In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

Cheapest easiest way, to cover firewood

Discussion in 'The Wood Pile' started by Pricey106, Sep 19, 2020.

  1. buZZsaw BRAD

    buZZsaw BRAD

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2019
    Messages:
    27,373
    Likes Received:
    163,240
    Location:
    North Haven, Connecticut
    I use anything i can scrounge for free of course. Tarps, plastic, metal, plywood/OSB. One stack i have several sheets of OSB sloped and covered with a large heavy gauge plastic pool cover. Any combo of them. If youre in a pinch a roll of clear heavy gauge plastic works well. If your stacks are neat its less offensive to the eyes and the neighbors.
    As a scrounger im always on the lookout for freebies of course.
     
  2. JDU

    JDU

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2016
    Messages:
    347
    Likes Received:
    2,722
    Location:
    Perry County, PA
    If you can find a green house that is replacing their plastic, get it, it is good stuff. They usually give it away and it lasts for years. I have some that is 5 or 6 years old, exposed to full sunlight and still in great shape.
     
  3. mr.finn

    mr.finn

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2014
    Messages:
    594
    Likes Received:
    2,579
    Location:
    Mass
    Someone mentioned earlier rubber roofing. See if there are any roofing companies nearby, my guess is they usually just throw the stuff away. I have a bunch that my brother saved for me. It will blow off with some winds. And I noticed if it drapes far down the sides moisture gets trapped under it.
     
    T.Jeff Veal likes this.
  4. woody5506

    woody5506

    Joined:
    Nov 28, 2017
    Messages:
    1,021
    Likes Received:
    5,563
    Location:
    Upstate NY
    Harbor Freight green tarps are the best bang for your buck in my opinion. Some of mine are 4 years old and just starting to need to be replaced. But for $6 or $7 each it's really not bad.
     
  5. Dumf

    Dumf Banned

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2016
    Messages:
    916
    Likes Received:
    2,867
    Location:
    Maine
    Scrounge always works....fine ideas Brad. :thumbs::thumbs:
    Long time local wood burners here don't cover their open stacks until first snow.
    They say that rains " push out" the sap and season the firewood. Seems to work for us.
    About half our wood for the following year is open. Open stacks for shoulder and later are covered ( not soft coverings ) in mid fall.
    Soft covers like tarps do trap moisture and are ugly ( bears don't like them ).
    I use ply and OSB cutoffs from builders.
     
    buZZsaw BRAD likes this.
  6. ReelFaster

    ReelFaster

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    2,342
    Likes Received:
    16,162
    Location:
    S.Jersey
    Cheapest I'd say whatever you can find free. Tarps, metal roofing, rubber roofing, a liner of sorts..............

    If your paying out of pocket I guess cheap tarps would work, I've bought a few from HF and they work but are a pain in the arse sometimes and they don't last very long.

    I was fortunate to score some metal roofing off my brother in law and that is by far the best I've personally used. Secured properly and pitched you never have to worry about it. Like others mentioned look for some on FB or CL, set up an alert.
     
  7. Timberdog

    Timberdog

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2017
    Messages:
    1,369
    Likes Received:
    7,654
    Location:
    Az
    “cheapest and easiest”....hmmm that’s a relative term. Up front—tarps. But then throw in the long term cost of constant replacement, wrestling with tarps blown off and torn from the wind, wet wood when you need it most because there are holes that rain and snow got in through...the cost of your time and what value you put on it and the frustration in dealing with this situation when you are least able to or least expecting it...those are factors you may want to consider too. If you are going to do this wood burning thing as a lifestyle you may want to consider investing in a woodshed. If this is just for a few years stick with tarps. A woodshed takes much more initial upfront cost and some time on your part to build it but once it’s done you will never regret it. If you are really resourceful and creative a lot of times you can find things you can use for construction for free on Craigslist like pallets, old fencing and lumber people want hauled off. Of course you can always head to
    Home Depot or Lowe’s or your local lumber yard if you want new prettier lumber. This solution is basically permanent if you have decent construction skills and you will never have to spend any money again on firewood protection. To me it was worth it and in the long run I believe you come out ahead.
     
    Last edited: Sep 22, 2020
  8. Dumf

    Dumf Banned

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2016
    Messages:
    916
    Likes Received:
    2,867
    Location:
    Maine
    Absolutely !
    But then our woodshed takes less than a year's firewood. So, nude stacks do the job for next winter.
    Since we're all Wood Freaks, a hard covered nude shoulder stack sits near the doors.
    I built a "storm woodshed" next to the back door. If heavy snow or one of those northeasters ( never say "nor-easter"....never ) , we can get ~ 1/3 cord with slippers and PJs without messing up my doo.
     
    In the Pines and Pricey106 like this.
  9. sirbuildalot

    sirbuildalot

    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2019
    Messages:
    3,309
    Likes Received:
    22,069
    Location:
    Mass
    He makes a good point. Everyone recommends getting on the three year plan, and understandably so. For a low volume burner its easy to do so, and a tiny woodshed may hold three years worth of wood. In my case, the woodshed would need to hold 24 full cords. With the current price of lumber, a huge woodshed is going to cost at least 2-3 grand if you buy new materials.
     
    In the Pines and Biddleman like this.
  10. Timberdog

    Timberdog

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2017
    Messages:
    1,369
    Likes Received:
    7,654
    Location:
    Az
    The other option is to only build your woodshed to hold what you burn in one year. It doesn’t need to be big enough to hold your entire wood hoard. The rest can sit outside until it’s time for that to burn. I let my stacks sit uncovered and then every sept/oct move in enough to the shed for the coming burning season. You needn’t build a shed for all 24 cords.
     
  11. sirbuildalot

    sirbuildalot

    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2019
    Messages:
    3,309
    Likes Received:
    22,069
    Location:
    Mass
    Everyone's situation is different. I like my woodshed, but I'm trying to transition to my other two years being IBC totes. Less handling of the wood, and I can move it to season better or if its in the way.

    Of course you need a way to move the totes.

    My original woodshed was 24' x 6' and cost around $600-$700 to build. The extension making it 32' long was only around $100, because I got alot of the lumber secondhand for free.

    That 32' x 6' woodshed that holds 8 cords/one years wood for me would be $1,500-$2,000 with current lumber prices, if you could even get the lumber and shingles. Some things are on backorder for 3 months.
     
    In the Pines likes this.
  12. rainking63

    rainking63

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2020
    Messages:
    309
    Likes Received:
    2,983
    Location:
    Old Lyme, CT
    This might be a little too convoluted to be considered "easiest", but it's a recent experiment of mine. It works for me, but may not for you.
    I hate how water pools up on the tarp or blows around when it's draped over the pile, so I put pallets on top of the stack. Try to make it as even as possible with a slight slope to the back of the pile. Put your tarp over that, pull tight, and staple or tie down to the pallets. The water won't pool on the tarp, it won't billow or catch wind, and it gives the impression of a wood shed roof, even though it's the firewood that's holding it up. When it's time to use the wood it may require some reconfiguring, but if you're far enough ahead it doesn't matter. Take it down when the time comes.

    This thing didn't even budge during Isaias.

    IMG_20200712_105817.jpg
     
  13. billb3

    billb3

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2013
    Messages:
    9,799
    Likes Received:
    50,302
    Location:
    SE Mass
    Does the armorall help with the oxidized rubber ?
    There's one of those belts in the abandoned pit nearby that the owners have died and the kids put the property up for sale (it has pollution and zoning problems) and I tried to move it (it's long and quite heavy) and got <black> all over me. It sure does look like it would make excellent roofing material though. I would have to cut it to move it.
     
    In the Pines and Sandhillbilly like this.
  14. Pricey106

    Pricey106

    Joined:
    Jun 12, 2014
    Messages:
    628
    Likes Received:
    5,222
    Location:
    Northeast PA
    I have an emergency stash about 25 feet away from my wood hatch into the basement bin. About 2 and a half cords there. Times it would be used is deep snow when I can't get the wood in from the regular stacks in the back part of my property, or if my ATV is down and I can't haul in, or my body is down and my son or wife have to wheelbarrow it over to the wood hatch.
     
    In the Pines likes this.
  15. Woodwhore

    Woodwhore

    Joined:
    Dec 6, 2016
    Messages:
    2,371
    Likes Received:
    19,085
    Location:
    Mason NH
    I use metal roofing, the wife layed the smack down on tarps. She said it was too ugly. Before that, lumber yard wood coverings, the tarp type stuff they wrap pallets of wood with. I have a customer that uses a big piece of this nice rubber stuff
     
    In the Pines and stuckinthemuck like this.
  16. Dumf

    Dumf Banned

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2016
    Messages:
    916
    Likes Received:
    2,867
    Location:
    Maine
    Second vote for ugly tarping.
     
    In the Pines likes this.
  17. ReelFaster

    ReelFaster

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    2,342
    Likes Received:
    16,162
    Location:
    S.Jersey
    Sound advice and very similar to what I do. I have many racks uncovered, however anything being burnt (or could be burnt) that year will be covered. I built a small wood shed about two years ago, holds just under 2 cords fully stuffed, roughly what I burn in a season. This might be the way to go long term.....!

    Each spring I move that years firewood into the woodshed to free up racks for new incoming wood. I wouldn't go crazy trying to get all your racks covered all at one time, focus on what is going to maybe be burnt this year and next and slowly over time you can work up to having enough top coverings for all your racks if you so choose to do so.
     
  18. Flamestead

    Flamestead

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2013
    Messages:
    2,067
    Likes Received:
    10,261
    Location:
    Windsor County, VT
    To paraphrase software development: cheap, great, and easy (fast) -- pick two and suffer the third.
     
  19. TurboDiesel

    TurboDiesel

    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2013
    Messages:
    16,048
    Likes Received:
    95,627
    Location:
    Hollidaysburg Pa
    Kinda like drying wood. You need wind, heat and time. If you take one away, you need to multiply the others.
     
  20. Sandhillbilly

    Sandhillbilly

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2019
    Messages:
    3,498
    Likes Received:
    24,132
    Location:
    North central Nebraska
    I work for a gravel pit. Old conveyor belts probably would work well, though heavy and awkward to handle. Tough to cut also, best method I have found ( and I’ve tried many) is a sharp blade in a utility knife. Make several passes basically scoring it a bit deeper each pass until you get to the cords. Then have a helper kinda try to tear the pice away for the main belt as you cut. Actually not to hard once you figure out the technique
     
    billb3 and In the Pines like this.