I'm still trying to work out my ideal setup for storing firewood. This is my first year burning wood and I have been learning a lot from you all about the different ways you heat your homes and I'm very impressed with how thought out many of your systems are. I see some of you store at least some wood in your basement. Is there any down side to doing this? What are things to watch out for if I wanted to do it that way?
Bugs mainly, if you have a remote chance of termites its not a good idea. I bring about 1/4 cord at a time into my basement where the stove is starting when it gets cold enough to run the stove....
In my last house, I tried to store wood in the basement. The biggest issue I had was that the basement was so humid in the summer, some mold started to form. The easy and quick fix i used was bringing in a cord during shoulder season, and then replenishing over the winter. I was too cheap to install a dehumidifier down there. Oh, and I kept wood on pallets even in the basement to promote airflow. Just my thoughts.
The thing that appeals to me about it is not having to trudge through the snow to bring in wood, but like you said, mold isn't anything I want inside my house, bugs either. I have an old coal door on my basement and I think that I could fit all I needed for the season down there so it would be really slick if I could stay mold and bug free
You may be able to fill your basement for the winter once the colder dryer winter weather sets in. Each home is different, but there always is a way
I think then that I will give it a try, the last blast of snow is melting off so it would be a good time to move what I've got. But this weekend is the start of muzzle loader season for deer and seeing as how I didn't get one in rifle season I ought to hunt while I can
Yes, mold and bugs are the big thing. Also if you don't first dry the wood outdoors, that will bring in a lot of moisture into the house which you may not like at all. I can easily understand why you don't want to trudge through the snow as you get a goodly amount there. A bit more to the north and west of you but you can still get a good amount. I remember driving many times through there and as soon as one gets around the curve going north, the snow then begins to build quite a bit. Fun times we had! I'd still try to get some roofing material or something similar and stack the wood fairly close to the house rather than in the basement. Or you could perhaps put enough for a week in the basement once it gets really cold and the snow starts to pile up. Here is a picture I took one Christmas day and the wood pile has old galvanized roofing on it. Much better than tarps!
Yeah, that makes sense, I have the galvanized roofing covering my stacks like you recommend and my stacks are only 25 feet from the door, but if in the future I had my already 1 or 2 year outdoor seasoned wood moved into the basement for that years burning it seems like it would make life easier
That is good you have good seasoned wood. I'd probably give it a try with the basement idea in your area. Probably difficult for most folks to realize what the winters can be like in your area!
Hello Keweenaw. It is the only way to go living in the U.P. Get that wood in your basement every fall before the rains start. If you have a wet basement, well, you're going to have wet wood for sure. And bugs. Seems they enjoy the wet wood more so than the dry. I would have to say that the next time I hear about termites up here will be the first; but we have carpenter ants-so.... You are right when it comes to not wanting to trudge in the snow carrying wood in from outside. Keep all of that snow outside where it belongs (if it ever gets here this year) along with the door closed to the cold below zero temperatures. (If they ever get here, too!) As far as muzzle loading goes, You remember what you saw during rifle season, right? Same thing for muzzle season! Very poor season this year, no?
I bring in (well, my wife does til I get healed up) about 2-3 days atta time.... But it's still not too cold here. We'll extend the amount to about a week inside, as well as a covered pallet at the back door that usually gets an extra week+ stacked on it for quick refills. Of course this evening- a bee flies right in front of me downstairs. Musta come in on/within yesterday's load. Couldn't chase him down, but when I see that l'il bugger again, electro shock therapy!
The stink bugs have a thing for hitchin rides on my wood. The cats usually get em, and sometimes the one eats em.......
I sat out in my blind probably 10 mornings through the season and a couple evenings looking out on my bait pile, I had been throwing out apples since September and could hardly keep up with how fast they ate them. Through all hunting season I saw 1 doe. I think that moving this years wood inside is going to be the plan then. Just as soon as my last shred of hope for a buck slips away
Here, Bug are not much of an issue if I bring the birch after a cold spell. Few or no bugs here eat the dry birch. Might be a spider or 2 but they're here with or without bringing in wood. Like said well seasoned dry wood shouldn't be an issue. (other than any insects in your area)
Good luck, and post some pics! Even if they are just a view from your blind. Always nice to see outdoor pics.
As already mentioned as long as the wood is seasoned and dry you shouldn't have a problem. Termites need to get back to the ground so I wouldn't worry about that....a few spiders here and there, oh well
Welcome Keweenaw! So far I have never shot a buck, but plenty of doe. 18 last year, but none this year. Usually it was too hot and I prefer the meat not spoil so I do all of my killing during the colder weather. Over the last month I haven't seen a single doe so it's a probability my neighbors got em. I did see a 6 point buck though. I'm thinking I probably should have shot him instead of just watching him. I had plenty of time to retrieve one of my firearms before he got close enough, but being a buck, I tend to pass on them so the guys can fill their need to get one. I was out checking my wood piles and seeing how my mote that I dug around the piles due to all the rains we have been getting for drainage was functioning. Then I looked into the woods and saw this dark brown tree that I don't recall seeing before. Then a few feet away I saw movement. It was the head of a buck and the tree turned out to be his hind legs. Long story short, He came to within 18 yards of my position. I was kind of leaning on the deck railing and watched him for at least 45 minutes. I was sure wishing someone would come along and shoot him, but no such luck. I didn't have a camera on me, but, I did have a motion sensitive cheapie camera pointed that way that I use to keep track of all the varmints that come through at night or while I'm gone during the day. But see, I was hiding in plain sight! So the closer it got the more often I lifted my leg and moved it a bit to make sure the camera activated. See, I keep trying to help you guys out by not shooting them, so now you need to do your part and shoot one or more!
