'Temporary' Chopped Wood Storage?

[New Forest DEAN]

G'Day

 

This is a stupid question (as usual...) - assuming I get through, say, 5 tonnes of firewood a year, and my stack of oak / beech cordwood needs a good 18 months seasoning after chopping, do I need 10 tonnes of chopped wood storage? (5 for this winter / 5 for next winter)

 

If I rotate the ready wood, I will need my 'pretty' (pic attached) covered 5 tonne store next to the house (ready to use), plus another 'temporary' store in the field for rotating after winter (double handling I know). And so on...

 

I don't want to have to build two woodstores 'cos the 'pretty' one was expensive - so any suggestions on the 'temporary' storage? can I just keep it chopped up under tarp until spring? (rotting / mould?) or as rings ready for chopping?

 

In short, any suggestions on temporary (say 6 months over winter) storage options?

 

Cheers - DEAN.

[Ashes_Firewood]

Stack it on pallets and put pallets on top before putting a tarp over it? But don't have the tarp hanging down, just have so it keeps the rain off the top leaving the sides open. The pallet on top of the stack should help keep a bit of airflow between the top layer of logs and the tarp.

[bigdave]

as above or buy some vented bulk bags & same as above stand bag on pallet fill stand another pallet on top & cover with a tarp!!

[bigdave]

nice looking log store by the way!!!!!

[skyhuck]

Split and stacked in the spring fire wood should be fine by autumn.

[Pooch0151]

Good looking log store you have m8

[Alycidon]

In Southern Germany in the countryside house do have several winters supply stacked in rows in the snow.

 

What you are doing works, but it is VERY labour intensive. I season in bags for 12-18 months, under a barn covered on three sides. I am just putting some in a barn covered on one side with heavy foliage on another.

 

As others have said get it in their using bagged wood on pallets if you can, wont be able to hodl as much though but an outside stack, open sides, covered top as also suggested will work well.

 

A

[John Barleycorn]

Leave stacked as cordwood for a year & then cut & throw under cover a few months before using.

[New Forest DEAN]

nice looking log store by the way!!!!! Good looking log store you have m8

 

Cheers - £160 in timber from SCATS Country store (fence posts, arris rails etc) plus some old decking, but its going to cost another £150 to clad the roof:thumbdown: It faces south, so catches all the sun, and wind due to the buildings, and has a 2 foot gap at the back and 6" gap below to encourage air movement. Also obscures the neighbours fence.

 

But I can't afford to do two of them, so the pallet / tarp / extra labour thing may have to be the way forward. Do you loose much through mould or rotting with a tarp though? I've noticed that white mould occurs even when well ventilated or dry stacked.

 

Split and stacked in the spring fire wood should be fine by autumn.

Doesn't oak need a year or two?

 

Finally, I've still got a huge stack of cordwood - is it a good idea to throw a tarp over this during winter as well?

 

Cheers - DEAN.

[davetaz]

If you have the space in a field, get a small poly tunnel erected and store logs in there. Seasoned in less than 6 months.