutter , I am next county north of you, like to shake hands sometime. You will have to try and come to our GTG we have here the first weekend in Oct.
@bill3, just to reinforce what you wrote, we put up a new barn last summer. There are 6 windows in the barn and all 6 are open. Yet, yesterday when I went into the barn (9:00 am) it was already hot in there, even with all the windows open and it was not getting full sun. Does not get full sun any part of the day either but still stays hot. With the overhead door open it, of course, stays much better but close that door and it warms fast. Imagine what would happen with green wood stacked in there.
The easy solution is to score some more wood that dries faster and stack that outside. Let that oak age
Yeah seems like if there was a choice these faster drying woods should be in the shed and the Oak, Locust should be outside...well, if there was a choice, they should all be outside until 2-3 years dried, and then what you need for the winter brought inside right before burning season starts...
