Wood Storage Question....help needed


 
James Lake

James Lake

TVWBB Emerald Member
I have the opportunity to pickup 1/2 a cord of wood, 1/4 Cherry and 1/4 Apple. The question I have is how long will this wood stay useable and how does everyone store the wood to avoid insects getting into the wood. I would purchase a firewood rack and possibly a cover. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
 
pick it up, rack it, DON'T cover it.
it should be felled and cut for at least 6 months
cut to size what you'll use for a month.

I use apple that has been down for 4 years, yes, it still has smoke apple flavour.
some with the hickory I have.
The cherry wood I have is minimal, say to say...

James, you hit the jackpot on some nice wood.
 
My penny and a half James: keep the wood off the soil; and if the apple is green, split it up now. It's very hard (very hard) to split when its seasoned. I agree that apple holds it's flavor - I don't know about cherry.
 
James;
A discarded pallet works quite well to stack wood on to keep it off the soil. The wood can "breathe" and water drains off without issue. Wood will stay good for a LONG time so stored in the Midwest, at least.

FWIW
Dale53
 
What every one else said. Get it off the soil. I have a wood rack against my house that is just barely covered by the roof. It doesn't keep the wood 100% dry but less then being out in the rain. Don't cover wood with a tarp or anything like that. It needs to breathe!
 
Carpenter ant's love wood and Esp fruit wood. I like to keep mine in the garage above grade out of the elements, but that's a few limbs not a half a cord.:)
If I kept it outside I would sprinkle some food grade diamtrecious < SP ? earth around it.

Tim
 
Still trying to figure out how to store my hickory wood. I just purchased some lawn & leaf bags. Can I store the wood in there like they do in the stores? My wood is sitting on a tarp (uncovered) in the back of my old minivan for the moment. Most of it has been cut into small-to-midsize chunks, but some of it is still firewood size.
 
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Rusty James said:
Still trying to figure out how to store my hickory wood. I just purchased some lawn & leaf bags. Can I store the wood in there like they do in the stores? My wood is sitting on a tarp (uncovered) in the back of my old minivan for the moment. Most of it has been cut into small-to-midsize chunks, but some of it is still firewood size.
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Like was mentioned above: Let it breathe. Plastic or plastic lined bags trap moisture which leads to mold/mildew. The firewood bags you see at the store should have small holes punched through the sides.
I use vented HD cardboard boxes for my limbs /branches/splits and cheap dollar store laundry baskets for my chunks.

Tim
 
I put about half of my chunks in a leaf bag and some of it in a left over hickory chunk bag (stored out of the elements and vented at the top), but I still have a lot left over. I'm beginning to wonder if I should have went with the $10.00 load. :D

Maybe I can give some of it away, or burn a pile down to coals.
 
I had a forum member, Tim K from Lexington, give me some apple. He put it in a covered 5 gallon jug with a BUNCH of holes drilled in it. no worries with that! Of course, you'd need a truck load of buckets and lids for a half cord!!!!:p
 
I have a big basket hanging from the rafters in the garage full of four inch chunks of maple from a downed limb. No half cord by any stretch. Half a cord, rack it! I have my firewood (fireplace wood) very loosely covered with a tarp, nothing snug. I have not had any trouble with rot in twenty years. It's clear of the ground, against a stockade fence with a tarp on a pole hanging against the fence, rain and snow does not make constant contact, air flow is not obstructed. Works for me.
I'm lucky, I have a friend who heats with wood and there is a hundred years worth of cherry on the land and he has brought me a nice big box for my birthday the last couple of years. Good to have friends!!
 
Is it OK to leave wood chucks in the sack they came in? I'm not really worried about inspects as they cook off quite well...:o
 
Mac LA said:
Is it OK to leave wood chucks in the sack they came in? I'm not really worried about inspects as they cook off quite well...:o
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Yea as long as they are vented like was mentioned up-thread. Sealed closed plastic bags trap moisture, burlap or potato/ veg bags do not.

Tim
 
Had real good luck storing wood chunks in large corn bags (hold 5-6 doz ears). Mesh laundry bags or mesh sports equipment bags also work well.
 
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