Wood drying question

I've been helping some people cut up downed limbs after the ice storm in west michigan and I got about a face cord of red maple. My question is, will maple split and stacked in a pole barn season by next winter? I realize it seasons fast but will sitting in a pole barn hinder its dry time that much?

 

The red maple I split in spring 2017, stacked in the sun and top covered, was still too wet in spring 2018, when I was scrounging the yard for dry wood. One more summer and it was great, I've been burning it all winter. So, give it two summers is what I suggest.

 

Welcome aboard CaptainNemo .
I prefer two years for Red, in good drying conditions. In a pole barn.....no idea. Is it heated at all?

 

IME, short answer is no..

 

I don’t think it should slow it down much in a typical pole barn. I’d say the air should move through it fairly well, and being under cover from rain is a big help.

 

I had wood stacked behind my garage for 2 years and it didn't dry well. Not enough sun or wind.
You need three things to dry wood. Heat(sun), air and time.
If you take one away, you need to increase the other two. If you take air away, you'll likely get mold and fungus because the moisture wont be carried away from the surface of the wood.

 

I guess I'll be the guy who says Yes you can, if it's split small ish. That's pretty much how I got through my first whole burning season, burning wood that was split about a year. Was it ideal? No...but it burned and kept me warm. I just ended up going through more of it.

 

My thought would be, If you need it for next year, stack it outside where it will get the prevailing wind and sun.
I got the brilliant idea to stack some in the barn 2016. The barn had a door to the west that I kept opened and one to the north in that section of the barn. They got plenty of wind, but no sunshine. After a 3 year dry time, I am not at all convinced that inside drying is the way to go.
Firewood BTU & Drying Chart
Based on the chart Beech is a 1 year dry time wood. It burnt good after 3 summers in the barn.
The Honey Locus burnt pretty good and the MM on all the pieces I check read in the mid to low 19s. The chart says Honey Locus is a 2 year wood.
Now the Oak which the chart says is a 3 year wood. The pieces I checked had a MM reading in the high 19s to a high of 20.1. Most read at 19.9 or 20. I believe the moisture to be higher on many pieces. It burnt less than desired.
From my experience, you need to add a year to the chart for inside storage.

Edit: I forgot. Welcome aboard.

 

My pole barn is fully enclosed, so I would say no. Is yours open like a lean too or manure shed?

 

Is my pole barn the only barn that gets hotter than hell when the suns shining and the doors are closed? My roof is a dark brown so that may make a difference but I’ve had good luck with wood drying inside. Last winter I stacked some honey locust in 4 different locations to try to find out the best way to dry at my place. What was in my barn was the driest. It has to be the heat that’s doing the drying.


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Some of the old cow barns had roof vents (some were wood like cupolas and some were tin ) that moved quite a bit of air . Some for the smell but maybe mostly to keep the hay in the loft dry . Would work good for wood. (not that you'd put wood in a loft )

 

Were the downed limbs already dead or green branches? That will make a difference. Dead branches on live trees tend to come down first so there is potential that if they were already dead that they will be ready to go next year.

 

There is usually quite a bit of moisture in a live tree thats just been cut.

I stacked some Maple in a workshop once after cutting.
There was so much moisture in it that it started getting moldy. Where it was stacked along the wall there was mold on the wall too.

I'd leave it outside for at least a couple of months then stack where it can get air movement all around it inside.

 

All good advice from my brethren above-proper outdoor exposure is key, elevated, facing south and exposed to prevailing winds is what dries wood, top covering is a whole other issue-I prefer it covered but exposed otherwise...that said-Welcome CaptainNemo , you’re gonna like it here, I guarantee it-lots of wonderful folks willing to lend advice or a hand. We like pics, dogs and beer. We also like spending your money on accoutrements to help with your addiction, er, uh, I meant hoard. Wind is your friend.

Nice to meet you!

 

This Red Maple is gone now Nemo as I share a lot of my wood with the lady that owns all the land I cut on plus the swamp down past her land from a nice couple of horse people. and was css live blow downs from the swamp, windows and big door are always open.
Was just informed 11 months the way it sat and the T5 ran great when it was thrown in. You wont be disappointed next year.

 

Really curious to see how things work as I am going to have a good test for this. CSS a cord of elm that was heavy wet and a cord of spruce last October or early November. Stacked on south wall of a metal machine shed that gets blazing hot in summer. The doors aren't open a lot but it is an old building with not very tight seams. It is a 50 x 100 quonset style 18' peak so I hope the quantity of available air inside will help dissipate moisture and only having 2 cord vs 20 to not saturate the interior should help.

 

My pole barn is completely open on all sides. I can't compare how quickly wood dries to having it out in the sun. I can say that once the wood is stacked, it stays in perfect condition for as long as I care to keep it in there and I have enough space for many years worth. Stacks I kept outside last a while, but not essentially a lifetime. I'd rather stack in the barn and wait as long as needed. That way, when I'm an old man and can't cut any more, I'll have enough to ride out my sunset years.

If I ever get the motivation, time, money, and a to-do list that allows it to become the priority, I'd love to build a big wood drying/storage building. Transparent roofing and walls that reach nearly to the ground but not all the way, good sized vents on the top. Probably have to do all the stacking at night to avoid heat stroke, but I bet that wood would be bone dry and burn like a dream

 

I have always wondered how it would work to buy an old 4000 bushel grain bin that has an air floor. Stack the bugger as full as possible with fresh splits and turn the fans on during the day in the heat of summer.

 

I don't know about Michigan but in my neck of the woods it would be ready