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Home Repair (alt.home.repair) For all homeowners and DIYers with many experienced tradesmen. Solve your toughest home fix-it problems. |
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#1
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How long can firewood last if its kept dry?
I'm thinking for ever, if its dry and kept free of insect. I know when
its wet it looses all energy values after a few years, but dry? Is this right? I'm taking about it being kept dry outside, with a tarp over the top. Thanks! Dean |
#2
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Indefinitely.
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#3
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"dean" wrote in message oups.com... I'm thinking for ever, if its dry and kept free of insect. I know when its wet it looses all energy values after a few years, but dry? Is this right? I'm taking about it being kept dry outside, with a tarp over the top. Thanks! Dry and insect free, it can last 100 or 200 years. Firewood is really no different than the wood used to build homes and furniture centuries ago. Those protected survived, those in the weather rotted away. Ground moisture is probably the biggest culprit. Put a tarp under also if you want long term. |
#4
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Hmmm. How long can a house still burn?
dean wrote: I'm thinking for ever, if its dry and kept free of insect. I know when its wet it looses all energy values after a few years, but dry? Is this right? I'm taking about it being kept dry outside, with a tarp over the top. Thanks! Dean -- Phil Munro Dept of Electrical & Computer Engin Youngstown State University Youngstown, Ohio 44555 |
#5
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Well I am talking about a pile of wood outside in the elements, not
wood covered up in panelling and paint Thanks everyone. Edwin - won't a tarp underneath hold in water? |
#6
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dean wrote:
Well I am talking about a pile of wood outside in the elements, not wood covered up in panelling and paint Thanks everyone. Edwin - won't a tarp underneath hold in water? Come on, man, use your noggin! All you have to do is have a place it can drain and keep (relatively) dry. |
#7
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Well of course. Just trying to picture a tarp underneath, that's all.
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#8
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"dean" wrote in message oups.com... Well of course. Just trying to picture a tarp underneath, that's all. I'd put the tarp on the ground, then put pallets on top of the tarp, then stack the wood on the pallets. I've had wood stacked with no tarp and it is good for a couple of years but the pallets in contact with the ground went to hell fast. |
#9
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Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"dean" wrote in message oups.com... Well of course. Just trying to picture a tarp underneath, that's all. I'd put the tarp on the ground, then put pallets on top of the tarp, then stack the wood on the pallets. I've had wood stacked with no tarp and it is good for a couple of years but the pallets in contact with the ground went to hell fast. I was thinking of the tarp over the support (when I was where I stacked firewood and it was a wet climate in E TN I used blocks and some angle as the base) as a lower "splash guard" if you will...if it's higher than surrounding area, it will drain/carry water away. |
#10
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To complete the picture, envision the tarp above covering the top of
the pile, and maybe extending outward a bit down a small percentage of the sides. (e.g. propped with scrap) You want to allow airflow through the pile, not trap moisture up under the tarp. Tarp should cover as little as possible while keeping rain off wood. HTH, J |
#11
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Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"dean" wrote in message oups.com... Well of course. Just trying to picture a tarp underneath, that's all. I'd put the tarp on the ground, then put pallets on top of the tarp, then stack the wood on the pallets. I've had wood stacked with no tarp and it is good for a couple of years but the pallets in contact with the ground went to hell fast. I'd put cement block down below first instead of a bottom tarp. A bottom tarp would invariably collect and pool water, making the moisture problem worse.... Rob |
#12
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My method is to lay down two eight foot 4 X 4 pressure treated beams flat on the ground , and stack the wood on them. The firewood will last for at least 2 or 3 years like this, even if uncovered. It will last much longer than that if covered with a tarp. --James-- |
#13
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#14
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"James" wrote in message ... My method is to lay down two eight foot 4 X 4 pressure treated beams flat on the ground , and stack the wood on them. The firewood will last for at least 2 or 3 years like this, even if uncovered. It will last much longer than that if covered with a tarp. If you are gonna stockpile more than a season's worth of wood, bite the bullet and build a woodshed, even a 3-sided one with enoough overhang to keep direct rain off the front. A few posts, some horizontal rails to keep the wood out of the dirt, and whatever is cheap and handy for the roof an sidewalls. aem sends... |
#15
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I was going to say the same thing. Google on 'woodshed design' and you'll
find suggestions on the net. I got the plans for mine out of a magazine years ago, and when I switched to pellets I sold the shed for $1,000 when it was over 10 yrs old. I think it cost me about 300 to knock together, but a few little touches made it an attractive outdoor building that stored 6 cord, plus an enclosed box for kindling. I used 2x6 pressure treated decking, but the rest was a pine box. Just be sure to allow for plenty of air movement. Keith "ameijers" wrote in message ... "James" wrote in message ... My method is to lay down two eight foot 4 X 4 pressure treated beams flat on the ground , and stack the wood on them. The firewood will last for at least 2 or 3 years like this, even if uncovered. It will last much longer than that if covered with a tarp. If you are gonna stockpile more than a season's worth of wood, bite the bullet and build a woodshed, even a 3-sided one with enoough overhang to keep direct rain off the front. A few posts, some horizontal rails to keep the wood out of the dirt, and whatever is cheap and handy for the roof an sidewalls. aem sends... |
#16
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James wrote:
My method is to lay down two eight foot 4 X 4 pressure treated beams flat on the ground , and stack the wood on them. The firewood will last for at least 2 or 3 years like this, even if uncovered. It will last much longer than that if covered with a tarp. --James-- I also used 4 X 4 pressure treated but instead created a rack. End posts used metal anchoring spikes for further protection. First row begins about 8 inches off the ground. Simple roof covering is green tarp which barely extends to the edges. Rock solid and not an eyesore. |
#17
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Ok right now I have accummulated about 20 cords of wood. I started off
with a pressure treated rack but that gets a bit expansive and its was a little too high for my liking. Now I'm just putting down stone gravel (2" size) to make a foundation, and then a row of paving bricks I found on top of that,a nd the wood on those. I've been using anything I can find for the covering (tarps, roof liners, etc). Tarps get expensive if you need to buy a lot of them, and the ones they make for logs are BLUE, and I want green or brown to make it discreet. Anyway, I digress! Just wanted to know how long it can last. Thanks all for the tips! Dean |
#18
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dean wrote:
Ok right now I have accummulated about 20 cords of wood. I started off with a pressure treated rack but that gets a bit expansive and its was a little too high for my liking. Now I'm just putting down stone gravel (2" size) to make a foundation, and then a row of paving bricks I found on top of that,a nd the wood on those. I've been using anything I can find for the covering (tarps, roof liners, etc). Tarps get expensive if you need to buy a lot of them, and the ones they make for logs are BLUE, and I want green or brown to make it discreet. Dean I get my GREEN ones he http://www.tarpsonline.com/green.asp |
#19
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Great! I ordered 5 of the brown 18x3's. Thanks!
Dean |
#20
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My method is to lay down two eight foot 4 X 4 pressure treated beams flat on the ground , and stack the wood on them. The firewood will last for at least 2 or 3 years like this, even if uncovered. It will last much longer than that if covered with a tarp. I also used 4 X 4 pressure treated but instead created a rack. End posts used metal anchoring spikes for further protection. First row begins about 8 inches off the ground. Simple roof covering is green tarp which barely extends to the edges. Rock solid and not an eyesore. You people are weird. We always just laid a pair of the longer, thinner trees longways, and stacked the split wood on top of that. The stringers rot, but who cares? If you're storing wood for more than two years, the best place to put it is attached to a living tree. If you're using it faster than that then you only have to worry about rot if you're using poplar, or some other cellulose sponge. --Goedjn |
#21
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Yes, and when the tree-stringers rot, you nice firewood is laying on the ground, which is what we are trying to avoid............ --James-- -------------------------- You people are weird. We always just laid a pair of the longer, thinner trees longways, and stacked the split wood on top of that. The stringers rot, but who cares? If you're storing wood for more than two years, the best place to put it is attached to a living tree. If you're using it faster than that then you only have to worry about rot if you're using poplar, or some other cellulose sponge. --Goedjn |
#22
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On Mon, 03 Oct 2005 11:15:54 -0400, Goedjn wrote:
My method is to lay down two eight foot 4 X 4 pressure treated beams flat on the ground , and stack the wood on them. The firewood will last for at least 2 or 3 years like this, even if uncovered. It will last much longer than that if covered with a tarp. I also used 4 X 4 pressure treated but instead created a rack. End posts used metal anchoring spikes for further protection. First row begins about 8 inches off the ground. Simple roof covering is green tarp which barely extends to the edges. Rock solid and not an eyesore. You people are weird. We always just laid a pair of the longer, thinner trees longways, and stacked the split wood on top of that. The stringers rot, but who cares? If you're storing wood for more than two years, the best place to put it is attached to a living tree. If you're using it faster than that then you only have to worry about rot if you're using poplar, or some other cellulose sponge. I just put it in the garage. I don't use much (backup and when it's below -20F), so it sits there just fine. It lights easy too! ;-) -- Keith --Goedjn |
#23
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On Mon, 3 Oct 2005 20:55:13 -0400, "James"
wrote: Yes, and when the tree-stringers rot, you nice firewood is laying on the ground, which is what we are trying to avoid............ By the time the stringers rot, your firewood should be a pile of ash uphill of the garden. |
#24
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On Mon, 03 Oct 2005 11:15:54 -0400, Goedjn wrote:
My method is to lay down two eight foot 4 X 4 pressure treated beams flat on the ground , and stack the wood on them. The firewood will last for at least 2 or 3 years like this, even if uncovered. It will last much longer than that if covered with a tarp. I also used 4 X 4 pressure treated but instead created a rack. End posts used metal anchoring spikes for further protection. First row begins about 8 inches off the ground. Simple roof covering is green tarp which barely extends to the edges. Rock solid and not an eyesore. You people are weird. We always just laid a pair of the longer, thinner trees longways, and stacked the split wood on top of that. The stringers rot, but who cares? If you're storing wood for more than two years, the best place to put it is attached to a living tree. If you're using it faster than that then you only have to worry about rot if you're using poplar, or some other cellulose sponge. --Goedjn So you are practical. They are not particularly weird. Weird would be the guy who builds a $5000 humidity controlled enclosure with forced air ventilation to protect $200 worth of firewood. Or maybe that one would just be rich and eccentric. ;-) FACE |
#25
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Mark wrote:
On 30 Sep 2005 07:46:34 -0700, "dean" wrote: Well I am talking about a pile of wood outside in the elements, not wood covered up in panelling and paint Thanks everyone. Edwin - won't a tarp underneath hold in water? I pile mine on a 6" bed of gravel and tarp it. Water drains away no problem. Some of it is over 5 years old near the bottom and shows no signs of rotting. It's a little gray, but that's about it. Just like cedar siding...... Although this is probably one of the stupidest questions because it is so easily answered with common observation and knowledge, I just have to jump in. I've seen wood stacked in a wood shed that has a sand and dirt floor that becomes wet and has running water every spring when the snow melts. Wood that had been stacked in that shed for 15-20 years showed no evidence of deterioration even for most pieces in direct contact with the ground. (note I said sand and dirt floor so the floor was dry most of the time and the shed was no where close to air tight.) That, of course, doesn't answer the question, but indicates that that firewood deterioration should not be a concern during anyone's lifetime. |
#26
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George - you said something partially useful! Wow! What happened?
I'm talking about normal wood outside under a tarp, it gets a little wet as the rain splashes or blows, and its on bricks just above ground. I've seen wood go completely rotten when it contact gound even for a short time. |
#27
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dean wrote:
George - you said something partially useful! Wow! What happened? I'm talking about normal wood outside under a tarp, it gets a little wet as the rain splashes or blows, and its on bricks just above ground. I've seen wood go completely rotten when it contact gound even for a short time. The subject says "if kept dry." |
#28
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Well I assumed some common sense in the question rather than specific
literary accuracy. |
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