Tarping wood in snow

I tarped my wood piles this fall and this may have slowed seasoning some, but it sure is nice now that we are covered with snow. I peel back the tarps and the wood underneath is dry. I'm burning ash these days. Even though it was cut last summer, it offgases nicely and does not hiss. Ash is my go to wood for quick turnaround and good btu. I know oak is higher on the charts, but the tradeoff is not as favorable unless you can hoard many years in advance. I will be there next year with inventory remaining and a pickup truck and all my tools now in place. I want to accumulate about 8 cords next summer to add to the 2 cords I will have remaining.

 

It is a shame that the ash is dying, but it is great wood, I have burned 17 inch diameter dead ash the same day I cut it.
BTU ratings are not that far below oak, it is a fantastic wood.
Been heating my house with 80% ash for the last 3 years

 

I agree. Ash is amazing. I have burned oak, locust, ash, maple, pine, cherry, and a few others that I cannot identify. Ash is hard to beat.

 

I have a makeshift woodshed made by tarps but the rest is all Tarpped on top , I pull from and is dry

 

In a perfect world I leave the piles uncovered to season all summer then in the late fall tarp them to keep snow off. In my world they never get tarped and I have to brush snow off the top layer before bringing in.

 

We live in the same world.

 

I tarped my Holzhausen back in October, but realized awhile ago that I'll have to dip into my second holz to finish this season. I finally got around to tarping it last weekend. I probably have a month or so before I have to get wood out of it, I'm sure it'll be dry by then since we haven't had much snow here. The second stack is 100% ash, while the first is a combination of ash and hickory. I'm sad to see my hickory gone, but I could be left with worse!

 

1 month is plenty...once snow cover is gone and the frozen ice evaporates, it'll be fine. i bring wood in everyday that i leave in my big storage cart to dry for a day before stove time.

 

You have it down pat. I'm trying to get ahead several years but it takes time and the right equipment like I recently acquired.

 

Getting some plywood between the stack and tarps makes another level of difference also. Tarps with a solid under layer become so much more manageable. Makes it easier to brush the snow off and easier to pull wood out from under. And it helps to eliminate those pesky puddles. You don't have to pull a tarp back when a piece of ply is still holding it up. I have some old crypt forms that were in the basement of my first house when I bought it 25 years ago. They still grace the tops of my wood pile along with a lot of other pieces of plywood that I have picked up along the way.

 

I agree. Snow pushing down on a tarp makes it difficult. Great idea.

 

Bunch of elm rounds under a blue tarp right now and was thinking of getting the snow off this weekend but calling for some big snow Sun/Mon? Think i'll wait.

 

You going to split now?

 

Wouldnt mind picking away at it 77. Now calling for half the snow so still might clear it off.

 

Nothing wrong with that...Wood splits easy when it's cold. Any wood split now, may be ready by next March or will be really good by '17

 

The frozen pool cover didnt much like the tractor blade 77.
Gonna be alot of blue crap to clean up come spring.

 

That wood looks small enough to have been split already? Is that your home?

 

I agree...it's hard working in snow and ice. I will come up with tarp systems next fall that keep the wood even drier and more accessible.

 

My experience with tarps has been condensation below which had resulted in the wood freezing together as well as it staying wet. Now in hindsight, I realize this "seasoned" wood I purchased probably was not that seasoned. It's why I now prefer to put the wood in rack with slats that provide for air movement.